The Nutcracker

Attending The Nutcracker has been a family tradition since 2000. This was the first year thought that D and I didn't attend a matinee. We decided last year that it was the last one of attending "The Sugar Plum Fairy" parties after the performance. She felt that she was too old for them. We also decided that we would spend the night after the performance and do some final Christmas shopping on the way home. So that is what we did.

We didn't see our favorite dancers (Christiana and Chris Ruud) perform, but we did see Jason and Kate Linsley for the Waltz. I think it is a terrific idea that Adam Skulte had in having his married couples (or "significant others") perform together. There is always a chemistry and confidence level that doesn't appear to exist in other partnerships. John Frazer did a great job as both the grandfather in Act I and as the Mother Buffoon in Act II. He is quite the comic dancer. Chris Sellars was the lead Russian, which is always a crowd-pleaser. We love watch Aaron Orlowski in Arabian and Beau Pearson in Spanish. Of course all the female dancers did the typical three or four roles in one performance marathon.

The above picture was taken during intermission. D has been wearing the same basic outfit for three years now. I am loving not having to buy new "fancy clothes" for special outings. By taking the picture when we did, we were out of the parking lot before most people were out of the theater. I was afraid we'd get stuck in the underground parking garage behind a ton of people, but nope we were out quite quickly. It would have been even faster if the two cars in front of us hadn't used credit cards.

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The name game

"Stolen" from Susan Wiggs' blog A View from Here. If you visit her blog, you will see why it is named what it is. If I had her view, I would accomplish even less than I do now.

LAST NAME GAME…. It’s harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter OF YOUR LAST NAME to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real places, names, things, nothing made up. You can’t use your name for the boy/girl question.
ONE-WORD ANSWERS ONLY!

• What is your last name?…………………………………. Carney
• A 4-Letter Word:………………………………………… Cast
• A Girl’s Name:……………………………………………Caitlin
• A Boy’s name:……………………………………………Charles
• An occupation:……………………………………......….Cabaret Dancer
• Color:………………………………………………………Claret
• Something you wear:………………………………………Coat 
• A beverage:…………………………………………………Cocoa
• A food:………………………………………………………Cheddar cheese
• Something found in the bathroom:…………………….........ceiling 
• A Place:……………………………………………….......…Canada
• Animal:………………………………………………………cat

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Candlelight Program

Connor A., Deirdre, Elisabeth F., Corey H., Seth J,. Eric L., Logan L., Shaylie P., Brynn S., Tessa S., and Kaitlin Y.

Thursday, December 10 was the Candlelight Program for Ephraim Middle School held at Snow College Eccles Performing Arts Concert Hall. It is a long program with all three bands, two orchestras, two choirs, music appreciation, and guitar all performing. I would say that approximately 300 students were included in the program. After all the groups performed the 8th grade students with 4.0 cumulative g.p.a.'s were honored and two members of the community. There were 11 8th grade students with perfect 4.0's this year. We had some issues with D being part of this select group, but it all worked out in the end.

I have no idea what was happening here (D can't remember), but clearly Connor, D, and Elisabeth found something amusing.

Most likely the honor students are listening to the poem being read before the presentation of the candle to one of the two recipients.

After each recipient had his biography read to the audience, he stood and said a few words. While the recipients spoke, D had the honor of holding the candle/flower arrangement (picture on left). Then she returned them to the recipients. The picture on the right is of her giving it back to Jay Snow of Ephraim. 

All of the honor students with the two recipients.
Back row: Connor, Eric, Corey, Seth, Logan; middle row: Tessa,  Deirdre, Brynn, Kaitlin, Elisabeth, and Shaylie; front row: Floyd Bishop of Manti and Jay Snow of Ephraim

The 8th graders posing for their parents' cameras. Notice how all the girls are squatting in front of the boys. As the mother, I have to say that I love my daughter's smile in this picture.

Someone told them to act silly. Not always a good idea when 13 and 14 years olds are involved. Some are certainly sillier than others.

 

D and Jeff. Many people commented on how nice Jeff looked that evening.

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Before and After

This is the morning of November 24. Deirdre is wearing braces.

This is the same day, but in the evening. NO BRACES.

After 19 months of wearing braces, they are off!

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Happy Birthday

If it's Christmas time, it must also be birthday time. Jeff has his birthday today! Every year on Dec 28, he wakes up and thinks "I'm not 'x' today." This is because he has spent the last six months thinking he is x and on his birthday he becomes x + 1—EXCEPT he hasn't hit x yet. Did that make sense? Here's your example. Since about July he has thought he was 30 (deducting for good behavior), so on Dec. 28 he thinks he's 31. Except that he hasn't been 30 since July, only 29. Make sense now? Oh well we all get it.

Hippy Happy Birthday Jeff!

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All about D

If you have been following this blog for any time now, you might have noticed one of those cute little "tickers" with how old Deirdre is. Today it says that she is 12 years, 11 months, and 4 weeks. YIKES! In two days she will be THIRTEEN! Dum, dum, dum…

A mother who was really on top of her game would have started on Dec. 5 with something cute and sweet about her daughter and had something new every day until Dec. 18. Instead D is stuck with me who has great ideas, but poor follow-through.

So, instead you will get a few pictures from the last few weeks. Maybe I can find the photo album of the first eight months of her life and scan a picture of two from then too. There are quite a few things that have happened in the last few weeks, so I will split them into separate posts. But this one will stay on top to give you an explanation for what is following.

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Pictures for Tuesday's class

You can click on all of these to make them larger.








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