5 Dollars

Barack accepts the nomination - HISTORY is made!

2008-08-29T08:29:00.001-04:00

Thursday at the DNC - More IndyStar Galleries

SYTYCD - Top 14 - 7/2

2008-07-03T08:01:00.003-04:00

Starting tonight, each pair of dancers presents two pieces for us. This means that much more hard work required from the dancers at this point. We also get the new pairing of Thayne and Comfort this week.

I disagreed with Nigel about his comments on Thayne & Comfort’s “Cool” routine. I think that if we were watching the whole gang of the Jets dance this number we’d have expected what he said about aggression and such. BUT that’s not how it was choreographed. In this case it was a partnered dance with a guy and girl and not the original Broadway choreography and I think they danced the choreographer's vision pretty well. (Which seemed to me to be a bit more about *being cool* than *staying cool* if you catch what I mean.) That number was actually the first time that I have liked Thayne. He would make a great Jet - maybe Action? I do still think he looks like a Ken Doll when he smiles though, which really bothers me.

I liked Chelsie & Mark's Jazz piece, but at the end of the night I don't know if it will be really memorable compared to some of the others.

OK.....I'm prepared to have rotten vegetables tossed at me for this one. I thought that maybe the choreographers went easy on Twitch for the Paso Doble. For this style of dance, I expected a lot more footwork out of him than what I saw. I also thought that maybe he also needed to be up on the balls of his feet more? (Go back and watch Heidi & Travis from season 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysMGAtiProI or Sabra & Neil from season 3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph1dsH4YEJw ) This is the first time I’ve liked Kherington better than Twitch in a number.

LOVED Mia Michaels piece with Katee and Joshua. My favorite piece of the night. Very intense, used the space well, and was very well partnered. They were absolutely emotionally bared to the audience and 100% committed to what they were doing. These two compliment each other so well. (What the heck was up with Katee's hair though?)

Jessica and Will’s lyrical jazz is my other fav of the night. VERY HOT! Such GREAT use of the shirt prop. Choreography-wise, I loved the way they were isolated at the top and missing each other, went into syncronized movement and then finally into partnering. Mandy laid out the story for them so well and they really did a great job with it. I loved when he used the shirt to flip her over and then to move her around. Their connection was HOT and their lines were wonderful. MAN I love to watch him leap!

Kherington and Twitch also had the good luck to draw Mia. I was wondering how much longer it would be until we got to see how Mia would make use of Twitch. I liked the piece. Was very glad that the tech folks had the good sense to rake the bed so we could see what was going on. Twitch was really committed to this from the first moment. Her entrance from above was nice. I wouldn't call this one of my favorite Mia numbers, but it was still very good.

Bottom three prediciton this week - Kourtni & Matt, Courtney & Gev and Chelsie & Mark. Going home? Possibly Kourtni & Matt. This will be a hard one as the top 10 go on the tour and number 11 & 12 are typically the alternates.

You might even be a rock star.....

2008-06-29T19:55:00.007-04:00

Last weekend Keithen went to stay with Grandpa John. He had a real blast and really wants to go back to stay again soon. He came home on Sunday.

The girls spent all this week with Nanny and Pappy. While they were gone, Matt, Keithen and I redid their room with a "rock star" theme - complete with a stage. This was a complete surprise for the girls when they came home today. They LOVED it. There have already been two concerts and a "Webkinz fashion show" on the new stage.

SYTYCD - 6/25 - Top 16

2008-06-25T22:56:00.004-04:00

WOW.....one look at Mary's outfit and I'm sure we were all wide awake and ready to party! BLING! Was she supposed to be the disco ball for Jessica & Will's number?

Of course Shankman had to start us out with some bad puns. Groan. But very excited to hear that Lacey & Travis will be in his next movie! Yay!

Nice tribute to Cyd. I didn't know Nigel had danced with her. Anyone know in what?

Twitchington ROCKED! Great way to start the show. She had better facial reactions this time - she had more than one anyway! But when she did smile, it was kind of "BIG and happy like a beauty queen" for me.....not "gangsta." The costumes worked well for them - did they say SYTYCD on the back? The pacing was nice.....there were different levels to it and they hit everything.

Courtney & Gev were really good. Something about coming down from that top pose worried me a little.....I think that it was obvious they were being slow and careful? It didn't seem effortless. Their connection at the top was pretty HOT. But I'm not sure how memorable they will be compared to some of the other stuff? It was hard to see the hip action in a lot of sections because of the camerawork. He looks darn good in a suit!

I didn't like this "African Jazz" as well as some of the others I've seen Tyce do. The lighting was *SO* annoying to me. How are we really supposed to watch and critique the dance with all those darn strobes going and that super "over-exposed" look to things? It wasn't lit well for the camera *at all* and I'm getting tired of that. It's supposed to be about *the dancing* and when the technical elements are *so obvious* that means that they are *over done.* When you have *REALLY GOOD* tech work, the audience *SHOULD NOT NOTICE IT.* Like some of the judges, I wanted more use of the fabric.....but that's on Tyce and not the dancers. And I felt that the animalistic nature from the top didn't carry all the way through the routine consistently.....they lost character. It seemed a little too slow and too soft in a lot of places with that music.....needed to be more aggressive. The intensity didn't match for me.

Jessica & Will really sold the disco number. The little "sigh" moment from her towards the top, he really hit the "Travolta" move and didn't look ridiculous doing it, his flips rocked.

Kourtni & Matt - I was so happy to get to see them dance in their style! Like Adam, I hated the costumes. UGH. If it's a comic book, I wanted more bright colors and perhaps some exaggeration instead of that sack she was wearing.....and he was too muted. They were very stylized, connected and energetic. Well syncronized and the leaps were nice. Agree that he needs to get down into the floor and not be so upright all the time.

Chelsea and Thayne - not the worst Quickstep but not the best routine of the night either. LOVED her dress. Wished the camera would have stayed pulled back so we can watch the FEET since that's what this number is all about! Their smiles seemed so "glued on" to me. I bet they were gritting their teeth and chanting "Oh God don't let me mess up!" Better than expected but didn't knock me off my feet. They didn't really sell it.

Chelsie & Mark's Hip Hop was another one I was really looking forward too. I know he's a contemporary dancer, but I had a feeling that his quirky style of movement would lend itself to this genre. *MAN* were they amazing! Towards the top where her hand was near his face and he slid down her arm to her neck.....YUM. Their connection was just amazing. Their musicality was just beautiful and they had such attention to detail, hitting all the little stuff. That bit with his hand on her chest and the fingers, stealing the heatbeat. Her "heartbreak" response at the end was amazing. They were so committed to this and it seemed like such a complete and polished performance. AWESOME!

Katie and Joshua's Samba had me a little worried at first before we actually saw them. I didn't know how he would handle this style. MAN did he have it down. He had such wonderful hip action! Camerawork frustrated me here a bit again when they cut from two dancers to one yet again. HELLO.....we want to see BOTH of them! There was one bit towards the end where she raised her knee and they kind of hit a post - I want to go back and watch again as it seemed like an awkward moment to me.....too slow maybe?

Eliminating people is getting harder and harder!

I think the bottom 3 will be.....
* Chelsea & Thayne
* Courtney & Gev
* Comfort & Chris
.....not that any of them were really bad, there was just a *very tough* competition this week!
Voted off? I think probably Chris and Courtney maybe? It would be interesting to see Gev & Comfort as partners if that happens.

Oh.....and officially *LOVING* Napoleon & Tabitha!!!!!

SYTYCD - Top 18 - 6/18

2008-06-19T08:29:00.004-04:00

My take on the top 18 show -

I thought Cat looked pretty good last night. Some of her dresses are just icky but last night she looked very classy.

What in the world happened to Mary? First off, either the lighting was bad or she's turning into a lobster. That woman's skin was R.E.D. last night! And I have to say that I'm really glad her leopard print blouse held up to the enormous strain it was obviously under last night. Can we say "jam packed?!" I thought those puppies were gonna break free a couple of times. I really wanna know what's in that cup of hers too. (And was she sharing it with Nigel last night?!)

Chelsea & Thayne – I’m still not big fans of these two. Where was there connection? This piece was probably intended to be a lot hotter than it was. And those costumes were just ridiculous. Her “bustle” looked more like a diaper!

Chelsie & Mark – I was a bit worried when I heard Argentine Tango, but they really pulled it off! He looked so classy. Their frame and lines were very nice (most of the time) and all those deep, flexed lunges! He had a sultry intensity which she *almost* matched. Their syncronization was very nice. (And isn't Cat just the greatest! How sweet of her to fix Chelsie's shoe. I wonder how long it was like that?)

