Audition Update (to read part 1, click here)….Well, my son auditioned and I was proud that he had the courage to be on stage with 97 other K-8th graders. After auditioning, he was cast.  However, the friends who told us about the play and were there with us did not make it. It was a bitter sweet situation which could have turned ugly. It is moments like this during which parenting skills are tested. My friend is a sweetheart and handled it better than anyone I knew. She was so excited for my son and proud of hers, as I was also. In fact, they came to the show in support which is one of the sweetest tokens of friendship and loyalty.

Last week was a long week as we traveled to Morehead City daily from 3-7 pm. My son loved every minute of it. What surprised me is how much my 10 year old enjoyed it. She didn’t audition, but probably should have as she had memorized the whole play and every dance move. She wanted to watch every rehearsal and learned just as much. Secretly I was glad that this was my son’s event. Although I love them both and support them both, I think it is important to have their own moments to shine.

My son learned many skills by working with a community production. He learned theater skills, cooperation, listening skills, responsibility-for his part, his costume & messages sent home. He learned that being a part is important no matter how small or how large to put a production on. He learned time management. He learned self control as this was what would be let go if he lost his temper. He wanted the play so badly it was motivating him all week.

The greatest part of being in a play is the success he saw as the audience got involved and clapped and laughed at parts in the play.  It was also great to see how his self esteem was boosted. I learned, as a mother, to step back and allow others to teach and guide. I watched. I learned. I was impressed by how well the production was after only 5 days of rehearsal.  It made me grateful for a community and school district who sponsored a non-profit group to come in who are nationally known. It was a great opportunity that I’m grateful for my son having had a chance to be in.

Are your children budding actors/actresses?  do they participate in local theater workshops or groups?

To some, the late night school cancellation call comes with dread.  It may mean scrambling  to find a babysitter.  It  means that your normal Monday schedule of catch-up is off.  It may mean canceled appointments, rearranging of your plans, or even possibly having to call off from work.  For us, it means another family day! We love it!

I still remember as a child listening for that call in the morning.  My mother would have the radio on all night and morning listening for school cancellations.  She would always hope that the private school where she taught would be cancelled with ours as well. Even though, coming from Ohio, our snow days here are a joke, I readily embrace them!

My children love unplanned “mental health” days!  We stay in our PJ’s, make food together, craft, play games, play outside, watch a movie with hot cocoa.  As I type my children are running around singing Christmas songs.  My husband is trying to decide if he needs to go in or be on stand-by.  I am just sitting smiling as my children are happily content and playing together.  This seems like real time as my husband just informed me that the base closed for the day, looks like he may get to stay home too!  Make that 4 happy children running around singing and dancing!

Sometimes as a family I feel like the weekend are not long enough to catch up as a family.  Kids have birthday parties, church, play-dates, yard work and housework needs to be done.  We spend so much time running around catching up from the week that before we know it, it’s Monday.  So, to be able to have unplanned days off is exciting.  Although it derails the normal routine for a day, it also allows us to re-connect and enjoy each other.

What does your family do when you get unplanned school days off?  Is it convenient or inconvenient?

It took me a little while to get into Christmas this year.  I was just overwhelmed with all the busy tasks of the Christmas season.  But I am happy to say I am now excited and have turned my bah-humbug spirit into a happy Christmas spirit.

One of the funnest things in our home about the month of December is our advent stockings.  My darling little sister made 25 little stockings for my children.  She labeled each stocking with a number and filled it with a treat.  Treats like paper to write letters to Santa, holiday cupcake supplies, poems and crafts.  The kids wake up every morning SO EXCITED to open their stocking.

Not only is this advent calender fun for the children, it is also fun for Mom.  It gives me a fun activity to do with my kids every day, it gives me something to threaten taking away when they are naughty and  it helps me remember the simple joys of Christmas.

Advent calenders come in many shapes and forms.  We have done the simple number board with chocolates behind each day.  I have seen boxes with gifts, wooden boxes with drawers and even wall hangings.  Each advent activity is good for tweens.  It brings so much happiness and joy to the holiday season.

I am so thrilled to be able to teach my tween the joy of Christmas.  Christmas is truly a magical time of year.  It is a time for families and a time to focus on the Savior, Jesus Christ!!

I wish you and your tween’s all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

A few years ago we decided that our kids were getting older and we needed some Christmas traditions of our own.  Some of our traditions we have taken from our childhood and some we have started fresh and new.

One of my favorite traditions is our Christmas pictures.  I had a vision of this big fabulous Christmas  binder filled with drawings, scribbles and art. We started the binder in 2007. Our tween, Lincoln was four years old. We labeled the pictures with the child and the year. There were pictures of Christmas trees and pictures of lots of scribble scrabble. In 2008, my husband drew a picture of our new home we bought here in Jacksonville. That picture is sentimental. That year I drew a picture of an American flag, a picture of baby Jesus, my black and white Christmas tree and each member of our family.

We had so much fun looking through our Christmas binder this year. We smiled and laughed looking at each picture that was sweetly colored. These pictures represent Christmas; they represent tradition and most importantly, they represent our family. Hopefully our children will look back fondly on this Christmas binder and have happy memories. Not so much memories of what was under the Christmas tree or the cookies we baked, but memories of being together as a family and being HAPPY!

We have lots of old and new Christmas traditions and I hope and pray these traditions will help my tween feel the true spirit of the Christmas season and the never ending love of family.

Merry Christmas…..

What are some traditions you share with your family?

This past weekend my tween performed in the Nutcracker.  She had not planned on participating and did not audition.  Why?  Rude peer remarks “scared” her from auditioning.  What changed her mind?  An encouraging friend.  The Director was very willing to put her in where she could fit her, however, it did not showcase my tween’s true skills.  My daughter learned many lessons from participating in such a large production.

Saturday was her last performance even though the cast performed Sunday.  We have taught our children to observe the Sabbath on Sunday and it is our family day together.  We were supportive of her decision.  About a week ago, our tween, unsolicited, went to her Director and explained that she did not feel right about performing on Sunday.  I was proud of her decision that she came to and was ready and willing to support either way.  She learned how to stand up for her beliefs.  The Director was very gracious and said “good for you, it will be fine.”  My tween learned a lesson that took me many years to gain the strength and  courage to do. So, if she does audition next year and gets a bigger part, an understudy will have to be in the making.

Lessons Learned:

1.  Do not let peer comments sway you.  Not everyone is kind and by listening and giving in, you are letting them “win.”

2.  No part is too small or insignificant.  Some of the most work was done by those back stage who go unrecognized.

3.  Sometimes by living with the consequence of not auditioning, a seed is planted to desire something more and be willing to take that chance and audition.

4.  After everything is said and done, it is a lot of time, sacrifice, etc.  Yet, time management was learned, appreciation for family time and skills were acquired.

5.  Friends have the power to influence…. choose wisely.

6.  Honesty is the best policy.

Have your tweens learned life lessons participating in extracurricular activities?  What were they?