Xanderism: Thanks, Buddy.

Leaving the department store:

X: "Mom, do you want the rest of my treat? My tummy is too small to fit it all."

M: "What?"

X: "YOU can eat it. Your tummy is HUGE!"

M: "...Thanks, Buddy."

Who are YOU?!

Hello, Folks! I'm baaaaaack! After taking quite a long break, I have returned (hopefully) to my blog! It's been a difficult year and my family (and my head) needed every bit of space and energy I had. Things are definitely returning to our new normal and I'm happy to return to playful writing, which I love...and I know you love it too.
"What have you been up to for a full year, Annie?" I know you must be wondering.
"A bunch of stuff, which I will leak out to you slowly and in good time,"I would reply.

Kid update:

Skyler is doing great in fourth grade. He's very smart and has also turned into quite the social kid. He has friends calling him all the time to play Minecraft (his latest obsession) or to hang out. He's taken almost complete control of his academics, which was hard for me to let go of, but has been wonderful for his growth. He's grown up a lot this year. It makes me happy and sad and proud. He's taken to wiping my kisses off his cheek, but he tries not to when I'm around. It's like torture, as I stick around watching him as long as possible. He just laughs and says, "Gaaaarrrhhh! Mom!!" His dimples showing as he can't help but smile. I adore him. (I'm also not allowed to kiss him on the head or anywhere else when his friends are around, but sometimes he'll come up to me when I'm volunteering in his classroom because he "just needs a hug").

Aria is now taller than Skyler and is doing great in second grade. Her teacher just raves about what a great student she is (100s on nearly every paper and test) and how she's every teacher's dream! I laugh because, though mostly wonderful at home, she has an angry streak!! I'm sure glad she lets it out at home and not in the classroom ;) She has lots of friends and has a real flare for the dramatic. She was asked to be in the advanced dance class at D for Danze and does a great job. She also loves doing musicals and is very serious about her acting. The girl is invested and it shows on stage! Also, once a week, she mentions how desperately she wants brown hair and once a week, I rave about how gorgeous her almost white-blonde hair is! We dance in the kitchen and are fantastic shopping buddies :)

Xander has lost his baby fat and is now a big boy! He reads like it's his job. He is currently on book 29 of The Magic Treehouse chapter book series. He's read every one except 12, because he claims that polar bears "bore" him. He loves to take his latest book to show and tell on Thursdays at preschool, where his teachers watch in awe as he reads to his classmates. He is interested in whatever Skyler is interested in: most recently BeyBlades, which are like Battle Tops. Xander is VERY particular about his foods. It's no small miracle that his body still functions properly. We do everything we can to introduce new foods, but he literally gags at the thought, and frankly, it's not worth the results (which we know from experience). So bring on the apples, red grapes, cereal, cheese, milk, pretzles, and any kind of cheddar-flavored carbohydrate. Mmmmm-mmmm! He is one minute the cutest, most cuddly guy you've ever seen, and the next, crazy cranky angry guy. We LOVE when cute, cuddly guy is around. He's just SO dang cute...and cuddly :)

Updates on Shelby and me later, but we're doing really great. He takes good care of all of us :)

Xanderism: Sense of Smell

In the grocery store parking lot:
M (sniffing his nose playfully like a puppy)
X: "What does my nose smell like?"
M: "Like you...PERFECTION!"
X: "I'm gonna sniff your nose."(starts sniffing)
M: "What does my nose smell like?"
X: (giggling) "Boogies!!"

Xanderism: What?

Outside working in the garden. Xander by the tree swing. Just got back from seeing Megamind at the theater.

X: "Mom! Mom! I found Jesus' weakness!!"

M: "WHAT?!"

X: "I did it! I found Jesus' weakness!!"

M: "Oh, dear. What is it?"

Xander runs over and shows me a small, orange, pie-shaped piece of broken plastic in the palm of his hand.

M: "Wow, buddy. That's really cool, but I'm pretty sure Jesus doesn't have a weakness."

X: "Mom, EVERYONE has a weakness."

