April in a Photo Dump

This month has gone by so quickly! I was writing in to my family news letter, and listing off all the pretty big things we did this month. We had General Conference on the first weekend, which is always a delight.  

A couple weeks ago, I agreed to nanny for a very sweet 18 month old girl from church (the ward, not the branch), which was kind of a crazy thing to do considering how busy I was and how pregnant I am.

But it has been fun so far, and hopefully will be fun until we have to say so long in order to accept our own sweet little girl into the family.

Laila is way easier to take care of than Theo. She sits still for diaper changes, she can't/won't get into things, and she will play by herself with actual toys instead of getting into trouble.

The other day, I thought she and Theo were playing quietly in the living room together.  But when Laila walked into the kitchen without him, and it was still quiet, I knew he was up to no good.  I found him in the bathroom on the counter, having dumped out my bronzer everywhere, and his entire hand in the Vaseline jar. Oh, my boy.

Easter was really low key and pretty fun. We went to church and enjoyed wonderful meetings all centered around the Savior.  That night, Corbin and I performed in a musical Easter fireside for the Branch.  It was a small affair, but the Spirit was there.

Between church and the fireside, we dyed eggs with Theo and had a small egg hunt in the yard.

He was way into it this year, and was very "helpful" when it came to the eggs.

He loved the vibrant colors we got.

But he did not like my pulling out the blow dryer to speed up the whole process. 

When he saw the first egg "hidden" in the grass, he ran for it!

He stopped and ate the candy out of each egg before moving on to the next.  I think it made Corbin impatient, but I was just glad he caught the vision of egg hunting.

Because, when candy is involved, he is all in! Above, we told him to smile, but instead he posed so sweetly with his mini Twix. I love that boy.

And yes, we finally had our performances of the Taffetas!!! 

There were only three shows, and each one was different.  We weren't quite confident that it would come together, but when the curtain closed on opening night, we all pumped our fists in success and delight.

Opening night was pretty great.  The audience was nice, and there were hardly any mis-steps on stage. We left feeling really happy with ourselves, and excited for the two performances the next day.

The matinee, although very fun, was not quite so grand.  The audience was small, and full of small kids who neither appreciated the jokes, nor the length of the show.  It really threw us off, and it wasn't our best work.  We truly appreciate everyone who came to that performance, and hope they enjoyed it anyways.

But the closing show, that was a great one! First off, the audience was full of older folks who ate up the whole thing!  They laughed at pretty much every joke, sang along to the songs, cheered wildly after every one, and even gave us a standing ovation at the end.  I think they gave us the energy to loosen up, have fun, and do our very best!

 For instance, in the above picture we're doing "Taffeta Chatter," the Q and A part of the show.  I read out questions from the "studio audience" and each girl had a chance to answer.  Of course the questions weren't real, so when I asked if "Josephine" was there, we didn't expect anyone to respond.  But on that last night, a woman raised her hand enthusiastically, and we rolled with it.  It's a rather long question, so we got to play off it really well.

Doing the Taffetas has been such an awesome experience.  I loved being able to have something of my very own to do, and to claim.  I forgot how much I love theater, and hopefully I'll be able to keep doing community productions soon.  It had been about eight years since I was last in a play, but it felt so natural and fun, I loved it!

I am so glad I got a chance to work with all the lovely ladies.  Whitney (in pink), Emily (green), and Elyse (purple) are so talented and fun. It made every rehearsal an adventure of laughs.  And Misti, our director, was so great at making us sound awesome.  And Kristy, our choreographer, is a wizard with moves!  She tailored the dances to our needs (we pregnant ladies are not quite nimble), but still made us look great.  Thanks for the wonderful times, ladies!

Although it was great, it will be nice to slow down the pace of life again.  With everything else going on (and being 6 months pregnant) I really felt the wear and tear of multiple late night rehearsals a week.  Plus, I had been fighting a cold all production week long.  I wasn't sure if I would make it through the last performance.  Thank goodness for adrenaline.