Jessica & William – I’m a little afraid that they could be in trouble again. I sure hope not as I love William. It was really nice to see him smiling and obviously having fun. The routine started out fun and energetic but was also a little uneven and unattached. He was really doing a pretty good job hitting it (remember he is a contemporary dancer!) but she was not quite there…..a little “cheerleader” quality? Could have been tighter.

Kourtni & Matt – A Foxtrot straight out of a movie. The lifts were much better this time. MAN he must be strong. His face was very lit up. Their footwork could have been a little tighter.

Courtney & Gev – He really did partner her well and was there for her in everything. He showed strength. It was technically well-danced but I’d love to have seen a little more emotion from them and a bit more of an organic quality. Overall pretty well done and they will most likely be safe.

Katee & Joshua – Not Tyce's best choreography ever, but fun none-the-less. These two really are the official couple to beat right now. She’s got a very expressive face when she dances. They work really well together as a couple and really commit to and sell whatever they’re given. Remember how Benji & Donyelle just "clicked" right from the beginning? Well, that's kind of how these two seem to just fit together as partners as well. If I had any criticism, I think that maybe they were slowing down a bit too much towards the end…..they had to have been exhausted after that!

Susie & Marquis – Can we send her home yet? I feel bad as Ruby says that she is her favorite girl…..but I just want her GONE! The only thing I really liked about their Salsa was the throw down from his shoulders. That made me go WOW! But since this is supposed to be her forte, I expected a lot more and felt very let down. It looked like hard work instead of like a performance. The part where they twisted around each other’s arms was kinda painful to watch.

Kherington & Twitch – When I heard “Viennese Waltz” I was honestly a little worried. I don’t know why! They captured the real essence of what they were given. It was joyful and beautiful. The lifts were so lovely and the tender rocking in his arms. Can you believe I used “tender” to describe Twitch?! This is a Hip Hop guy for goodness sakes! His strong manly carriage, wonderful partnering, soft lines. They are so safe again.

Comfort & Chris – The camera work on this one was exceptionally bad once again. I felt they could have hit it harder and expected a bit more from her – good, but not what I thought it would be. Was Chris even there?

Bottom 3 predicition - Susie & Marquis, Chelsea & Thayne, Comfort & Chris

Bwahahahhaha!

2008-06-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

Baracknophobia

2008-06-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

Ain't it the truth?

2008-06-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

RIP Tim Russert - 5/7/1950 - 6/13/2008

2008-06-13T17:26:00.003-04:00

I was shocked and saddened to learn that Tim Russert, host of NBC's Meet the Press, died today. I can't imagine the rest of this election year's news covereage without Mr. Russert there. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Can I get an "Amen!"

2008-06-13T14:56:00.001-04:00

More on the "Obama Baby Mama" controversy.

FOX news is now slinging-mud at Michelle Obama

2008-06-12T16:11:00.003-04:00

It's so outrageous that it's difficult to believe. FOX News ran a headline on the bottom of their screen yesterday proclaiming potential First Lady Michelle Obama "Obama's Baby Mama."

Just in case the slang is outside your vocabulary, here's what the Urban Dictionary has to say about what it means. "The mother of your child(ren), whom you did not marry and with whom you are not currently involved." There are several other descriptions of the phrase available at that link as well.

In using the term "baby mama" to refer to Mrs. Obama, FOX News has hit a new low. Did the producers really believe it was appropriate for them to use such a derogatory phrase to refer to Mrs. Obama? This comment is about one step away from calling the potential First Lady a "ho." It is nothing less than sexist slander, and the connotation is very clearly racist.

Was the vast staff of FOX News reporters simply unwilling or unable to unearth the fact that the Obamas were married on October 18, 1992? That they have two daughters, Malia who was born in 1999 and Natasha who was born in 2001 within the bonds of their marriage.

Michelle Obama is most certainly not Barack’s “baby mama.” FOX News owes the Obama family a swift public apology for this incident which has over-stepped the bounds of reporting the news and turned into mud-slinging.

Please express your disgust with FOX News by emailing yourcomments@foxnews.com to let them know how appalling you find their choice to refer to Mrs. Obama in this way.

SYTYCD 6/11 - The top 20 FINALLY!

2008-06-12T09:04:00.002-04:00

A lot of surprises for me last night.

Rayven & Jamie went first with a hip-hop routine from Napoleon & Tabitha to "American Boy." I thought they were pretty well syncronized and had decent energy, but it just wasn't at all memorable. Their faces were WAY too muggy for me. And why in the heck did they have her pants him? What was the point in that? What a low note to start the show on. Blech. I did like the second half of the routine a bit better. It was a little more aggressive and more interesting to watch. Maybe I'm just used to some hard-hitting Shane Sparks hip-hop instead of what Napoleon & Tabitha are throwing at us? Like Beckyloo, I think most of their choreography feels a bit more like jazz with some hip-hop thrown in for seasoning.

Susie & Marquis were next with a Smooth Waltz to "Dark Waltz" courtesy of (I think?) Hunter Johnson. Beautiful lighting, beautiful costumes. So-so movement. Their lines were pretty decent and I felt Marquis had nice body tension. He carried himself very nicely and seemed mascaline and in control. That lift was so awkward though. Nigel is really crazy if he thought the audience didn't catch that. It was B-A-D. And I didn't think Susie really had the rise and fall to her movement that I was looking for in a waltz.

Kourtni & Matt danced a jazz routine to "Tainted Love" choreographed by Mandy Moore. Oh how I wish they had been given just a little more time to practice this! I really liked the piece - very sexy - but they just didn't hit it quite hard enough. They did have the little details down with some nice hands. The lifts were a bit slow and heavy, but she's no small girl to be throwing around like that! I also felt Matt's coat was a bit too difficult for him to deal with. The pockets were obviously not easy for him to access for the little props that he was given and it flapped around behind him too much.

Chelsea T. and Thayne got stuck with Tony Meredith's Cha-Cha. Simply put, she was hot and he was cheesy. I felt he was a bit heavy-footed. Not a Thayne fan going into tonight and still not sold on him.

Chelsie H & Mark had the great luck to draw Mia's Contemporary interpretation of Tim Burton's wedding danced to "Beautiful." Wow. Loves me some Mia! I was very excited when I saw the spoiler that Mark would be clay in Mia's hands this week! While the costumes were very appropriate to what Mia was trying to portray, that skirt was a bit too much foof to deal with at times. I wish it had been just a *tad* less so that it wasn't a distraction from the dancing. (Sometimes I found myself watching "the foof" instead of the dancers.) The lighting and costumes for this piece actually worked together so well. (Did you hear that?! ME complimenting the lighting on this show!?) They achieved a nice, mono-chromatic look that really reflected the feel of Tim Burton's movies. The dancing was very nice. Loved the part where they rolled over each other on the floor. Their faces were wonderful - especially when he was whispering in her ear. Mia of course made genious use of Mark's quirky abilities (a little Hok-like homage there?). The lifts looked so effortless. BUT.....here's my gripe on this one. The camera work - again! PLEASE OH PLEASE let me not be complaining about camera work all season again? There was a point where Mark nearly danced out of the frame. There was a point when he picked her up and it was shot from below so all we got was a nice shot of her butt and all the foof.....no faces at all. Great. Work on that, will you guys?

Twitchington (a.k.a. tWitch & Kherington) drew Broadway with Tyce this week. They danced to "Too Darn Hot" and man was it! I was actually very excited about seeing that these two had been paired together and put with Tyce. I had high hopes and I was *not* disappointed! They hit it! They were connected and emotive and FUN to watch. His toe touch was awesome. No way would you have believed that this was a hip-hop dancer. I can't wait to see what else they throw at tWitch on his way to the top 10!

Comfort & Chris got Jive with Tony to "Boom Boom." This should have beenhot, but not so much. I really went into this hoping to like Comfort. She was far too upright and I thought maybe it was a bit slow overall. This couple certainly needs to gel a bit more. I hope Comfort sticks around because I want to see more of her.

Katee & Joshua were next up. When I heard that they got Tabitha & Napoleon's Hip-Hop, I was expecting that Josh was going to be saving her behind. I really wasn't feeling her after the attitude last week. Then they intro'd the piece. He was going off to war as they danced to "No Air." WOW. My favorite piece of the night. I ate my words about Katee. Her dancing was a tad week at the top, but her acting still sold it. And once Josh joined her, they both really hit it. They were connected, well syncronized and really told the story well. This piece totally got me teary-eyed both times I've watched it. It felt natural and effortless. Loved the way he regained his center so easily after she pulled him up by the leg. They are currently *the* couple to beat. Don't be surprised if we see this number again as one of judges favs on the final show of the season.

