Coppelia - Abby's Dream Come True

Back in May 2010, Dean and I took Abby to see PNB's production of Coppelia. She was so excited that day and took special care to wear her best dress (white, mid-calf length, lots of sequins and a small sparkly tiara in her hair), and kept biting her nails in anticipation.

As we watched the ballet, she would smile, laugh and gasp with delight every few moments. She was in her element! Then as the curtain rose on Act 3 and a beautiful row of girlies dressed in glittering pink and gold tutus appeared, my girl was speechless. Breathless even! ;)

After a moment she leaned over in the dark and whispered with her eyes as big as saucers, "Mommy! How did those girls get to do that?" "They're from the PNB school, honey." I whispered back.

Abby continued to watch, spellbound. Then at the end of the performance she asked, "Okay. So, how do I get in the school?" At that time, she was still dancing at Pacific Chamber Ballet but already things were starting to look sketchy for the new year. I explained how she would have to audition, which she immediately asked, "When can I audition??" I told her we'd talk about it later. (Ahem)

Later during the performance's Post Show Q&A, Abby walked right up and sat in the front row of chairs. (For the record, I never opt to sit in the front row...) After listening to a few adults ask their questions, she asked Olivier Wevers what he liked about playing the role of Dr. Coppelius (her other favorite part). He was very gracious and said he liked "playing with a character" and that was what made it fun for him. Then she asked the Artistic Director, Peter Boal how old the girls in Act 3 were. His response was, "Levels 3 and 4, maybe some 5's. So anywhere from about 10 to 13 or 14." Abby was 10 at the time and so you can imagine how much this pleased her.

As we left McCaw Hall that day, I noticed Abby looked deep in thought. When questioned, she simply said, "I'm thinking about happy I am that I wore my best dress today." And why's that? "So that when I come back and audition for PNB, Mr. Boal will know who I am!" {#itdoesntworkthatway}

Fast forward to September 18th, 2010. She gets in to the school.  

She was placed in Level 3 but sadly, Coppelia was not scheduled to be performed again. At least not yet. So Abby continued to work hard and hoped (and prayed a whole lot) that one day soon, Coppelia would be done again and that she'd get a part.

Last summer, it was announced that Coppelia would once again grace the stage during the company's 2011/12 Season.

There was a lot of speculation as to who would be chosen, how tall or how short you had to be, etc. With every passing rumor, Abby grew more impatient waiting for the Cast letters to go out. Then two friends received a letter. Then three friends. And at long last, so did she....

I'm pleased to announce that Abby received a letter in the mail (about 4 weeks back as I'm horrible about updating this thing), announcing that she had been chosen to perform in this year's production of Coppelia...in Act 3...wearing the very pink and gold costume that ignited her determination to get into the school two years earlier! 

I'm so thankful to God for granting yet another exciting blessing in my daughter's life. To get the chance to perform in the very same production that catapulted her desire to attend the school into the stratosphere is nothing short of awesome! :)

Don Quixote - Cupid Variation

Here's the latest Don Q. clip! Abby is kneeling behind Cupid in a green cap sleeve leotard, finger under her chin, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, just to the right of Tom Skerritt. Isn't she cute? ;) We went to the dress rehearsal last night and it was AMAAAAZING!!! I can't wait to see tonight's big Opening! Woohoo!

Kisses from Katie

I'm really, really really loving this blog called "Kisses from Katie". This young woman's story is so touching - so inspiring - I can't stay away from it. I find myself thinking about it throughout the day and searching for even more blogs - more missionaries - like her. 

Not sure what it is exactly that has me so transfixed. All I know for sure is that I feel something being stirred very deep within me as I read and look at her beautiful photos. 
 

PNB’s Don Quixote

For those of you who are not “friends” with me on Facebook, here is the commercial for PNB’s Don Quixote. At roughly 16 seconds in to the clip is the “dream scene” where Abby and her friends will be performing as Cupid Children. Enjoy!

 

Week in Review

It’s been snowing off ‘n on all day. (Yes, my fellow Washingtonians – I went there! I’m now talking about the dreaded snow, just like everyone else.) It’s supposed to continue like this all week, which really doesn’t make me happy. Why? Because I’m not a fan of being cold, and the commute to Seattle will be even more unpleasant than normal. Oh well. Such is life!

{And honestly, it’s not a ton of snow. I just can’t stand it in any amount. *Wink*}

In other news, Abby goes back in on Wednesday to get her foot x-rayed. Hopefully the break has healed enough (and the pain has subsided completely) to get the “all clear” to begin dancing full-out again. Prayers are appreciated for this. Her foot’s still hurting and it’s been 5 weeks!

Guess what! Dean and I celebrated 14 years of togetherness back on the 11th. {Isn’t that somethin’?!} And to mark this momentous occasion, he surprised me with a dozen bright pink roses when I got home. Everyone say it with me: “Awwww…!”

Guess what again? I’ll begin training on a new position at work (hospital) on the 23rd. I’m really looking forward to it! The additional hours will be such a huge relief, even though I have to be there at 5am for a week. (YUCK!) There’s not enough caffeine in the world, folks…sigh. But like I said, I’m looking forward to it, and I hope to pick up more (consistent) hours once I’m trained. We.shall.see!