I pretty much slept the entire next day, and today have caught up on so much housework that I've been neglecting all month. The state of the bathroom was pretty scary.  All in all, if the church did another dinner theater next year, I'd be all in!
 

And what's in the future? Corbin and I are taking an anniversary getaway to Boston on Wednesday, and ditching Theo with the Hardies.  We've never spent three days away from him, but he'll have a blast with that awesome Hardie clan. And I'm sure Corbin and I will love exploring Boston for the first time. 

My Life in Taffeta (and also finger painting)

Things have been getting crazy schedule-wise with the Taffetas.  We are only a couple weeks away now, and we've still got a lot of work to do.  But like my character says, "Performing never really feels like work for the Taffetas, because we get to do what we love most- SING!"  Yes, it is just that awesome.

But Theo and I have been trying to keep ourselves entertained and not stressed out.  He found the paints the other day, and we did a little painting.

He doesn't really like painting that much, because he doesn't like to be messy.  But we had fun for the few minutes.  I think he just liked the excuse to take his shirt off and be "nakey."

Also, I'm going to give myself a shout out again.  Look how clean my kitchen is in the background!  Small victories, my friends.  And it sure doesn't look that way right now.

Since Kay Taffeta is auburn haired, she even talks about it in the play, I decided to go for it! Emily, who is also in the show, was lovely and dyed it for me.  She endured her little daughter screaming and trying to pull her pants off the whole time she was working on my hair, and I'm glad everyone made it through.

I've never colored my hair before now.  This was a three dollor box I got at Walmart, and it turned out so great!  It has been a really nice change, and it looks really great all done up and with my costume.  Whitney took our promo photos yesterday, so some will be coming here soon.

Speaking of photos, I'll tell you about the wonderful chaos that ensued at Whitney's house. Everyone had to bring their kids, which meant that there were 8 children under 4 running around, four women trying to do hair and makeup, two extra women giving help and advice, and a lot of great vibes.

Whitney is such an amazing photographer, and I was so excited to be a subject of a photo.  I really did not like the idea of close up head shots, but she made me feel comfortable and confident.

Because there was so much to work out on juggling kids and planning hair styles, it took a while.  By the time we started  group photos, the kids were reaching the end of their ropes, and Whitney had an appointment to work at the local food bank (what a saint!!).

Then, of course, Theo walks in from the bedroom.  Remember at the beginning of the post when I said he doesn't like to be messy?  Everyone has exceptions to their own rules.  His entire face, both hands, the front of his shirt- all completely covered in bright red lipstick. All of us just paused in horror for a moment, then I ran for him, which of course made him run.

I started yelling, "don't touch anything!!" which made him hide behind the curtain in Whitney's room.  You've got to understand what she has white carpet, a beautiful white bedspread, etc.  She told me later that she envisioned the whole bedspread covered in lipstick.  Thankfully, only a little got on the curtain, and one spot on the carpet (that I know of).  I grabbed his hands and held him as far away from my costume as I could, while one of the ladies who came to help tackled him with wipes. 

Oh, my boy.  I love him.

After that episode, the rest of the pictures went quickly, and Whitney ran out the door.  The rest of us stayed to try and sort through the chaos of food and toys in the house.  By the time Theo and I got home, we both crashed for a several hour long nap. 

The things we go through for you people, our adoring fans, you will never know! If this sounded too complainy, I didn't mean it too.  There is so much humor in all of this, and I have loved being a part of this show.  It is going to be so adorable, and I hope that if any of my readers are in Ithaca on April 25 or 26, that you'll come to our performance! Check us out on the link below.

http://www.ithacamobilepack.org/taffetas/index.html

We did enjoy some quiet-ish moments, thanks to the Lion King. Oh, TV.  What a reliable babysitter.