Jessica & William had Hunter Johnson's Tango. With such a hard act to follow, they were really under-whelming to me. I really love William and I hope that this number doesn't hurt him. I want to see him around for a while! The judges called her on being wobbly on her heels. I just want to point out that they are constantly telling the Hip-Hop girls how great they did for not being used to dancing in heels. HELLO.....Jessica is a Contemporary dancer. She is used to dancing in her bare feet and feeling the floor under her. Yeah, she wobbled a little.....can you give her the same concessions?

Courtney G and Gev got a Disco routine to "Boogie Wonderland." Let's just say they were no Neil and Sarah. It felt very "dancing by numbers" to me. It needed a lot more polish.

My bottom three prediction -

Courtney G & Gev - Rayven & Jamie - Chelsea T. & Thayne

RIP Edwina Froehlich - January 5, 1915–June 8, 2008

2008-06-08T11:11:00.002-04:00

Edwina Froehlich, one of the 7 founding mothers of La Leche League International and co-author of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, died at 5 am on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at Northwest Community hospital in Arlington Heights after suffering a stroke on May 25.

Funeral and memorial arrangements are pending. Please visit http://www.llli.org/edwina.html for more information and to leave a message at the online memorial to Edwina.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Edwina's family.

SYTYCD fantasy team

2008-06-06T12:57:00.002-04:00

School's Out!

2008-06-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Keithen and Kaylee's last day of school. Summer has officially arrived!

Kaylee took her teacher a boquet of flowers. Ruby also delivered one to Miss Dusick since it was her last day before she leaves to teach in the Marshall Islands for a year. Keithen chose a cactus for his teacher since he had just finished a report on desert plants.

They both brought home really good report cards. Keithen's was all "M's" and had a note from his teacher about how much he had grown this year. Kaylee's was all "M's" except for the portion that had to do with her writing skills. When she really tries she can print very nicely, but most of the time it is sloppy and can be difficult to read.

They got rewards for their good reports and we had a special dinner last night and then watched SYTYCD.

Paradise by the GoPhone Light

2008-06-06T10:17:00.002-04:00

My mom would probably have loved this commercial. Yes.....that really is Meatloaf.

SYTYCD top 20 dancers

2008-06-06T00:41:00.003-04:00

I'm in total shock that Brandon, Evan and Kelli were cut.

Our top 10 girls (Forgive any mispellings plz, will correct when FOX posts. Not sure on a few last names.)
Courtney Galiano
Chelsie Hightower
Susie Garcia
Chelsea (Trail?)
Kourtni Lind
Kherington Payne
Rayven (Armeno?)
Comfort (?)
Jessica King
Katee (Sheean?)

Our top 10 boys.....
Joshua Allen
tWitch
Matt Dorame
Thayne Jasperson
Marquis (Cunningham?)
Mark (Hanimura?)
Jamie (Baynard?)
Chris (Jarose?)
William Wingfield
Gev Manoukian

Surprised that there were about 9 of them that I couldn't place. I hate when they hit us with so many new faces in Vegas.

Daemon's TV has short bios and individual pix of most of the dancers up now. click here Not sure why FOX is so far behind on the game and hasn't posted bios and pix for us yet!

SYTYCD - the countdown!

2008-06-05T11:16:00.001-04:00

My SYTYCD top 20

2008-06-04T22:45:00.001-04:00

OK......after some quick looks at videos from the audition shows, I got it down to 10 gals and 11 guys. Having problems cutting that last guy to get to the required 10 and 10. This is my best guess as to tomorrow night's top 20 dancers. (Of course you never know what surprises they will pull on us in Vegas with dancers they haven't even shown us yet.)

Gals -
* Devin Oshiro
* Aliona Vetrenko
* Kherington Payne
* Chelsie Hightower
* Kelli Baker
* Sheila Kaiser
* Claire Calloway
* Megan Campbell
* Kourtni Lind
* Rebecca Hart

Guys -
* Cooper Zamorano
* Stephen “tWitch” Boss
* Phillip Chbeeb
* William Wingfield
* Leonidas Proskurov
* Ryann Race
* Matt Dorame
* Joshua Allen
* Jeremiah Hughes
* Brandon Bryant
* Evan Kasprzak

LLL may be losing one of it's founding mothers

2008-05-31T14:58:00.001-04:00

It's looking as if La Leche League will be losing one of it's founding mothers. Makes me even more sad that I missed the International Conference last year. Edwina Froehlich, one of the LLLI Founders , suffered a stroke on Sunday, May 25. She has been hospitalized since then and is now being transfered to to Hospice care at Northwest Community Hospital.

Marian Tompson, another of the founding mothers, visited her and said that the heart doctor said that he felt the most important thing now was to make her comfortable.

From Marian -

As usual, the Froehlich family was there when I got to the hospital
this morning - David and his wife, Paula, Paul's wife and their
eldest daughter, LeeAnn. Paula showed me the more than 50 faxes
Edwina had already received from all over the world, through the
hospital's website. I held them up and told Edwina about each one
and she put out her left hand and held one up to her face. The
family enjoyed reading the emails that you gave me Rebecca, astounded
that people in all those countries would know about Edwina's
predicament and be sending their prayers and best wishes. LLL of
Ireland sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Edwina seemed much the way she did on Tuesday altho she dozes off a
lot. But when she is awake, for very short periods of time, she will
look straight at you and several times she tried to talk to
me. Once, when she came out of a sleep, she seemed to be surprised
to find herself in the hospital unable to talk.

So we can continue to hold her in our prayers and in our
hearts, thankful that she has been part of our lives for so long.

Love,
Marian

A little about Edwina -

She was of "advanced age" when she had her first baby when she was 36. (Back then most women were done having babies by age 30.) The doctors told her that the breasts of a woman over 30 could never produce milk. She proved all those doctors wrong, giving birth to three sons at home and nursing all of them. In 1956 she was one of the 7 founding mothers of LLL. Edwina, whose role in the early days of LLL was that of secretary, communicated with mothers and health care professionals worldwide. Edwina's husband, John, passed away in 1997. They had enjoyed 49 years of marriage. Now she is proud grandmother of nine grandchildren. I know she's in her 90's now, maybe 92 years old?

Our thoughts and prayers will be with her family. She is certainly an amazing woman who has touched many, many lives over the course of the last 50+ years of LLL.

Megan Campbell - hometown girl does good!

2008-05-30T17:31:00.002-04:00

A Muncie girl auditioned for SYTYCD last night and got a ticket straight to Vegas! We'll be keeping our eyes on her!

LOVED Brandon Bryant last night. He is my favorite guy so far!

SYTYCD - Auditions 5/28

2008-05-29T16:39:00.003-04:00

Some quick thoughts on last night's show before we see even more auditions tonight!

Brett, the guy with Down Syndrome, really was a pretty good dancer! He was very fun to watch and I’m glad they included him. I'd rather see footage of someone like Brett than more of "SEX" and his mom! Brett is an inspiration.....SEX is a pitiful joke!

I liked Gev. He had good control, great musicality and nice tricks.

Nicole (the mom of 4) has guts! Can you imagine getting up there and doing that after having 4 kids in 6 years! Good for her for having the guts to do it!

I liked Kelli Baker. She had nice extension, a great center and beautiful fluidity of movement. She may be my favorite female dancer so far. Ruby says she recognized her from her part in High School Musical.

Ryann Race, the strip club dude, had some interesting “rubbery” movement. His quality of movement reminded me a little of someone from a past year, but I can’t place who. Will be interesting to see more of how he does with picking up choreography and partnering. I'm sure that he's one of those dancers that they invite to Vegas in hopes of "developing" him more.

Matt Dorane was one of my favorites. GREAT extension and lines, you could feel the energy flowing out of the end of his limbs as he moved. His elevation was nice and he had wonderful control and strength. (Did you see those muscles!) A nice smile too. I want to see Mia get her hands on him to break down his slightly "dance school" movements into something more grounded. I see real potential with him.

Thayne was a nice mover. Not surprised they put him through to Vegas BUT I do expect some “mascalinity” criticism from Nigel in later rounds. He doesn’t have that mascaline strength that Nigel is always looking for in the guys.

Kortney and Michelle – not much of an opinion yet. I will say that I liked what we saw of them better in choreography than on their own.

Not a fan of Paige Jones (pagent girl). We’ll see how she does in Vegas. She has a great smile – but it’s that fake pagent smile. Her moves are took “dancing by numbers” for me with little soul to them. They'll need to crack her exterior and get her more grounded for me to really like her.

