Chasing Andersons

I guess you can label me a traitor to blogging.  I've gone over to Facebook full force.  I've got something to say, I say it there.   I have a picture you just must see, that's where it would be.  Announcements over big things, little things, non-things all go to Facebook.

Forgive me.

Here's some stuff you missed lately if you are not floating in the Facebook universe with me.

Dance Team is over.  Super over after tonight which is the dance team banquet.  On Senior Night, her solo was so beautiful.  I held it together until she was completely done dancing, then I lost it.  Lots of tears.

February 12

"You Can't Take It With You" was the spring show and my little duckling was the star.  We went to see it all three nights.  How could we not?  She was amazing!

February 22, 23, 24

There's no picture for this, but BOTH of the kids got the Scholastic E Award. There will be lots of pictures taken at the award ceremony!



The ninth grade band, concert band and symphonic band did a concert in the Performing Arts Center while the National Art Honor Society members painted to the music in the other room.  You got to watch the art happen on screens while the music played.  The Boy was part of the art and this is what he created during the concert.  It was auctioned off at the end of the show with the money going the Salvation Army.

March 6

Finally, we had a huge day at Camp Timberlane getting The Boy's Eagle Project all done in one fell swoop.  He created a new trail, with trail markers which led to a new campsite with a firecircle.  Twenty-three people came out to lend a hand in perfect weather.  Now it's just the paperwork part of the project and he will be an Eagle.

March 9

Coming up is a pageant, some birthdays, a musical, some little shows, awards ceremonies, a prom, a graduation, many parties and a recital.  You can stay up-to-the-minute on Facebook.  Or I'll probably be back to update this in July...

Just being honest!

Calendar of Upcoming Events

The kids have a bunch of stuff happening soon.  I have been accused in the past of not giving enough advance warning, so here you go.

Tuesday, January 15th- T-Rep and Comedy Troupe Show.  The Girl will be performing her drama class midterm and The Boy will be doing some short pieces with the Comedy Troupe.  6 PM (This would qualify as not enough advance warning, granted.)

Friday, January 17th-  Home Basketball game at EHS to watch The Girl dance.  7 PM

Saturday, January 18th- Dance Team Showcase.  Dance Teams from all over will be coming to EHS to show off their dancing skills.  6 PM.

Friday, January 25th-  Home Basketball game

Tuesday, Jaunary 29th- Home Basketball game

Friday, February 1st- Something Dada Comedy Show. 7 PM.  The Boy's comedy troupe will also be performing.

Saturday, Februay 2nd- Home Basketball game

Tuesday, February 12th-  Last Home Basketball Game.  Senior night and solo dance for The Girl.

February 22nd - 24th-   "You Can't Take It With You".  EHS Drama Department Winter Show.  The Girl has a big role in it, so it is not one to miss.

Then things are quiet for a bit.  There will be choir concerts, tennis matches and the musical to come.  Fun!

Christmas Tree Day 2012

 The Anderson's had to travel into the woods a little early this year.  Three of the Anderson's are insanely busy people with schedules that must be respected.  So we went out on the last day of November (*gasp*) to find the perfect tree.

We went back to Spenser's Tree Farm in Wakeman where the last 19 of our 20 trees have come from.  It's gone through good times and bad out there with the tree selection.  But no matter what, you can't beat the prices, service and the homemade cookie for your ride home.

It's a big place.  We lost The Girl for a little while. 

 Everyone had their own opinions on what tree we should pick.  This year there were three finalists that we were trying to pick between.  The problem was they were all really far apart from each other.  There was quite a bit of walking back and forth.  But some people know how to travel.

Finally one tree was compromised on.

Not too big.  Not too small.  Not too fat.  Not too thin.

The Girl was asked to hold up the tree while The Man sawed it down.  He's laying on the ground behind the tree in these shots.  You'll just have to take my word on it.

Oh no!  Says The Girl.  This tree is Sooooo heavy!  How will I ever  hold it up?

Uh oh!  It actually is very heavy.  *Ugh*  I need help!

No worries, that's what brother's are for.

 And that's it.  The tree is down.   Hey guy down there with the saw, you okay?

 

 Never better.  Another tree conquered.

 Another successful Christmas Tree Day!  Now to just get it home and make it pretty.

 Bonus! This tree has many, many pine cones.