My kids and my other stuff

Here is a picture that describes our travels back from Argentina.  Theo slept on the bus for two hours like this, snoring away.

He is such a sweet love.  I love how he is talking so much more, he's becoming my little buddy to hang out with.

We have visited the Sciencenter a couple times, and snack time is maybe my favorite.  It's usually just Theo and me in the food room, and we love the quality time together.  

By the way, I'm going to give myself a shout out because of this picture.  I look good.  With none of my clothes fitting anymore, and my hair being a strange length as I grow it out for the show, I celebrate this photo of looking cute.  Thank you.

Speaking of cute girls, here is ours in the works. I can't believe how excited I am that we're really getting a little girl! She was covering her face in the above photo, feeling a little shy. I love daydreaming about all the cute pink dresses I can put her in, and the flowery headbands I can put on her.  Plus, I have hopes that she will be more of a snuggler than Theo ever was.  

Maybe this is what all 20 week babies look like, but I think she looks like newborn Theo in this picture.

I had better not daydream too much about her though, because we still have a long wait until we get to meet her.  In the mean time, she likes to dance around, especially when I'm just getting relaxed. 

Two end notes.  1) it has been snowing for a day and a half straight. Corbin had to shovel the driveway today so I could take him and the two visiting students we're hosting to school.  When will it end?
2) The Taffetas is going great.  We choreographed another medley on Friday, and it turned out so cute! It will be an intense month of practicing, but it will be so fun and worth it!

Back in Ithaca

I can't believe it has been three weeks since returning to Ithaca. It has felt much longer. We sure miss those Allisons, but it is nice being home.

Theo's and my journey back to New York was long and exhausting, but uneventful. By the time we finished our 26 hour travel day with a 5 hour bus ride, we were done.  I'd forgotten my coat in Argentina, and Theo had soiled his pants and backup pants, so we were not prepared for the below freezing weather.  Fortunately, Corbin was waiting for us, ready to receive his coat-less wife and pants-less son.

We readjusted pretty well to normal life. I foolishly scheduled my midwife appointment for the morning after we arrived, and Theo's doctor's appointment for the day after that.  It forced us to get into a routine right away, so that was nice.

As for what we've been up to, I feel like there isn't anything blog worthy.  In Argentina, we had landmark outings and adventures to make it easy to blog.  Now, the most exciting things we do are going to the store, or shoveling the driveway.  I have man-handled that driveway, by the way, despite my condition. 

Speaking of, we go to the midwife tomorrow for the ultrasound! Stay tuned for news on whether this little dancer is a Ruby or another Theo. We have a tentative boy name chosen, but I'm not ready to commit. And heaven help me if it is another Theo.  Just thinking about chasing two of him around makes me instantly exhausted.  But whatever this baby is, it's a blessing that we're excited to welcome into our family.

Tonight, Theo and I watched 101 Dalmations while Corbin was jamming with a friend. I was on the brink of tears the entire time. Poor Perdy who had her babies stolen!! Poor babies who had to trek through a snow storm away from an evil lady!  I am far too pregnant to be watching any Disney movies.  One of Theo's favorites is Up, and it's a good thing I'm usually showering for the first ten minutes, because I would be a total wreck on a daily basis.

We had rehearsal for the Taffetas last night, where we scheduled practices for the next month until performance (April 25 and 26). We'll be meeting three or four times a week until then, and I'm sure we will need all the time we can spare. I love crunch time of productions, so I'm excited for the challenge.  I just hope Corbin and I can coordinate to reduce scheduling stress. 

It is so fun to have a life outside of the house and away from Theo.  I love being a stay at home mom, but I need time to be Julie instead of Mommy, and it's great having a promise of that on a regular basis, doing something I love.

Anyways, I'll probably be posting again soon with an ultrasound photo! See you then!