Joshua Allen was great. His musicality was wonderful and his elevation was really impressive for a guy built like that! I did not expect that high leap that he did. What little we got to see of him in the choreography round seemed really good. I thought he seemed to connect with his partner in what little they showed. Will be interesting to see where he goes from there in Vegas.

John & Arielle – he was the frame for her picture and not much else. He was a great frame though and was really there for her with lots of strength on all those lifts. A good partner.....but nothing spectacular. I would have liked to see her DANCE on the floor a bit more instead of flying around in the air so much. We’ll see more of her and how she actually moves in Vegas.

That last Steven dude….man! Calling Mary a “B” before he left the stage?! Guess he doesn’t plan to come back and try again next year!

In memory of Maria Sue Chapman (2003-2008)

2008-05-23T17:10:00.003-04:00

Maria Sue Chapman, youngest daughter to Mary Beth and singer Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed in a tragic accident Wednesday night when her older brother accidentaly backed over her in the family driveway. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago.

My heart has ached for this family all week, especially each time I have hugged my own sweet 5-year-old and seen her smile. I hope they can find some comfort in the memories of their beautiful, funny girl and in their faith in God. It's so difficult to even begin to try to understand accidents like this.

http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

Poppin' that'll blow your mind

2008-05-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

Robert Muraine amazes the judges and goes straight to Vegas.

SYTYCD on Ellen

2008-05-22T22:37:00.000-04:00

SYTYCD - Auditions 5/22

2008-05-22T22:23:00.005-04:00

After much anticipation in our house, season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance finally started tonight! Ruby stayed up late with me to watch and *almost* made it all the way through both hours.

I’m glad that they ended up cutting Jonathan (the Italian guy) in choreography. Remember how some of the judges thought Danny had an attitude last year? No…..THIS was an attitude! GEEZ! He has potential but I think he would have been a PITA to work with.

Can you believe “Sex” came back again? That guy is just determined to get his 15 minutes of fame, huh?

The visually impaired girl, Laura, was really pretty good. I think that they were right to cut her because she wasn’t “professionally polished” enough and with the speed that the competition moves at, I don’t think she would have been able to keep up.

Glad to see Twitch back and through to Vegas again! And Phillip Chbeeb too! (Wasn’t he the one Shane Sparks called “sick” last year?!)

ETA after a good night's sleep: William Wingfield (the “poem” guy…..I called him “gangsta-lyrical” LOL!) actually blew me away. His solo was bare-bones simplicity. It flowed well and followed the story of the spoken-word piece that he chose. It may not have been the best “showcase” for his talents in an audition like this when many of the other dancers are so busy showing off their "tricks." We know Mia got it though and he is sure to be one of her favorites through the audition process. I thought that he was very memorable and I’m glad he’s through to Vegas. I can’t wait to see more of him and see what he can do.

Video of William available here http://www.rickey.org/?p=7981.

Leonidas & Aliona were very hot! They were polished and had fantastic lines. I felt they were a little too “muggy” for the audience though. Hopefully that is something that can be worked out of them because it won’t work well in the other styles.

Of the couples, I liked Ricky & Asuka better than L&A. Their footwork was really nice and I thought they had a much better connection. Amazing that they have only been dancing together for 3 mos!

Kherington Payne was my favorite girl. (The soccer player.) Her elevation and lines were lovely. She has real extension and tension in her body when she dances. She was super expressive and had that magnetic star quality that just drew you in to watch her. (Dominic was a riot watching her!)

I wish Shane Sparks would have been there to see that last popper guy, Robert Muraine! Dang! He was amazing at what he does! I was a little surprised that they put someone so specialized through to Vegas w/o doing choreography though. I hope that isn’t a mistake. If he can’t partner, what’s the point? I hope he can as he would be very entertaining to watch all season! (Imagine what Mia would do with him!) His isolation of movement is mind-boggling. Ruby fell asleep and missed him. I hope I can find him on You Tube tomorrow!

OK…..that’s my thoughts on the night. Anyone else!?

Oh…..BTW….yes, I do take notes, LOL! Have since last season. Ruby got a notebook and tried to take notes tonight too. She copied the dancer’s names from my notebook and then she had me write “good” and “bad” and “kinda” on the side of her page so she could label each one! ROTFL! The cute part is that she was also talking in technical language about what they were doing for the first half of the show though! She was commenting on arabesques, pirouettes and frames. :-)

What a close race!

2008-05-07T14:53:00.002-04:00

I was up until about 1:20 this morning watching the election returns on TV and online. I thought CBS was very premature in calling IN for Hillary when she had a 12% lead. By the time all the votes were counted, her lead had shrunk to only 2%, essentially splitting the Hoosier state with Obama. What a nail-biter!

After her loss in NC and just squeeking by in IN, Tim Russert thinks it's time for Hillary to step down and conceed the nomination to Obama.

More on the economy and Obama gets another SuperD!

2008-05-02T15:35:00.001-04:00

This morning, Barack held a press conference in Indianapolis addressing the economy, the gas tax holiday and changing the way politics are run in Washington.

AND

Former DNC Chair and Massachusetts supderdelegate Paul G. Kirk, Jr. endorsed Obama today.

click here

Joe Andrew endorses Obama

2008-05-01T16:53:00.000-04:00

Obama on the "gas tax holiday"

2008-05-01T11:39:00.002-04:00

This "relief" plan that Clinton and McCain support would only save the average American $25-30.

“This is typical of what Washington does. You got an emergency, people are getting crushed. People are having a tough time, and instead of really trying to solve the problem you use a gimmick,” say Obama.

Where the candidates stand on Education

2008-05-01T10:18:00.001-04:00

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501/NEWS0502/805010446

Bad blogger.....bad, bad, bad blogger.

2008-04-25T13:49:00.002-04:00

I've really not posted very much this past month.

Keithen ended up quitting soccer. I don't know if he'll want to play again in the fall or if he's decided he's done for good. He's hoping to do a week long theatre camp over the summer. Matt took him to the 3rd quarter Honor Roll breakfast this morning. It looks like we will be leaving him in the gifted classes for now. He's been showing more responsibility lately so hopefully the improvement will continue.

Kaylee seems to be adjusting pretty well to her best friend moving away. I was very worried about her there for about a week. Last year we knew her best Kindergarten friend would be changing schools at the end of the year. We had all year to prepare her for that, plus we still get to see the little girl and her brother every couple of months. Well, her best friend this year told her she was going to be moving to Kentucky.....with 3 days notice. Kaylee was devastated. They had a really nice playdate last week and there were lots of hugs but no tears when they said good-bye.

Ruby finished her last ballet class and will be starting a new one in about a week. She says when she starts Kindergarten, she'll want to do gymnastics for a while instead of dance. Yes.....Kindergarten. We'll be registering her next week. Our district has done away with the half-day schedule in order to cut gas costs, so it looks like she'll be going alternating full days instead.

Last weekend was the state PTA convention. I went and got lots of ideas for our school for next year. Yesterday I attended a luncheon about fundraising and we picked our school fundraiser for next year. I hope it does well so we don't have to stress about the budget. I've been working on setting up a webpage for the PTA today.

The girls are all excited about the big "Webkinz Extravaganza" this weekend for the Webkinz birthday. They are hoping to go buy a new Webkinz.....but they may have to pool their money to do so at this point.

Great video of Obama's response to the "debate"

2008-04-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

Miley Cyrus on American Idol

2008-04-10T08:01:00.001-04:00

Is Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana) getting too sexy for her young audience? I've certainly seen worse than this performance. What do you think?

I'm an Obama Baby

2008-04-09T09:44:00.002-04:00

Whooo hoo!

2008-04-07T00:24:00.002-04:00

We FINALLY got a green flag on the field conditions. After over 7 inches of rain in March, it looks like the fields are FINALLY dry enough for spring soccer to start.....a month late!

Save the Civic

2008-04-02T15:29:00.002-04:00

Muncie Civic Theatre is in some serious financial trouble. The "save the Civic" meeting this week is only the first step in saving the theatre. Click here to read more.

IndyMoms at The Children's Museum

2008-04-01T10:20:00.005-04:00

Last Friday night we were lucky enough to get invited to an after-hours party for IndyMoms.com at the Children's Museum. The kids had a blast! This year they put out the old "Yule Slide" as a special treat for spring break. Since we were at a private party, it was pretty easy to just keep running back to the top of the slide and going again, and again, and again, and again (you get the idea!). The girls got their faces painted by some awesome face painters. Keithen and Matt spent a lot of time in the Robots exhibit and the girls visited Curious George.

Finally - tap pictures!

2008-04-01T10:13:00.009-04:00

I finally got a chance to upload and edit the pictures from Ruby's final tap/ballet class. This has been a LONG spring break with me sick for a solid week of it. I can't believe they go back next week - we've done next to nothing! And the weather is still so yucky.....I'll be happy to actually see some warm and sunny spring weather!

