Jazz

After a two year break, Piper started up Jazz again!

She was seriously SO excited. I was actually surprised at how excited she was!



A lot of the girls that are in her Ballet class are in Jazz with her, they are so cute.


MM's
1. Jazz
2. BSOB
3. Friends to dance with

First day of school

I realize that I am a little late on this post.

I have a feeling that I may be a little less active on the blog due to school, but I will try as hard as I can.

But, here they are! Aren't they cute?


Piper 5th grade


Teague 2nd grade


One of the disadvantages of having an east facing house is that the first day of school pictures are always funny because my shadow is in the picture and the sun is in their eyes!

MM's
1. 5th grade
2. 2nd grade

I personally think...

That they are the cutest, most beautiful thumbs in the whole entire world!



Some people call them 'clubbed thumbs.'
Some people call them meaner names that I won't mention here.
But, the actual term for Piper's cute as heck thumbs is Brachydactyly type D or BDD.

1 in 1,000 people are born with BDD. However, most of them only have one thumb with it! Piper is lucky, both of her thumbs have it. It is said to be hereditary, but we can think of no one on either side that has had or has this.

I remember that one of my SUU roomies and dear friend has BDD, but I can remember if it is on one or both of her thumbs.

And, there are a couple of famous people with it as well, the two that are known for it have it on both of their thumbs, just like Piper!

I tried to find pictures of them where you could see their thumbs, but it's not focused on their thumbs.

Malin Akerman


Megan Fox


And, if you're a nerd like me, you may remember Ashley Lynn Cafagna, better know today as Ashley Tesoro. She was in "Saved by the bell: The new class." I could only find one picture where she didn't have on nails, but I included a picture of both. These pictures are like 15 years old, because she has apparently fallen off the face of the earth.


And all three of these women are gorgeous.

Piper also has chubby little hands and fingers. However, I never really thought that this would be an issue. Her hands look just like Grandpa Johns (except the thumbs). She still has those cute little dimples that babies have. I LOVE IT.

You can totally pick Pipers hands out of this picture of her and her friends hands.


We have had problems with one little girl at school that started calling her "Big Thumbs." Yeah...I made sure that was taken care of. Piper has always kind of taken pride in her thumbs and hands, but recently she has been asking me about them and why they don't look like mine and why they look different. I hope that I am handling it in the right way, but no matter what, I love those hands and fingers...

MM's
1. Chubby hands
2. Chubby fingers
3. Her cute thumbs

I might just be

The meanest mom ever.

Actually, I've been told that I am several times, but I don't think they said that I was this day.

I told them that if I was going to pay for them to climb the rock wall,
they better climb to the top
because I didn't want my money wasted.


Okay, so a couple of years ago I paid for them to climb a rock wall and they climbed like a foot. I was mad. I didn't want it to happen again...


They climbed to the top!


I was proud!


I was not mad!


My money was not wasted!


MM's
1. A fun rock wall
2. Willing kidlets
3. A successful climb

Sick!

Piper was not feeling well a couple of weeks ago...

I will spare you the details, because I don't want to gross you out and I don't want to embarrass Piper.

It all started on Tuesday June 22, when we woke up she was complaining of a stomach ache. Seriously, not a big deal, Piper has always had tummy aches...always. I told her to get up, get going and to eat something and she would probably feel better.

As we were driving up to Theatre School I kept asking her how she was feeling, her answer was always the same..."My tummy still hurts really badly."

We were on our way to Theatre School! If it were an ordinary school day, I wouldn't think much of it, but this is Piper's livelyhood! We got to the West Institute and I walked the kidlets in - something I NEVER do - and a couple of Piper's teachers asked her if she was okay, because she didn't look too good! I knew we had a problem. I thought that I would just go to the U of U clinic in case it wasn't a big deal, then I could just drop her back off to Theatre School (I know what you are thinking, but honestly, this is Theatre School we are talking about), unfortunately, they didn't take our insurance, so I headed down to the IHC InstaCare on 2100 S and 900 E. They got us right in. The doctor came and pushed on Piper's tummy and legs and said that he thought it was an appendicitis! So, they took pee and blood and ordered an Ultrasound at the Salt Lake Clinic.

And, we were off...


Then, a major barf-o-rama took place in my car. She told me that she felt like she was going to throw-up, so I pulled over to the side of the road and she opened her door...

She barfed all over...IN MY CAR!

We quickly went to the car wash (she said that her tummy felt better), right when I was finishing up, she told me that it hurt really badly again.

We made it to the clinic right in time. They did an ultrasound on her tummy and the conclusion was...gastrointestinal, luckily...no appendicitis!


However, she had to do a clear liquid diet for two days!


After talking to her, we decided to go to the last part of Theatre School and I would go with, just in case, however, she needed some shoes.

SHE BARFED ALL OVER THE ONES SHE HAD ON.


So we ran to Smith's Market Place, and this is when we determined no Theatre School at all that day, she could barely walk.

SHE WAS SO BUMMED.

I took her to my mom's while I got Teague and explained what was going on to YTU staff...

She went to Theatre School on Wednesday, with all of her liquids.

She went to Theatre School on Thursday, with all of her liquids.

She went to Theatre School on Friday, but...

Right when I got home her teacher called me to tell me that Piper was not doing so well.

ARGH!

We played it by ear for an hour, then I went up and got her.

This time I decided to take her to Primary Children's ER. I figured, even if we were there all day, at least we would leave knowing what the hell was wrong with her little tummy!


We were there all day.

The doctor felt her tummy, and did some x-rays.

We did leave knowing what was wrong with her little tummy.

It was heart wrenching watching her go through what she had to go through to take care of it. Piper said to me, "Momma, it hurts so bad!" (she hasn't called me Momma in a very long time) I cried. Hard. Then she said to me, "Momma, why are YOU crying?" I explained to her that it hurt me to see her hurt so much. We both cried through it together.

