Living in Munchkinland

The One Acts are tomorrow evening. I have put together this play both producing and directing and it is so much work and I haven't had the time or control I need to pull it off the way I want, but I keep reminding myself that it's about the kids having a positive experience and I think that they truly have. It also seems to be lining up that this might be a career for me. On top of opening night tomorrow, I also have a meeting with the principal to talk about next year. So. Big Day for me. We had dress rehearsal/tech last night and it was impossible and insane. but fun. Michael's out of town this week and none of my neighborhood friends can come out so it will be so odd to have all this hard work and none of my friends and family here to see it. But Sam's best friend's mom is going to bring my kids to the play so at least they will see it. And I'll tell you about it here. So there is that. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed for me and send good thoughts tom...

Thanksgiving in Port Aransas was magical and peaceful. I was worried about the holiday and the hole in my heart from missing dad, but it was genuinely okay. I missed Dad, yes. Yes. But he was with me and my family was together and it was good. We didn't go home and I think that was a good choice. Going home right now comes with a huge dose of guilt for leaving and heartbreak over my dad not being there. The beach was a balm. The waves rolled in all night long and lulled me to sleep. The weather was perfect and warm and lovely. We took long walks on the beach (until I threw my back out and became an invalid, but that's not part of my narrative today). We cooked together and shopped together and ate together and read and played games. We played lots of games and especially enjoyed Fibbage and Drawful and we laughed and laughed and laughed until we were drunk with laughter. My sister said that a family who laughs together stays together and she is right. My family has grown even ...

I am at maximum stress load. My mouth is full of canker sores and my stomach is rolling. Michael has been out of town for six weeks in a ROW. Just home for the weekends, he washes the clothes in his suitcase and puts them right back in. Two nights together and then he is gone again. The play opens in two weeks, but with the big gap of a week of Thanksgiving break, we have exactly one week of time with the kids until we open. We are NOT ready. I spend four hours a day at the school minimum every day. I spend the mornings looking for props, writing emails, producing. Our school operates on two semesters. No six week or nine week grades. The sixth grade kids have a big field trip in December to Keystone which overlaps for over a week. That means that essentially, all semester projects are due this week. The week before Thanksgiving break. Davis is averaging four hours a night of homework. He needs me for all of it. I'm cheerleader, secretary, tutor, note taker, editor for him. In...

This is a post simply because I need to record it here, in our family's history. Last week, the country voted Donald Trump as president elect. Everyone was shocked and stunned. The polls did not predict it. I was emotionally destroyed and so, apparently, was all of my Facebook feed. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but it didn't matter. Here is some of the Facebook stuff I posted. I can't write about it here, because I don't have emotional bandwidth to write more on it. Before the election results: I'm all tied up in knots about this election. I'm with her. I want to feel hope. I don't want to feel divided from others based on who we vote for. I am so proud and respectful of my republican family and friends who voted with their conscience and chose not to vote for Trump. I feel this great divide these days. I hope we can come together after this election and hold on to the values we share, remember that social justice might not be good for our wal...

I'm directing two one acts. It sort of fell into my lap. I've been wanting to get back into the theater, but it's all evenings and weekends and Michael works out of town Monday through Friday and I just couldn't do it. I had asked at the school if there was interest in a fifth grade musical, but I couldn't get anyone to go for it. I met with the academy director and sent an email to the principal, but nothing. Then I saw a volunteer request on the kids' STEM school newsletter. It was asking for someone to run the auditions for the middle school drama class. I emailed the teacher and volunteered. She told me she had to do a track event that day and could I just take care of it. I did. It turned out that she is the english teacher and the track coach and the GT coordinator. This is the first year that STEM has offered drama classes as an elective. She has no experience with theater, but is teaching the class. She was desperate for help. It was like it was meant ...

We didn't know when we bought our house how the neighborhood was. I wanted to ask questions. Is it liberal? Are there children? How strict is the HOA? Will there be potential babysitters nearby? Do people visit in the streets? But no one could answer those for me and so I had to take a leap of faith. I am so glad that I did. My street is pretty darn liberal. There are many children. The HOA is fabulous. My babysitter's family lives next door. We often chat and hang out together in our lawns. We started a book group called "books in the hood". Everyone comes out and lends a hand on our movie nights. My children's best friends live on our street and mine do too. Last Friday, my neighbor sent me a text. "FAC at my house. 6:30". Friday afternoon club. Happy Hour. We had a wonderful time, eating drinking, telling stories and sitting by the fire. I love these people. They are interesting and kind and fun. The children run free every afternoon and weekend. ...

We had a fun but frantic Halloween. I got home Sunday night and fell into bed. Halloween was Monday. I woke up, we called my mom to wish her a happy birthday and I drove the kids to school. Then I came home, went for a run, went to the grocery store, cooked chili and made cocktails to prep for Halloween open house, dealt with the tile guy and got into costume before jumping in the car to go be "homeroom mom" for Sam's class and throw him a Halloween Party. The party was cute and fun and because I was in costume I got to participate in parade around the school. We came home after school and Davis helped me get ready for our open house Halloween party while Sam did home work. At five, we all put on our Halloween costumes and went down for the neighborhood picture and parade. After that we had chili and drinks at our house with our neighbors and then it was finally time for trick or treating. Michael and I sat on our porch and handed our candy and Davis and Sam cruised the...

I flew out on Thursday morning to New Orleans. Michael had to fly in very late the night before in order to be home for me to leave. It was a whirlwind departure. I arrived in New Orleans by 2PM and met my Uncle Larry, Aunt Joyce, Marsha and Denise all at the airport as they arrived from Austin. I shared a cab with Marsha and Denise and we headed uptown. I hopped out and ran upstairs to see my mom and Tina! I was so, so, so happy to be there. Mom opened some presents I had brought her and we all snacked and had a glass of wine. Then we caught an uber to the Spotted Cat. We toured the little art gallery next door and then met up with everybody plus Lilly and John at the Spotted Cat to see Miss Sophie Lee perform. She was wonderful and even dedicated a song to us! We bought CD's and Larry and Joyce and danced and a merry time was had by all. We walked across the street to the DBA for a glass of wine and then went over dinner at the Three Muses. Our table wasn't ready so Sophie...