Video and transcript of Obama's speech today

2008-03-18T14:15:00.001-04:00

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama

"A More Perfect Union"

Constitution Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Link to video and trasncript of today's speech

Obama in Indy

2008-03-15T22:57:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week it was announced that Barack Obama would be making a campaign stop in Indiana this weekend. On Thursday, I was lucky enough to make it home from volunteering at school to catch a post that tickets for a Town Hall Meeting had been released. I filled out the online form and got our emailed tickets right away. We were so lucky to get tickets because they were all gone in about 39 minutes.

The doors were supposed to open at 12:30 today, with Obama scheduled to speak at 2:20. As we drove towards the high school, we were a little worried when we saw a house with a "$10 Parking" signs along the way. Matt dropped me off at what appeared to be the end of the line and went to park. I stood in line with a group of people for a bit until an official looking guy with a clipboard walked past our end of the line and called, "no one down here has tickets, right?" We all immediately began waving our tickets around. He informed us that we were in the wrong line and told us to go up to the left. We were all shocked to find that we were suddenly at the front of the line and frantically digging for our ID's to get past security.

Matt caught up with me and we grabbed a seat on the bleachers. I ran into a couple of other IndyMoms that I know in the crowd. The people seated around us on the bleachers were very friendly. Everyone chatted and made jokes about the "Plainfield High School Fighting Quakers" mascot. (OK.....their mascot is the Quakers.....I don't know if they really call themselves the "fighting" Quakers, but it was funny.) As we chatted, I regretted not bringing the camera along (I was afraid we'd be told no) because there were tons of cameras in the crowd.

Being a stagehand, Matt was annoyed with the less than ideal lighting, sound and camera setups that they had thrown together. (On the way out, I thought we had been separated by the crowd. Nope.....he stopped to pass a business card off to a campaign worker.) Being a stage manager, I was embarassed for the gal who kept beating on the mics and running back and forth with the hand-held at the last minute like she had no clue how it worked. Not sure why it didn't occur to them to do a sound check about 3 hours earlier.

After some enthusiastic chanting from the crowd, a prayer and an introduction, Obama finally appeared from the doors closest to our seats. After hearing him speak in person, I can say that his genuine character really impressed me. He seems friendly, open and honest. When he answers questions, he doesn't sound like he's regurgitating a rehearsed speech that he's done a thousand times. He is sincere and connected. You can tell that he really believes in what he is saying, as opposed to many politicians who seem to be just giving the line that they think the audience wants to hear. And even with the limited time that he had to spend with us today, he took the time to answer a question from an eloquent 12 year old boy who had waited patiently with his hand up through most of the Q&A.

In his opening, Obama talked about "the fierce urgency of now" and that we can't wait for change. He said that we were in a defining time in our history and that we need politics that can lift the country up. He stressed that change doesn't happen from the top down, but from the bottom up.

Once again, he denounced his preacher's comments.

He says there could be a saving for families of $2,500 a year in insurance premiums with his health plan. (That would cut our family's insurance payments in half!) Talked about how we don't really have "health insurance" in our country, but "sick insurance" and encouraging a change towards having plans that emphasize the prevention of disease.

During the Q&A, one woman commented that he would be inheriting "a mess" when he took office. She asked what he would do to help us have patience while we wait for change. He talked about how we can count it as a success if a President can accomplish a couple of good things per year. Obama said that the first three things he wanted to accomplish as president were to:
1. get us out of Iraq in 12-16 mos
2. health care reform and
3. alternative fuels.
He also said that he would immediately review all executive orders signed by this current administration and immediately reverse anything that took away civil liberties.

He said we should be in Afghanistan going after Al Qaeda and not in Iraq. He said that if he were elected, he would meet with the joint chiefs right away and call for a plan to responsibly be out of Iraq within 12-16 mos of taking office, bringing home about 1-2 brigades per month during that time. At one point he also talked about getting rid of Guantanamo.

As part of the Q&A, he answered questions on domestic violence (talked about equal wages for women and equal education for our girls to make breaking the cycle easier), alternative fuels, security and the climate of fear since 9/11, education, social security, and human rights issues in China.

He believes in investing in early childhood education. He mentioned the importance of art and music in the classroom for every child. He will work to achieve higher salaries and more training for our teachers. He talked about reforming No Child Left Behind and that it has parts which may be good, but change is needed. He talked about the importance of having high standards, but not placing everything on high stakes test. We shouldn't just be looking at the school's overall scores, but instead look to see if testing is showing growth for individual students. Did a child begin the school year 2 years behind grade level and now he's only 1 year behind? Currently that would not be considered meeting the standard.....yet the school obviously isn't failing a child who has shown that much growth in the past year. He talked about using the test as a tool to identify students who are in need of help. He also mentioned the important role of PARENTS in seeing that their child succeeds in school. If a student misbehaves in school, we shouldn't just blame the teacher. Parents need to turn off the TV. We shouldn't just let a child settle for the B, ask why they didn't get an A. He also talked about giving college students $4,000 a year towards their education in exchange for time spent doing community service.

He talked about having "transparency in government" and posting information about laws they want to pass, cabinet meetings, federal budget, etc. where it is easy to access on the internet. Any meetings with lobbyists would be public. In an Obama White House, there would be tough ethics and no revolving doors with staffers quitting to work for the lobbyists.

He wants to raise the cap on payroll taxes so that the super rich are not let off the hook after earning their first $97,000.

He said he will probably not be a perfect president, but he will promise to always listen even when he disagrees and be truthful about where he stands.

Live blog - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23648874/

Local news coverage - http://www.wishtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8021671
You can watch video of his speech (part 1) and the Q&A (part 2) at that link. If you catch the lady who asks about security around the national monuments about 7 minutes in, you can see Matt, then sort of see me in a red shirt, and then see my friend Amanda in a purple shirt about 2 rows behind the questioner.

tap & Obama

2008-03-15T22:05:00.001-04:00

Blogging on Ruby's tap class and the Obama rally coming soon!

Soccer champs!

2008-03-15T21:58:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was our final weekend of winter soccer. Keithen's team won their division championship!

Ruby's team came in 5th place in their division.

Kaylee's birthday - part 2

2008-03-07T15:25:00.003-05:00

The Webkinz cupcakes were a big hit!

More presents.

New Webkinz pet - Wilma the Lil'Kinz pig (March pet of the month).

Trying to read her new chapter book. I think she'll need some help, but she should be able to read a lot of it.

Friend playdate on Thursday.

Reading a bedtime story to Ruby! So sweet!

Cupcakes for a Webkinz Maniac!

2008-03-05T17:13:00.002-05:00

I couldn't think of anything more appropriate for Kaylee's birthday than to make her Webkinz cupcakes! After a few minutes off my feet, I'll be back into the kitchen to make her favorite dinner, taco pie!

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

2008-03-05T08:42:00.004-05:00

Notice the gap-toothed grin in the second picture?

7 years ago today, Kaylee was born into our family. She was in such a hurry back then.....my quickest labor at only about 4 hours. Yet today I didn't think I'd ever get her out the door for school! She was disappointed that I was making her stop playing to get on the bus. Poor thing was crying and wouldn't get on at first. I felt so bad to send her off to school like that on her birthday! I hope she is in a better mood by the time she gets to school. Ruby and I are off to the store to buy the ingredients for taco pie and some yummy cupcakes.

Curlie top

2008-03-05T08:33:00.002-05:00

Kaylee wore her hair all in curls on Monday. It was actually a bit wilder than I would have liked it to be. Guess Mommy just needs a little more practice rolling it!

Last weekend's soccer update -

Ruby's team ended their game in a tie and had to have a shoot out. Unfortunately, the other team out-scored them in the shoot out so they were knocked out of the playoffs.

Keithen's team slaughtered their opponents. I think it was 7-1? They get a by for the first round of the tournament this next weekend and go straight to the semi-finals game. Unfortunately, it looks like they might have to play the only team that beat them all season.

Small world

2008-02-29T16:38:00.002-05:00

You know that old saying about "6 degrees of separation?" Yeah.....it's a small world. I just discovered that an actor I worked with in college is doing pretty well. He was actually in the first show I stage managed at Ball State. Last season he was in 2 episodes of Jericho.

Jeffrey Parise

Happy Leap Day!

2008-02-29T08:47:00.003-05:00

Kaylee was having a rather grumpy "Leap Frog Day" but I had to get a picture of her in her frog-covered dress.

Enjoy your extra day today.....I hope you can find something fun to do with it!