And now for a bit of a sad story…I was without a washer for a full 24 hrs this week. Longest 24 hours of my life! (Ha!) Thankfully, it was fixed quickly and I’m now back to my regular daily laundry routine. (Dean made it a point to tell our beloved maintenance guy/pal that, “Denise is really going to freak out! No – you don’t understand. I mean, she’s going to fuh-reeek out without a washer!” (I’m laughing now, but at the time I did “humph!” like a pouty 2 year old.)

I’m looking forward to reviewing Seattle Dance Project’s “Project 5” next Saturday! It’ll be so great to see Miss Rebecca, my boss and friend from Class Act Tutu. It’s been far too long! Just wish her beautiful daughter Rachel could join us. But sadly, she isn’t feeling well. (Poo!)

Sierra’s at her boyfriend’s house making homemade fettuccine alfredo. I hope she plans on sharing when she gets home! (Hee hee) Not sure how to take the whole boyfriend-thing still. It bugs me, I gotta say. Guess that just goes along with growing up to some degree. Thankfully Ethan still thinks girls are gross and Abby thinks boys are weird. That makes me super-happy!

Man, this post is BORING…I need to get out more or something.

Book Review: Savvy Shopper–Couponing Secrets from the Stockpiling Moms

Let’s face it – buying groceries is by far one of the biggest expenses for a family on a budget. While many of us look for ways to reduce our spending by using coupons or buying generic, we often become frustrated by the whole idea when we either don’t see a significant drop in our spending, or else find the practice of coupon clipping to be a major hassle. (*Blushing* Been there, done that! Ahem…)

If that describes you, chin up! In their new book, Savvy Savings – Couponing Secrets from the Stockpiling Moms, authors Melissa Jennings and Shelley King (www.stockpilingmoms.com) teach “coupon newbies” how to save BIG money at the grocery store, create a stockpile to last our families anywhere from 3-6 months, and NOT get all frazzled ‘n uptight right from the get-go.

Savvy Savings is more than a glorified tutorial. It takes you through the entire stockpiling process from start to finish in a clear, organized way. Information on everything from:

• planning your shopping strategy
• collecting and organizing your coupons
• menu planning
• coupon rules and the benefits of knowing your store’s coupon policy
• deciphering coupon lingo
• understanding sale cycles (and planning your shopping around them)
• shopping with children
• storage
• frugal living ideas
• donating your surplus to food banks or animal shelters
• to coping strategies for those snarky comments and jabs of criticism (“So, exactly HOW many boxes of cereal do you need, anyway?”) is all here.

The crux of the book is about building that stockpile!

According to the author’s, a successful stockpile will save you thousands of dollars per year on everything from food, to toiletries, to pet food – even holiday gifts! This will enable you to:

• pay off debts
• take that family “dream vacation”
• pay for your child’s college tuition
• save for retirement or a down payment on a new home
• and bless others in your community

And that, my friends, is what makes “savvy savings” so worthwhile!

My Thoughts: I was pleased with both the flow and the content of this book. The authors took a great deal of care in explaining all the ins and outs of couponing/stockpiling, and making it feel extremely “do-able”. Their personalities and genuine interest in helping others really shined through. It felt as though you were sitting down for a good chat with your best friend, not sitting in another coupon class!

By the end of the book, I was grabbing my sales ads, coupon inserts and scissors in earnest! (Hee hee) Even though I’ve been couponing off ‘n on for a few years, I have yet to really build a stockpile and see savings like those mentioned in the book. But I want to! I really, really want to.

If this is something you’ve considered trying but felt it was either “too hard” or “just didn’t work”, you should definitely get a copy of Savvy Savings. It will walk you through the crazy world of couponing step-by-step and teach you how to maximize your savings at every turn.

This book is great for both “newbies” and those who’ve recently fallen off the coupon wagon!

Savvy Saving: Couponing Secrets from Stockpiling Moms is available for only $9.59 on Amazon. (Which is a rather small investment, considering the HUGE returns you’ll receive after implementing all the frugal tips and strategies in this book!)

Two thumbs up!

A Little Late (but those of you who happen to be my FB pals already know this) but...

Okay, so remember how I said Abby didn't break her foot during December 10th's Nutcracker performance?

Well, I was wrong. Or at least, the doctor was wrong. 

Yep, turns out she has a hairline fracture - something terribly difficult to see immediately following an injury.

Abby had gone back to class after a whopping 5 days off (hail, winter break!) and she apparently had to sit out during pointe work as her foot was hurting. So the next day, I managed to get her in to see one of the area's most sought-after podiatrists (I'm totally not making that up) later that afternoon.

She explained what happens with a contusion (or "bone bruise") - how the blood pools in the bone, making it impossible to see a slight fracture. She then ordered another x-ray of her feeties and - sure enough - there it was. The now visible hairline fracture. Awesome. (NOT)

So what does this mean for my little Pookie?

• She won't have to wear a boot as she's already 4 weeks into the healing process and her foot's healing remarkably well. {Hooray!!!} 
• She can't dance full-out (ie: no jumping, nothing "high impact") and no pointe work for 2 weeks. 
• She had to miss the SAB (School of American Ballet) audition this past Sunday.
• She can still perform in Don Quixote, provided she continues to heal well.

So there you have it. My youngest has her first broken bone. {Boo!} :-( 

Ballet...it's not for wimps.