 Twenty years ago today, I woke up in my bed in my mother's house and realized I left my contacts at the new apartment.  I was going to need them for the day so I quickly threw on warmer clothes and drove through the snow across town.

I wasn't sure where The Man spent the night.  I was pretty sure he stayed at his parents house.  I'm not a superstitious person normally but the bride not seeing the groom before the wedding seemed like a good idea. 

Luckily when I pulled up in the driveway I could easily make out The Man's fresh footprints in the snow.  It looked like I had just missed him and that he also had showed up and then left right away.  I wondered what he forgot and had to make an early morning run for.  What a pair we were!

I don't remember standing in the apartment thinking anything like, "When I come back here I'll be a married woman."  That would make a nice detail to this story. A young woman standing right between two parts of her life taking a moment to ponder her future. What I do remember is grabbing my contacts and blowing out of there to make it back to the house.  I still needed to shower and get my hair dry before people started showing up.

This morning I woke up in the house I've lived in for the past nineteen years.  After I got the kids off to school I went back to bed to snuggle for a little while with The Man and Mamacat.  There's no snow on the ground today and no threat of flurries later.   I won't see his footprints in the snow today, but later tonight Marco will let know when he hears his truck coming home from teaching at Bowling Green.


 Twenty years later he is still my best friend and my all-time hero in cutting down Christmas trees.

More pictures from our early Christmas Tree day coming soon!

 

 

 Happy Anniversary!

Dance Team Season Arrives!

It is finally here.  The first home game of the basketball season which means it's the first dance team performance.  No worries if you can't make tonight, there are eleven more opportunities to see The Girl dance before February 12th, which is the last game.  That's 69 days away, but who's counting.

Here's the whole schedule for the season if you want to make plans to come out and see her.  The team dances at Varsity games.

http://elyriaschools.org/elyria/ehsathletics/boys-basketball/handouts/7196/78846/

The team only dances at home games.  Not included on the above schedule is the Dance Team Showcase.  The team has invited dance teams from other area schools to come and perform.  That will be Saturday, January 19th at 6 PM. 

The Man and I will always be on the home side, way at the top with the wall to our backs.  See you there!

Coming Up:  A Capella Christmas Choir Concert, Sunday December 16, 3 PM

Harvey

Tonight is opening night of "Harvey" the Elyria High School Drama Department fall show.  Neither of the kids are in the show since rehearsals and cross country overlapped.  The Boy is on running crew which means you can go see the show and not see him for the entire performance.  I haven't seen him all week because he's been busy with tech week.   The Girl helped out with painting the set on Saturdays.  She's not down with tech week stuff so I've seen her lots this week.

But there are plenty of other of my favorite kids in this show so I'll be there tonight supporting the department, all of these talented kids and, of course, my favorite crew member.   The set is supposed to be a two- sided spinning contraption.  I'm excited to see them try something so new.

Performances tonight and tomorrow and 7:30 PM.  Sunday is at 2 PM. 

Coming Soon in the Lives of the Andersons

Tomorrow is the next cross country meet.  It's in Medina which I can't remember ever going to before.  Maybe we were excused as parents to attend.  Or maybe they've  just never run there before.  The Girl runs at 10 AM.  The Boy runs at 11:40 AM.  Last week, 90% of the team got their personal best times.  Most everyone at that meet got their best times ever.  There's been a lot of finger pointing that the course was short, but what's done is done.

Tuesday, October 9th, The Girl has a choir concert at 7 PM in the Performing Arts Center.  The choir director, for some unknown reason, thinks this show is going to be huge and has scheduled a second show on Monday, October 15th, just for those people who get shut out of the first show.   I don't know anyone who clamors to get to one of these shows.  Everyone is there out of pure obligation.  I don't have a very high opinion of the choir director in the best of times, but scheduling extra shows, just in case, really knocks him down a few more pegs.

Wednesday, October 10th is a band concert, which we've never had to go to before, but this show has Comedy Troupe performing as well, so off we go.  I don't know the time yet for this show or if The Boy will actually be in any of the skits since it's supposed to be short.  Stay tuned.

And that it.  Boy Scout popcorn sales still roll on.  My shed is stacked the ceiling in the stuff.  Booth sales start tonight, but it's raining so I'm probably going to have to cancel.  Not disappointed that I won't have to stand outside on a Friday night trying to sell something nobody wants, but at the same time, every box sold gets us that much closer to the sale be over and done with.