Danny & Travis

2008-02-28T16:33:00.002-05:00

I found this amazing video of Danny Tidwell (SYTYCD Season 3) and Travis Wall (SYTYCD Season 2) that you have to see!

Hip-Hip, Chin-Chin

2008-02-28T15:12:00.003-05:00

I loved Lacey & Danny's routine to "Hip-Hip, Chin-Chin" last season on SYTYCD. Last night on America's Ballroom Challenge, Max Kazhevnikov & Yulia Zagoruychenko danced an equally hot routine to that number. Danny stole the show on the SYTYCD routine (one of the times we really saw his personality and connection on the show) but I think Yulia was the star of last night's routine. (And her costume was tons better than Lacey's too.)

Max Kazhevnikov & Yulia Zagoruychenko

Danny & Lacey

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008-02-25T14:08:00.001-05:00

As a big Philippa Gregory fan, I've been anxiously awaiting this movie! Just 4 more days!

Weekend update

2008-02-25T09:07:00.003-05:00

Kaylee has her spring semester school pictures on Friday. She wanted to wear a dress but I shot that down as it was well below freezing that day. Instead she opted to wear a pair of overalls that she had never worn before. She said she was going to be a "farmer girl" for her pictures.

Ruby's soccer team won their game on Saturday. They finished the regular season with 3 wins and 4 losses, ending up in 5th place in their division. Next weekend is the start of the playoffs.

We had a couple of hours between games this weekend, so we got to watch some of Keithen's classmates and former team-mates play between our games. One of his old team-mates got carried off the field but was limping around later in the day.

The team Keithen played this weekend had 2 classmates on it. Unfortunately, Keithen's team suffered it's only loss of the season. They ended the regular season with 5 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie, 38 goals for and only 16 goals against. They are in 1st place in their division. If they maintain their hold on the lead next weekend in the first round of playoffs, then they will automatically advance to the semi-finals.

There is a devotion after the game each weekend. Ruby pretty consistently asks for everyone to pray for her "Grandpa to be comforted because her Grandma died." This weekend she also added "and he has to take care of the doggies" so Grandpa and the dogs were all included.

During Keithen's game, Kaylee FINALLY lost that front tooth that has basically been held in by nothing but spit for a week now. She has quite the gap-toothed grin right now. (Why couldn't she have lost it BEFORE she had her picture taken on Friday?!)

Weekend catch up

2008-02-21T09:14:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in too long so I missed out on sharing all the fun of our long weekend.

Ruby is still really enjoying her tap class. She is teaching tap to her Webkinz at home now, LOL! I think I finally have her convinced that it is "animal crackers in my SOUP" and not "animal crackers in my SUIT."

Saturday was soccer, of course. Ruby's team lost by 1 point. It was a really close, hard fought game. Keithen's team remained undefeated with another win. (Sorry no pictures, I forgot to change the camera batteries.)

Sunday was a birthdy party with the cousins for Keithen, Kaylee, Ruby and their cousin Zoe who is turning 16. the girls were ecstatic to get 2 new Webkinz each. They also got some stuffed unicorns and dogs from Libby Lu that were a hit. Keithen's new electronics kit and Sims Castaway game have both been big hits too. He's driving me nuts with the sound effects from the electronics kit. And of course I can't get much done this week because *I'm* wasting too much time on the DS playing Sims also! LOL!

Monday was a day off from school (President's Day) so they had a long weekend. We went to the Party Tree to spend some of their birthday money on Webkinz. Keithen was nice enough to loan Kaylee some of his money prior to her birthday that is coming up next month. Keithen got 2 Lil'Kinz, Ruby got a Lil'Kinz, a carrier and a Webkinz blue hat, and Kaylee got the Lil'Kinz grey and white cat that she has always wanted.

The girls' main activity the past few days has been Kaylee giving Ruby piggyback rides.

America's Ballroom Challenge on PBS

2008-02-21T08:55:00.004-05:00

Has anyone else been watching America's Ballroom Challenge on PBS? Right now it's keeping Ruby and me tided over until season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance starts on FOX on May 22.

Last night there was an interesting Cha-Cha & Paso Doble danced by Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina. It was like ballroom's answer to the awesome Shane Sparks Transformers routine danced by Lauren Gottlieb & Pasha Kovalev in season 3 of SYTYCD.

Lauren Gottlieb & Pasha Kovalev - Hip Hop

Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina - Cha-Cha & Paso Doble

A few similarities there, huh?

RIP Roy Scheider

2008-02-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

Roy Scheider, star of Jaws, All That Jazz and The French Connection has passed away. I didn't know until recently that he had never danced prior to filming All That Jazz.....yet somehow he totally channeled Bob Fosse in that movie. Rest in peace Mr. Scheider, our thoughts are with your friends and family.

And Ruby's birthday continues!

2008-02-09T19:26:00.001-05:00

Grandpa John took us all out to lunch after soccer and then we went home to open his presents for Ruby's birthday. I think she was very excited about all of them. She got some sparkly "birthday princess" stuff, the Webkinz German Shepherd that she's been wanting for ages and the Hannah Montana fleece blanket that no one could find at Christmas-time. Of course she had to get on the computer as soon as Grandpa left so she could register her new pet. She decided to name it "Pepper" after the German Shepherd that I had when I was little. I'm sure that, come bedtime tonight, she will be cuddled up under her new soft blanket with Pepper.

Soccer - week 5

2008-02-09T19:19:00.001-05:00

Ruby took on heck of a header today during her game. There was a loud "thump" and she was knocked flat on her bottom. It *had* to have hurt. I had to run around to the other side of the field to check on her and calm her down. Carson, one of the little girls she knows from the opposing team, was very sweet and brought her a drink when she was crying. She pulled it together and got back in for the final 2 minutes of the game. By the time it was over, she decided she didn't even need the ice pack they brought her. Her team won for the second week in a row.

Keithen's team recovered their winning streak this week, beating the other team 6-1. He played against two classmates, Jake and Austin, and another boy he knows, Josh. He always plays more aggressive when his classmates are on the other team. I think he's not shy about really challenging them since he's known them for a couple of years. He was right up on Austin (who is about twice his size) for most of the game. He played really well. Grandpa John, Grandpa Dollar and Grandma Dollar all made it to watch his game. (My soccer pix are always so blurry. I need a better lens!)

Ruby's birthday, part 2

2008-02-09T19:13:00.000-05:00

Ruby got some Disney princess books that came with a CD that reads the stories. She also got a new Colts cheerleader dress, a Hannah Montana outfit and a set of High School Musical dolls.

She asked for a special Hannah Montana cake from Walmart. It had a guitar filled with lip gloss on top and a picture of Hannah.

I'm still wondering where the past 5 years went?!

How can she be 5 years old?!

2008-02-08T08:59:00.001-05:00

5 years ago today.....

Birthday morning.....

5 year old "Hannah-fanna" Ruby.....

Sweet sisters.....

(With Kaylee sporting her Sharpay look and Ruby in her new Hannah outfit.)

Thank heavens for Dr. Judy Yordon

2008-02-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

My fellow BSU Theatre Department alums will know what I'm talking about when I praise our old prof Dr. Judy Yordon for helping me explain Keithen's homework tonight.

He brought home a poem that he was supposed to read and translate into "ba-bum-ba-ba-bum" sing-song language. In other words, the teacher was asking him to read the poem and then do basic scansion but write it out in silly language instead of marking up the text of the poem. I took him through the poem and we marked the stressed syllables and pauses a'la oral interpretation class and then translated that into "ba-ba-bum" language. We did an extra poem out of a book at home for good measure, just to make sure he understood the concept.

Unfortunately, now both of use are talking in rhymed verse. (You really should be glad I'm not writing this post in iambic pentameter.)

Soccer - week 4

2008-02-04T11:23:00.001-05:00

Keithen's team had a VERY hard-fought game on Saturday. It went right down to the buzzer and ended in a 5-5 tie. They are 3W-0L-1T now.

Ruby's team finally won a game! And considering she plays for the Giants, we decided that this was a good omen for Eli Manning. :-)

A big congrats goes out to Eli and team for their Super Bowl win on Sunday. It was really cool to see Peyton so excited for his little brother up there in the luxury suite. Now, if only Belichick could have shown a little class and some good sportsmanship by staying on the field until Eli took his final kneel-down. 18 and 1 baby, 18 and 1.....and that 1 was the one that really counted.

Anyone else hoping for a Manning Bowl next year?

Birthday part 2

2008-02-04T11:19:00.001-05:00

Keithen with his birthday loot.

I'm not sure if the wand was to help light the candles, blow out the candles or grant his wish! LOL!

Happy birthday Keithen!

