Performance-Full!

It's opening night! B8, Chicklet and I are ready!

It's opening night for Blondechick, as well! She's singing with the choir at three performances of this multimedia holiday gospel presentation this weekend.

And we have auditions tonight, too! Chicklet, B8 and B14 are all auditioning for The Wizard of Oz, the next Spotlight show (performances in early March). They'll go right from auditions to their performances--

B8 and Chicklet to Best Christmas Pageant Ever...

....and B14 to Ye Olde Christmas Feaste, an 8-course medieval feast complete with jesters, fencers, dancers, tumblers, beefeaters, litter bearers, stewards, pages, wenches, lords, ladies, brass fanfares announcing each course, and the accomplished and expressive Madrigal Singers, all elaborately costumed in medieval dress. Papa Rooster, B18 and Grandpa Rooster went last night and they said it was fabulous. The younger kids, Blondechick, and I are so disappointed that we won't get to see it this year because our performances fall at the same times.

Fortunately, as B14 says, "I'm so glad I'll probably get to do this three more years!" We'll look forward to next year.

B14, B8 and Chicklet potentially also have callbacks to squeeze into their schedule on Saturday morning, and we also have Grandpa Rooster here through the weekend. Papa R is doing photography for the Feaste and our show (photos soon!), plus writing a sermon.

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So happy we are homeschooling and the younger kids and I, at least, have been able to adjust our schedule accordingly! Lots of intangibles to be learned from each production we are a part of.

We're on a break from Classical Conversations, so we haven't had homework and I haven't had lessons to prep--a nice break! We've been using the time for reviewing our CC memory work, pushing hard on math fact memorization, and keeping lines and auditions fresh and ready to go.  The kids have been doing lots of extra reading this week while I've been busy Christmas shopping (mostly online) and wrapping/bagging, and they also got out the paints several days this week. The word "bored" never crosses their lips!

Speaking of bored, my funny director sent me this note by email after I emailed her my bio for the program:

I did not realize you have six kids! And you're homechooling them???? I think you should get another side job. You probably have 23 min per day spare time, and I'd hate to see you get bored. LOL.

Speaking of quotes, two others really made my week. A little boy in my Drama 1 class, on his way out the door on the second night of class, told me (in a nonchalantly approving way), "You're a really good teacher." Then at one of our dress rehearsals for Best Christmas, a little girl, apropos of nothing that I could see--we were changing our costumes--said to me, "You're awesome!" I have no idea what she was referring to but I have to conclude that she likes my acting, because that's the only thing I do there besides sit and watch rehearsal or shush children backstage.

Encouragement! Everybody needs it. I'll take it!

So proud of my brood this weekend. Oh, that reminds me of another quote! One of my Facebook friends commented on my status about our schedule this weekend, "What a great example of how to use your God-given gifts for Jesus!" I certainly pray that God shines through us all in this performance-full time!