Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome

Katharine auditioned for a Cabaret intensive here at Plano Children's Theater back in May. She was cast as one of the Kit Kat Club girls and the Gorilla. Rehearsals started on 6/11 and opening night is 6/21 at 8 p.m. This is truly an intensive, knocking out a show like Cabaret is hard, especially if you only have 9 days for rehearsal and set built! Yes, it requires parents to volunteer their time and talents as well. I am one of the photographers, but have also helped out with set built a bit. Not so sure how I feel about seeing my kid in lingerie, but I know it is for a show, so it is all good. Katharine has a great time, has made friends, and is dead tired at the end of each day. They have rehearsed every day for 8 hours and have had only one day off. They needed it and deserved it. This is a single cast show, which makes it even more crucial for all to stay healthy and to get enough sleep.

 Katharine managed to dance holes into her old pair of character shoes. The ones she is wearing in the picture are new ones. Check out the scuff marks after only one rehearsal!

Kit Kat Club Girls

Cabaret cast

Clutch

The boys have been playing on Lukas's indoor team this summer.

Today their team had just given up the go-ahead goal with a minute left after a tough game. The ball went back and forth a few times as the clock wound down. At that point Lennon turned on the burners and stole the ball from the other team near our goal. He dribbled through a few kids and passed it up to midfield, where it was sent over to Lukas who was running across the box. He took a few touches past some defenders and then shot the ball through the goalie's legs with 1.5 seconds left. The crowd went nuts and his team all dog-piled on top of him.

I wish I had been taking video or pictures, but maybe some memories are best left in memory.

Swimming Lessons

Kassidy started swimming lessons today.

While she can get a bit of extra attention as the last born, we also tend to get around to doing things with her at much later dates.

But better late than never.

She started going underwater by herself last week, so we expect that she will pick it up fast.

Prairie Home Companions

Kaylee visited on Friday, and brought her bonnet. 

The girls helped make biscuits in the kitchen, and worked on their homestead in the playroom.

Keira drew up a plan to make the playroom a little more pioneer'ish, and finished it up this morning.

Looks like we stepped right back into 1860 :)

Little Chefs

 The kids have been busy in the kitchen this week. From making pan seared flank stead with lemon chives butter, veggie fried rice, roasted Brussels sprouts, to filled tomatoes with homemade guacamole and black bean dipped, bread and biscuits as well as lemonade. I also made two batches of gluten free,vegan chocolate chip brownies as well as blueberry muffins.

 Keira helped make light bread. Recipe from her "Little House on the Prairie" cookbook. We made the sponge Thursday night already. 

Delicious looking bread and biscuits. Keira's friend Kaili came over to make the biscuits.

 We made 3 quarts of fresh lemonade, the best I ever had! The recipe came from a "Little House on the Prairie" cookbook.

I made the muffins with unsweetend vanilla hemp milk. They were super creamy tasting! 

Student Volunteer at the Ballet

Texas Ballet Theater performed Swan Lake in Dallas this past weekend. They were in need for a student volunteer to hang out in the lobby and demonstrate the basic 5 ballet positions and answer questions for the audience. The first student our administrator had in mind was Katharine. She did a wonderful job Saturday and Sunday and got nothing but praises from the TBT staff! Katharine had enjoyed giving back to the community this way. Oh, I also took her and Keira to see the ballet. 

 As you can see, old and young came to talk to Katharine.

Texas Ballet Theater Outdoor Class

Katharine and Keira went to an outdoor ballet class with Texas Ballet Theater's Ballet Master Ms. Anna Donovan. It was hot, but they had a lot of fun with their friends from their school.

 Before the class: not much sweat yet, despite 98 degrees.

 Keira stuck with Katharine during the class. The barre was too high for her,but she hung in there and got her little legs up.

 Ms. Anna sauntered over to check on them. Left to right counter clockwise: Jonathan, Madeleine (Jonathan is her dad and takes adult ballet class at TBT), Ms. Anna, Katharine and Keira

 Ms. Anna taught them the iconic cygnets dance from Swan Lake (TBT performed that that weekend).

 Here Katharine is with her friends Juliana and Lauren as well as Texas Ballet Theater's costumer's adult daughter who used to dance.

 Keira is leaping

Students from TBT School Dallas 

front row: Giselle, Saige, Keira, Scarlett, McKenzie, Salem and Sidney

back row: Katharine, Lauren, Juliana, Madeleine, Jonathan and his other daughter Olivia

Feet Forward

Here is a scene from out family movie night this past weekend. 

We watched "That's Entertainment", a history of the MGM movie musicals and dance numbers. Maybe that is why our feet were so interested..

That's a Wrap

Dance recital weekend wrapped up tonight. 

Katharine was in 12 dances, Keira in 5, and Kassidy in 2. 

And some of the dances were repeated across the 3 shows..

They were amazing, and I always have a fun time attending (as long as I don't start adding up the cost of the costumes in my head).

And big props to Iria, who probably logged around 20,000 miles this year and just as many hours supporting their efforts.

I might be exaggerating a little bit- but not much :)