2008-02-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Happy 9th birthday to my big boy!

He got a birthday package from Grandpa John last night with all the Spiderwick books in it, including a journal. It's in a really cool treasure chest box.

This morning he got another book from Mom and Dad before he left for school. He was seriously disappointed to NOT get a snow day on his birthday. The expected 4-6" of snow turned out to be about a half-inch.

Little Miss Tappy-Toes

2008-02-01T10:22:00.001-05:00

Ruby had her second ballet/tap combo class last night. They did a ballet warm up and then did "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Then they all came out to get their tap shoes on. They start out holding onto chairs during tap because the floor is so slippery. You wouldn't believe the number of little girls I saw land on their bottoms. Looks like a Cottonelle commercial waiting to happen!

Some of these pictures are a little blurry because I shot them through the window without a flash. I was trying not to be too distracting, LOL! In tap, they are working on a routine to "Animal Crackers in My Soup" by Shirley Temple. I looked up a bunch of Shirley Temple videos on YouTube this morning for Ruby to watch.

I'm trying to convince her to let me try rag-rolling her hair again when her recital comes around. Last time we did it, they didn't hold too well. BUT.....we used more rollers on Kaylee and not too many on Ruby. Maybe if we put them all in Ruby's hair we can get the desired effect.

Isn't she just too stinkin' cute?!

Obama's response to the State of the Union

2008-01-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

The full text of Barack Obama's response to President Bush's State of the Union Address, copied and pasted from
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/CGVX8

Tonight, for the seventh long year, the American people heard a State of the Union that didn’t reflect the America we see, and didn’t address the challenges we face. But what it did do was give us an urgent reminder of why it’s so important to turn the page on the failed politics and policies of the past, and change the status quo in Washington so we can finally start making progress for ordinary Americans.

Tonight’s State of the Union was full of the same empty rhetoric the American people have come to expect from this President. We heard President Bush say he’d do something to cut down on special interest earmarks, but we know these earmarks have skyrocketed under his administration.

We heard the President say he wants to make tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans permanent, when we know that at a time of war and economic hardship, the last thing we need is a permanent tax cut for Americans who don’t need them and weren’t even asking for them. What we need is a middle class tax cut, and that’s exactly what I will provide as President.

We heard the President say he has a stimulus plan to boost our economy, but we know his plan leaves out seniors and fails to expand unemployment insurance, and we know it was George Bush’s Washington that let the banks and financial institutions run amok, and take our economy down this dangerous road. What we need to do now is put more money in the pockets of workers and seniors, and expand unemployment insurance for more people and more time. And I have a plan that to do just that.

And finally, tonight we heard President Bush say that the surge in Iraq is working, when we know that’s just not true. Yes, our valiant soldiers have helped reduce the violence. Five soldiers gave their lives today in this cause, and we mourn their loss and pray for their families.

But let there be no doubt – the Iraqi government has failed to seize the moment to reach the compromises necessary for an enduring peace. That was what we were told the surge was all about. So the only way we’re finally going to pressure the Iraqis to reconcile and take responsibility for their future is to immediately begin the responsible withdrawal of our combat brigades so that we can bring all of our combat troops home.

But another reason we need to begin this withdrawal immediately is because this war has not made us safer. I opposed this war from the start in part because I was concerned that it would take our eye off al Qaeda and distract us from finishing the job in Afghanistan. Sadly, that’s what happened. It’s time to heed our military commanders by increasing our commitment to Afghanistan, and it’s time to protect the American people by taking the fight to al Qaeda.

Tonight was President Bush’s last State of the Union, and I do not believe history will judge his administration kindly. But I also believe the failures of the last seven years stem not just from any single policy, but from a broken politics in Washington. A politics that says it’s ok to demonize your political opponents when we should be coming together to solve problems. A politics that puts Wall Street ahead of Main Street, ignoring the reality that our fates are intertwined; a politics that accepts lobbyists as part of the system in Washington, instead of recognizing how much they’re a part of the problem. And a politics of fear and ideology instead of hope and common sense.

I believe a new kind of politics is possible, and I believe it is necessary. Because the American people can’t afford another four years without health care, decent wages, or an end to this war. The woman who’s going to college and working the night shift to pay her sister’s medical bills can’t afford to wait. The Maytag workers who are now competing with their teenagers for $7 an hour jobs at Wall Mart can’t afford to wait. And the woman who told me she hasn’t been able to breathe since her nephew left for Iraq can’t afford to wait.

Each year, as we watch the State of the Union, we see half the chamber rise to applaud the President and half the chamber stay in their seats. We see half the country tune in to watch, but know that much of the country has stopped even listening. Imagine if next year was different. Imagine if next year, the entire nation had a president they could believe in. A president who rallied all Americans around a common purpose. That’s the kind of President we need in this country. And with your help in the coming days and weeks, that’s the kind of President I will be.

Photo catch up

2008-01-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

Ruby really enjoyed the new Curious George exhibit at The Children's Museum. She also got to do a Curious George preschool class there that focused on math skills.

Her first tap class was also last week. I took her, but dropped her off there with Daddy so I could get Kaylee back to school for an event. I can't wait to get to peek through the window and watch this week!

I missed soccer this weekend because I was sick. Evidently Ruby's team suffered their third loss.....but she still had fun. Keithen's team is still undefeated!

The Manning spokes-family

2008-01-28T09:26:00.000-05:00

And in other local news.....

2008-01-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

About 25% of Indiana high-schoolers failed to earn a diploma within four years. PITIFUL! Are the kids failing or are we failing the kids?

Gift enables IMA film series

2008-01-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

So, over 3 years later, the IMA is finally going to do something with the old Civic Theatre space?

Transformation

2008-01-21T13:51:00.001-05:00

When Kaylee got dressed this morning, this is what her hair looked like.....

Then we went to Cookie Cutters.....

Snip snip.....

Kaylee donated about 12 inches of her hair to Locks of Love. I think her new short cut is just adorable. She looks very grown up with short hair! I'm so proud of her decision to grow it out and donate it to help make wigs for sick kids. This sweet girl really is all heart. I wonder what everyone at school will think tomorrow!

Winter soccer - game 2

2008-01-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

Ruby's team suffered another loss this week, although they played much better. I think they lost by one point.

Keithen's team dominated the opposition once again, winning 8-1. These kids rock! They really know how to work together as a team and they are a lot of fun to watch.

Dan Dunn's Paintjam

2008-01-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this guy?! I saw him on Ellen for the first time this week and he ROCKS! At first it looks as though he is just randomly throwing paint on the canvas to the beat of the music.....but watch until the end of each video because there is more to it than that. Ruby, Kaylee and I were all amazed. I have to share it with the boys next.

Report cards & winter soccer

2008-01-16T15:35:00.000-05:00

Keithen and Kaylee brought home their report cards last week. They both did really well.

Keithen got all "M's" except for the part about turning work in on time. (Go figure!) He will be going to the honor roll breakfast later this week.

Kaylee got all "M's" except for needing improvement with her printing. (Again, go figure!) I'm not too worried about the printing as I know Keithen's penmanship improved 100x over from the start to end of first grade.

Ruby and Keithen started indoor soccer last weekend. Ruby's team lost 7-2 (would have been 5-4 if we'd have scored in the right goal!) Keithen's team won. I think 4-0 was the final score. We were very impressed with them as they actually played like a team, working together, setting up plays, passing.....I've never seen them do that on the first game of the season before!

First tap shoes

2008-01-16T15:31:00.001-05:00

Ruby and I had a playdate at the mall playground today with some other IndyMoms. We had a lot of fun and it was so nice to finally meet some of the faces that I "see" online every day. I even got to hold two sweet babies and I have a new 2-ish year old boyfriend!

After our playdate we went to the shoe store to buy Ruby new ballet slippers. When I helped her get ready for her December recital I didn't think I was going to be able to squeeze her foot into her shoes! We also bought her first pair of tap shoes. Next week she'll be starting a ballet/tap combo class which she is excited about. I can't wait to see how she does in the tap class!

The Prince Caspian movie trailer

2008-01-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, here is the trailer to the next Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, which is due out May 16th.

It looks awesome.....like it will be just as well done as the first one. The creatures look realistic and the battle scenes look impressive. Not to mention that the actor playing Prince Caspian is pretty good looking! (I know, I know.....cradle robber!)

I loved these books as a kid and I've really enjoyed sharing the books and the movies with Keithen. Since this one comes out in May, maybe we'll get to go for Matt's birthday or save it for an end of school celebration a couple of weeks later in June.

A day late.....

2008-01-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

.....but definately not a Dollar short!

Yesterday was annual "Delurker Day" on the web. If there are any lurkers out there, now's the time to introduce yourself!