M: "Yes. Everyone, except Jesus."

Xander walks off, confused. I'm thinking we need to be more careful about our superhero movies :)

They're Playing our Song

Shelby and I had the amazing opportunity to play Vernon and Sonia in Neil Simon's show, They're Playing our Song at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. Dennis directed it, Emily choreographed it, Piannie did the musical direction, Jacci Florence did costumes, with Andrea Scanlon on wigs, and Tara Payne was the assistant to the director.
What a ride! I've never had a role which demanded more from me both physically and emotionally. Shelby and I were onstage for the WHOLE show! Once in a while, I'd leave so he could sing a song, or he would while I did a song, but backstage we were racing to make fast costume changes and grab props. It was unbelievable. Our characters pretty much ran the gamut of human emotion and I sang in a completely different style than I am used to. What a learning experience!
It was so much fun for us to do this show together, as well as with some of our very best friends; Ashley Davis, Andrea Scanlon, Emily Checketts, Jordanne Burgess, Dave Clegg, Brent Taft, and Quinn Kapetanov-a totally awesome and funny cast, who also happen to all be enormously talented!I will always have fond memories of drinking gatorade and eating vitamin sports beans to keep my energy up, and doing a show with some of my favorite people, but not really, because we never saw eachother during the show! I will cherish the memory of this show as the one that really stretched me the most.A huge thank you to my family and friends who supported us, especially Cydney who did most of our babysitting, Barbara, who made that possible, and our kids, who think that parents doing shows together is completely normal. We love you!!

Re-Cap attempts for 2010

Hey Y'alls! SO, let's just say, 2010 has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Things have been stressful and wonderful and everything in between. Through considerable effort on both our parts, we have finally, gratefully, begun to slow down. We have new resolve to not over-commit ourselves; a resolve we're not sure will last forever, but we are so relieved to have a tiny bit of room to breathe, that it just might.
I'll make an effort to summarize events for the year as I simply did not have the time or energy to do it until now! So, if you see summer-looking or spring-looking pictures in the fall or wintertime, that's the reason why!

Ariaism: Strength of Genetics

Driving on our way to see The Scarlet Pimpernel at Terrace Plaza Playhouse. Girls' Night with Aria. Radio on.

A, "...Mom?"

M, "Yeah, babe?"

A, "Are there any songs besides SHOW songs?"

M, (giggling quietly), "Yes, honey. There are other songs besides show songs. "

A, "Really?"

M, "Yup! Sometimes people will just write a song, either to listen to on the radio, or to sell, or because they're feeling something they want to express through music. Some people write songs JUST to write songs!"

A, "...Why?...WHY, when you could put it in a SHOW?!!"

M, (laughing) "I know, honey. I soo know. I feel EXACTLY the same way :)"

Xanderism: What's in a name?

Aria, filling out a form for school:

A, "Aria Rose Ferrin."

X, "Nooo! It's Aria LILY Ferrin!"

D, "Well, Lily is a name Aria really likes, but ROSE is her middle name."

X, "I have a next name too!"

D, "Yes, you do! What's you're middle name?"

X, "My next name is BERRY. STRAWBERRY. Xander STRAWBERRY Ferrin."

Xanderism: Dreamin'

Over breakfast:

X, "I had a dream last night that I didn't have Mommy anymore."

M, "Oh, honey! Wait, was it a bad dream or a good dream?"

X, "It was a good dream!" (Me, slightly hurt....)

D, "Xander, why did you not have Mommy anymore?"

X, "Hmmm...maybe it's because I was a jelly sandwich!"

Skylerism: Do your job

After a bit of a stressful evening....

M,"Ok, kiddos, you have four minutes to get your pjs the rest of the way on, get your teeth brushed, go potty, and be in the boys' room for scripture and prayer."

S, Matter-of-factly, "Or what?!"

M, "Orrr...Daddy will eat you."

S, "No really. Or what?!"

D, "Or you go one day without electronics."

S, "That's the spirit!...The spirit of punishment!"