Bus Tour and Toddler Selfies

 The other day, the boys were preparing for the babysitter to come over by dressing in all of Shelley's most luxurious clothes.  I wish you could see Theo's exercise glove better, but one must wave it around when one wears it.

Theo wanted to see the picture, of course.  This lead to him taking numerous selfies.

Naturally, Jett had to get in the action. 

By the way, Theo's outfit didn't last long, because he dumped out an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol onto it and the floor.  At least he didn't drink it, right?

Shelley and Rick took me to a fancy stake house for our date, La Cabrera. We got so. much. food.  We  had some traditional Argentine food for appetizers- empenadas (meat pastries) and churipan (sausage sandwich). For the main dish, I got crazy huge raviolis, Shelley got a bacon wrapped stake kabob thing, and Rick got the giantest cut of stake I have ever seen!  The picture above doesn't do it justice. There were also all those little bowls filled with sauces, mashed things like potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin, potato salad and corn chowder.  And all of it yummy.  We all looked at the dessert menu, and couldn't imagine eating any of it.

On Friday, Rick came home from work early so Shelley and I could have a sister date to do the bus tour of the city.  Bless you, Rick.  And we were very impressed when we heard that he took Jett, Theo, and Mora out for a walk all by himself.  I wouldn't have dared in a hundred years.  Bravo, Rick.

A sweet tribute to Evita

Apparently Shelley has tried several times to get on these buses, and for one reason or another their plans have been foiled.  But she and I had luck, and made it on! We were on the bus for two or three hours, enjoying the sights and each other's company. 

Casa Rosada

One of my favorite things was the Casa Rosada, which means the pink house. It's their equivalent to our White House.  The voice in our headphones said it has been traditionally painted pink since it was built, to symbolize the coming together of the two political parties, who's colors are red and white respectively. I think that's pretty cool.

Casa Rosada

The tour took us through the fanciest part of town, Boca, I think it was called.  It was so clean, and the sky scrapers were so shiny and tall.  It was right along the Rio as well, which was cool. 

Inside the mall

 We finally got off at the big fancy mall.  We strolled through a little park area before we actually went in, but quickly ditched it to use the bathroom in a McDonalds. Pregnant ladies, the nerve.

On our taxi ride home, we saw the building that (we thought) Rick works in.  Shelley also explained to me that he used to work for Farmers, but now works for Zurich, who owns Farmers. I feel so in the know.  Accept he doesn't actually work in that building, but another one that's close.  It should have been part of the tour!

It was the perfect day to tour, too.  Sometimes it was sunny, sometimes cloudy, always warm and beautiful. 

After we got back to our neighborhood, we stopped at a cafe on the corner and got dinner.  Our service was really quick, because it was only seven o'clock, so obviously no one else was eating dinner.  I guess people don't eat until eight or nine on most days, sometimes later.  So interesting.  

Anyways, our food was delicious.  We had originally planned to go to a different cafe after and get dessert, but there was no way our tummies could have accommodated all that food.

At one point during the afternoon, I said, "Is it Friday, already?" And Shelley said, "I don't want to talk about it!" We've started preparing for our journey home.  So bitter sweet.  In many ways, this month has gone by in a flash. 

Today the boys and I went on the balcony just to enjoy the sunshine.  We ate ice and looked at the cars.  We laughed about Mora "rosting" in the sun. I stopped Theo from playing with the pooper scooper. And I thought to myself, "I wish I could bring some of this summertime back with me."

There are lots of things I'll miss.  Like staying up til all hours of the night and talking with Shelley.  Or being able to peace out and take a nap while Theo is still awake. The sunshine. Having a doggie to play with. Eating crazy delicious food all the time. Snuggling Jett and reading stories. 

I feel so blessed that the Allisons have been so generous and lovely to Theo and me. I don't know if or when I will be able to repay them. Maybe in a lifetime supply of cheese-its if they never come back to the US. But I will sure miss getting to be with them every day. I love Shelley, Rick, Jett, and Mora!