Truth or fiction?

2008-01-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

Before I get another copy of the forwared "Who is he?" email about Barack Obama calling him a "radical Muslim who will not recite the Pledge of Allegience and who turns his back on the flag," let me share this link with you. Do not believe everything you read.....especially in forwarded emails! And don't forward this kind of email without verifying if it's true first. Snopes.come is a great place to look if you're unsure if something you receive is legit.

Dance War

2008-01-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

So, did anyone watch Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann last night? Ruby and I gave it a shot. I think she fell asleep before the final 14 were announced.

I wish they had pictures of the final 14 up on the website so I could put names and faces together. These audition shows always run by too fast for me to begin to get to know anyone. I got the impression that a lot of them had not prepared their songs ahead of time as there were a few too many renditions of "My Girl" last night.

Last night certainly proved how difficult it is to find a true triple threat. The truely phenomenal dancers had weak voices and the powerhouse singers looked like club dancers. (Can someone please explain why the show is called "Dance War" if the singing is going to be an important part of things?)

Buddy TV lists the final 14 - Charity, Zack, Philip, Mariel, Allysa, Maxx, Corina, Lacey, Kelsey, Tony, Marquis, Chris, Bradley and Elizabeth.

Lost tooth

2008-01-07T07:14:00.001-05:00

However did I forget to share that Kaylee lost a tooth at Nanny & Pappy's house on New Year's Eve? The Tooth Fairy managed to find her, even though she wasn't at home in her own bed.

New Year's weekend

2008-01-03T17:38:00.001-05:00

On Saturday Grandpa John stopped by for a while on his way home from Texas. The kids were absolutely bouncing off the walls with excitement. I think they were very glad to see him.

Nanny and Pappy arrived on Sunday with the long awaited dollhouse that Pappy built. Kaylee has spent a ton of time playing with it ever since.

Matt had a great paying gig for New Year's Eve, so the kids and I took off for Salem on Monday and Tuesday. We spent some time with Mamaw Betty on Monday afternoon and then spent NYE with Nanny and Pappy. On Tuesday we went to Grandma Lee's class luncheon and then headed back home.

Wednesday was all about being lazy and recovering from the busy weekend. Thursday we went to see Dance Kaleidoscope's "Funny Feet" at IRT. I absoluetly loved David's world premiere Bach piece. Laura's lighting and the costumes worked so well together and the movement was very fun. DK has a very talented company right now who really draw you into the performance.

Build a Bear

2008-01-03T17:32:00.000-05:00

My mom always wanted to take the kids to Build a Bear to make animals. She was going to take them last year at Christmas, but didn't feel up to it. Grandpa John gave them gift cards this year at Christmas. It was kind of like a last gift from Grandma. Here are the animals that they made.....

Ruby with Garbriella, a blue "Winter Bear" with a High School Musical shirt, a denimn skirt and a microphone.

Kaylee with Rose. Some of Rose's purchase price goes to buy books for disadvantaged kids. She chose a pink fuzzy jacket and skirt with a flower on it.

Keithen with Fudge, the wizard dog. He got a "magical" sound in the paw. Fudge was named because it's holiday time and Keithen likes mom's fudge, the dog is brown like chocolate and of course good old Cornelius Fudge from Harry Potter.

Thanks Grandpa (and Grandma)!

Cheaters never win?

2008-01-03T15:28:00.001-05:00

Way to teach our kids that cheaters never win.

Christmas with the cousins

2007-12-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

Christmas Morning

2007-12-26T15:27:00.000-05:00

It was an *early* Christmas morning this year. Kaylee woke up at 6:00 a.m. and saw that Santa had come. I invited her to cuddle with me in bed because "you don't even get up this early for school." She climbed in with me and was about to drift back off to sleep when at about 6:20 Keithen and Ruby woke up and began making lots of excited noise and turning on every light in the house. So.....Christmas morning arrived! LOL!

Stockings.....
Ruby was excited that she got 2 pairs of earings in her stocking. She had not changed her earings since she got them pierced in August. I tried several times on Christmas Day to help her change them, but she was too chicken to let me take the old ones out.

Kaylee has actually spent a good deal of time writing stories in this journal already.

New Webkinz!

Ruby opens her Hannah Montana dolls. (Hannah, Lily and Oliver all in one box.) She was very excited to find those under the tree!

The girls prepare to open their HUGE box. It has Barbie furniture in it for when Pappy brings up their new dollhouse.

Keithen with his new "pet" - the Roboraptor.

Ruby spent a good deal of Christmas morning playing with her gymnast Barbies from Grandpa John.

Matt swears this will be remembered as the Christmas that we finished opening gifts before the sun was fully up.

Christmas Eve

2007-12-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

Opening presents on Christmas Eve.

The girls waiting to see the big surprise from Mamaw Betty.

New PJ's for Christmas Eve.

Keithen's play

2007-12-26T15:20:00.000-05:00

Keithen's holiday play was last week. He was one of the dancers in a couple of the numbers and sang with the group for the rest of the show. You could really tell that they had all worked very hard on their production and that they were having lots of fun. They really did a great job.

My holiday helper

2007-12-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

Ruby helped me to make our white trash this weekend. I'm sure she'll be heavily involved in all the other candy making I have scheduled for this week!

The Children's Museum

2007-12-10T09:31:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday was a half-day of school, which meant it was time for our annual trip to The Children's Museum to go down the Yule Slide and visit with Santa. We almost didn't get to go because Keithen forgot that he was a car rider and got on the bus! We drove to his school to get him and then had to go back home to meet the bus.

Playing catch up

2007-12-10T09:22:00.001-05:00

I'm way behind on posting Advent pictures!

On the 5th day of Advent.....Grandma gave to us.....holiday placemats.

On the 6th day of Advent.....little stuffed animals.

On the 7th day of Advent.....crayons and colored chalk.

On the 8th day of Advent.....Keithen got a stuffed soccer ball and the girls got plush crayons.

On the 9th day of Advent.....Keithen got a Koosh ball and the girls got holiday magnets.

Holiday funnies

2007-12-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

Click the images to see them bigger.

I thought Jason over at Four Square might appreciate this first one.

Check out my little elves.....

2007-12-06T10:07:00.000-05:00

Hey, I just made a total elf of myself. (Well, actually the kids.)

Check it out by clicking the link below.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1193527874

This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax.

Jericho fans.....series returns in February!

2007-12-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

Jericho (the CBS drama that was revived after a huge outpouring of support from loyal fans) will return with a shortened second season at 10 p.m. (Eastern/Pacific) on Feb. 12. With only seven episodes, “Jericho” will likely be the first (only?) major network show to complete its full 2007-08 season because all the others have been hijacked by the strike. All seven “Jericho” episodes are filmed, edited and ready for air, so it's anticipated to air without interruption!

Ruby's ballet recital

2007-12-05T17:23:00.000-05:00

Today was Ruby's first recital in her intermediate ballet class. She did a pretty good job considering that she missed 2 out of 6 classes when we were out of town in November. I'm anxious to see how she does after the first of the year with a little more instruction.

Miss Johanna said she could tell I'd been working with her on "walking like a dancer." They are supposed to walk toe-heal, pointing their toes and turned out. (Fourth position.) I swear that, during this part of the class, most of the girls look like a gaggle of 4-6 year olds trying to walk a straight line on the side of the road for the state trooper instead of the elegant image they should be projecting. They need a *little* more work on that skill. Who would have thought that walking would have been such a hard thing to learn?

After class we stopped by The Flying Cupcake on Anne's recommendation. It is a very cute little locally-owned bakery and the employees were very friendly. We had some yummy chocolate cupcakes with ice cream. (Notice the ballerina on top of Ruby's cupcake!) If you're in the area (5617 N. Illinois Street) we highly recommend stopping by for some dessert!

On the 3rd & 4th day of Advent.....

2007-12-05T17:13:00.000-05:00

Keithen had to play catch up on his Advent gifts today. He has actually not been allowed to open any of his yet as he was behind on homework. Tuesday night he finally caught up so Wednesday morning he got to open his first 4 presents.

It's here again.....Advent season!

2007-12-02T18:50:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have read my blog for a year or more probably know all about the highly anticipated "Advent boxes" that Grandma Dollar prepares for the kids each year. Well, yesterday was the start of Advent presents! Each day in December prior to Christmas, the kids get to open a numbered present from their Advent box. (This year she did bags instead.) So far they have gotten these really neat little Chinese dragons and a sketchbook with colored pencils.

Children's Museum - Holiday time!

2007-11-30T16:03:00.000-05:00

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.....

2007-11-28T17:34:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-28T17:33:00.000-05:00

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?