We left. Piper felt 100% better, we even went to a party that night.

Piper missed TWO days of Theatre School because of her damn tummy! Piper will probably always have tummy issues. We just need to make sure she eats properly and reports her poops.

MM's
1. Piper's Strength
(perfect part in Everyman)
2. Primary Children's

YTU post...mostly pictures!!

I will try not to bore you with an entirely too long of post, but I will entertain you with some pictures.

YTU was awesome this year! It was so fun that both kidlets were able to be in the pre-teen session.

Both kidlets made some new 'bff's'.

And, both kidlets still have the same 'bff's' as usual.


YTU friends are truly the BEST!


Here is Piper as 'Strength' in 'Everyman.' She was FANTASTIC!


Here is Teague in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' during 'Killer' sung to 'Thriller.' He was HYSTERICAL! Here, he is shimmying!

(sorry about the head)

The last night of performances was hard. Here they are doing the theme song.


Here they are with the one and only Penny, the Artistic Director of YTU.


And, here is some crying that went on and on and on and on and on...



MM's
1. YTU
2. Old Friends
3. New Friends
4. Incredibly talented kidlets

Think Globally, 'Act' Locally

That is the theme this year for Theatre School.

It started yesterday.

The kidlets were so excited...especially Piper! Teague was too, it's just that waking up at 7:00 in the morning isn't easy for him (remember, he's mine).

When we got there, we found out what companies they were in.

Teague is in Yellow Company, the youngest Musical Theatre company. It ends up they will be performing "Jack & the Beanstalk."


Teague is also in "Acting for Film & TV" and "Stage Craft."

Piper is in Black Company, the Advanced Acting company. She auditioned on Friday and found out Monday morning that she made it. She worked so hard on her monologue and when she performed it for me before we left the house, she was amazing, so I am going to assume that she was amazing at her audition. They will be performing "Everyman."


Piper is also in "Musical Theatre - Jazz emphasis" and "Stage Make-up."

Teague didn't audition for Black Company, this is his first year in the pre-teen session, so he might - if he wants to - next year.

Then they were off!

I normally don't go in, I normally just drop them off, but for some reason, I did go in this year.
It was fun to watch all of the excited children! There are 173 of them this year...that's a lot!

I remember being that excited for Theatre School...I still get excited for Theatre School...

MM's
1. Theatre School

Long Blond Hair

I was known for mine, but not until it actually decided to grow...in High School!

I have a feeling she is going to be known for hers. Actually, she already is...she's only NINE!

I don't think she fully realizes what a blessing it is to have fantastic hair!

(I captured these pictures back in January when she didn't see me doing so! It is about 3 inches longer now)

MM's
1. Fantastic Hair
2. Beautiful Hair Color
3. Healthy Hair

I have this child...

...She is pretty much,

PERFECT.

I'm not sure where exactly she came from!
I know she didn't get her traits from me.
She got them from Aaron.

Guess what?

She is NINE!

Yes, NINE.

I think about how long NINE years is.
Kindergarten through Eighth grade is NINE years.
Fourth grade through your Senior year in High School is NINE years.
Age twelve to age twenty-one (the age I was when I met Aaron) is NINE years.
It will be NINE years in September since 9/11.
It doesn't seem like it has been NINE years...at all. It has gone by way too fast.
In NINE years, she will be 18! She will most likely be living somewhere far away from me for school. I'm NOT ready for that. I'm not ready for her to grow up...I guess that doesn't matter, it's going to happen anyway.

Piper truly is an incredible person! She has so many beautiful traits that I wish I had.

*She is absolutely 100% selfless.

*She is absolutely 100% THE most thoughtful person I know.

*She is SO incredibly smart, SO smart it scares me.

*She is SO obedient. The only thing she doesn't do is clean her room. Honestly, I can't complain...though I do.

*She is so sensitive, almost to a fault.

*Her talents make me jealous.

*Her "Can Do Attitude" is amazing...if she sets her mind to it, it's done.

*She cares SO much about the people surrounding her, everybody else's feelings come before her own.

All of these things come naturally to her and all of these things are "The Inside." On "THE OUTSIDE," we can all see how gorgeous she is.

For her birthday, she invited four of her closest friends to have pedicures

and manicures and lunch at Pace's Dairy Ann.

It was such a fabulous day with some wonderful friends.

I love this little girl SO much, I get all emotional and teary-eyed just thinking about her. She has such a bright future. I am SO proud of her. I often wonder what I did to deserve such a sweet, sweet soul.

I LOVE YOU PIPER!

MM's

1. Piper

Don't you wish

That you were still small enough to be this comfortable?


She is all curled up on the "Monkey Poo" and covered in her dad's hoodie...

fast asleep!

MM's
1- Monkey Poo (Love Sac)
we call them monkey poo because the kidlets said that's what they smelled like when they were brand new.
2- A hoodie big enough to cover your entire body
3- sleeping children

Christmas Ballet

At Christmas time, The Bountiful School of Ballet invites parents to attend class.

The girls do the stuff that they normally do in class,




then they perform a little Christmas number.

I LOVE this.

Most of these girls have been dancing together since they were 3.




MM's
1- Bountiful School of Ballet
2- Miss Megan
3- Miss Susan
4- Good friends

Jingle Bells

She really, really wanted to sing a Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve with Aaron's family. All of us were too lazy to really do anything about it, so she went in the other room, figured it out (no music) and then came back and played and sang it for us...

PERFECTLY!

Oh, and by the way, that is my nerdy husband!

MM's
1- Her pink guitar
2- That she plays by ear
3- Her beautiful voice
4- Her determination