Children's Museum - Holiday time!

Ruby and I spent a couple of hours at the Children's Museum today. We've been pretty productive lately at home so we deserved a bit of a break. Plus.....it's holiday time which means the Yule Slide is back!

Ruby on the carousel.


This was our first chance to visit the new Power of Children exhibit that features Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White. It's a little old for Ruby, but I really was moved by it and enjoyed going through it. I can't wait to go back with just Keithen and explore it with him some day. Honestly, going through it nearly put me in tears in each of the three areas. I've always wanted to go visit the Anne Frank house. Now I don't know if I could handle it, as profound as I found this exhibit. And I did cry a little bit in Ryan White's section, probably because I remember that from my own lifetime. Ruby seemed most interested in the Ruby Bridges section (well.....of course!) and wanted her picture taken at one of the desks.


The Cookie Cafe in the holiday area is always a big hit with the girls. Ruby spent a long time "baking" in there this afternoon.



And of course.....the Yule Slide! This is a bit blurry since it's a shot of her in motion taken as I went down the slide beside her, but I loved it anyway!

All she wants for Christmas.....

Here's Kaylee before school this morning modeling the new coat Grandma Dollar gave her. She's also pointing out her very wiggly front tooth.

Here's Kaylee after school showing off the new gap in her smile. She lost one of her front teeth at school today and brought it home in a little pink "treasure box" for the Tooth Fairy. The one right next to it is loose too, so it's possible that we'll be singing "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" around here this year.


The funny thing is, two years ago (when Keithen was the same age) he lost a tooth on Christmas Eve and then another one the day before he went back to school. Kaylee seems to be following the same pattern, just a little bit quicker!

She's a true blue Colts fan

She's a true blue Colt's fan.....
right down to the blue candy canes and the blue mouth.

Have you EVER seen a tongue that blue?

Thanksgiving

Pappy has been working to restore Beck's Mill. Here are some pictures of the kids stomping around at the Mill over Thanksgiving weekend.

Friends of Beck's Mill -

http://www.friendsofbecksmill.org/

Beck's Mill -

http://www.millersofwashingtoncounty.org/becksmill.html

My favorite tree

This tree always has the most beautiful red leaves on it in the fall. It finally turned and I got some good pictures of Ruby playing in it this afternoon.

A little artwork to share

Keithen had a piece of artwork on display at the mall as part of National Education Week.


Kaylee had to disguise a turkey so it wouldn't get eaten for Thanksgiving. (Go Colts! Really.....no offense meant to Peyton, LOL!)

You've heard of "Smashing Pumpkins" right?

How about flying pumpkins?

Somewhere along 21st Street, some idiot thought it would be cool to throw a pumpkin at Matt's car as he was driving home the other night. (See the orange pumpkin juice dripping down the windshield?) Thank goodness no one was hurt.

In Memorium

I'm sorry for disappearing from the Blogosphere for a while there. I really have no words right now. A week ago today, my mom passed away from Cancer. Maybe once I've had a little more time, I'll have something to post. For now.....

Jesus with Sabra & Sara

I didn't post these two before because I didn't think they were very good pictures. Some folks have asked to see them, so here you go! :-)

Jesus with Sara

Jesus with Sabra

More pix from last night

I wish I had taken more pix from the video screens because those seemed to come out well. (So for anyone else who hasn't seen the show yet, give that a try if you take your camera!)

SYTYCD - the tour.....finally!

About 10 days ago I finally told Ruby that she and I were going to see the So You Think You Can Dance tour when it came to town. She's been very excited ever since and had her heart set on making a sign to take with her. We talked about how this would be different than other dance shows she has seen. (Bigger venue, louder, people screaming instead of watching quietly, etc.) Well, tonight was the big night! This morning we made a glittery "Lacey" sign for her to take. She got all dressed up in her fancy red dress and we took off for downtown. Parking was of course a bit of a nightmare since we had to arrive downtown before the big Colts game ended. Thankfully, we were able to pay to park at Union Station and didn't have to walk too far. I think the people tailgating with fires and TVs in parking lots was almost as interesting to her as going to see the show. She says she wants to go tailgating now, LOL!

We arrived at the Fieldhouse and stood in line to get some (overpriced) souveniers. After shelling out the big bucks we headed to our seat. I timed it perfectly. We got our coats off and got comfortable and then the show started. Perfect!

First there was a video from Nigel showing 5 of the more memorable auditions. Then a video of Cat in what was probably her ugliest dress of the whole season. And then there they were.....the dancers!

Unfortunately Dominic was sick tonight so we didn't get to see him dance at all. Shauna is still replacing Lacey in the "Dancing" number with Kam. She did a great job filling in, but of course it was a little disappointing to not get to see Lacey dance it. (She did do "Hip Hip Chin Chin" with Danny. Yum. Sexiest number of the whole year. I wish they would have done the Pasha/Lacey manequin routine.) I'll give the camera guys props for doing a really great job (better than the TV show camera work!) and having enough sense to let us see their feet on the video screen on things like Pasha and Sabra's quick step. Seeing Pasha and Anya dance together was a real treat. The transition from the Matrix piece into Pasha and Lauren's hip-hop was a nice choice. Mia's piece about her dad is so much more moving in person. I loved the way they added the group in at the beginning to strew the flowers around the stage. I wish they could have danced it that way before. The two princes piece with Neil and Danny was fabulous with lots of tension and energy. Pasha, Neil, Danny and Sara all have wonderful stage presence.

The show moves FAST! Lots of little video pieces between the numbers including one of the worst falls that made me cringe again and again. (It included some of the auditioners who landed on their faces and that sickening clip of Dom dropping Sabra in the Hairspray group number where you hear her head hit the floor. Ew.)

I'm still digesting what we saw so I may be back again later with more thoughts. I'll share my photos, but they probably won't be the best quality. My camera was acting up.....I think that all the light changes were giving it fits when I tried to focus. My batteries gave up around the point of Sabra's solo in the second act, which meant I missed a few of the shots I would have really liked to get at the end.