Show Choir and my SWEETHART!

Here she is, my SweetHart, Olivia.

So, I assume you have seen at least one episode of Glee. I will admit, I have not. However, I realize that I am not the norm and most people are fascinated with the hit show on FOX.  Well, from what I hear if you are not familiar with Show Choir ( I was not, I can't even imagine Show Choir at Leland High School) just watch an episode of Glee and you will understand. It is singing, dancing, acting. Our High School has an incredible SHOW CHOIR.  In fact many kids come to our school that do not live in the boundaries to be a part of our Show Choir. When Olivia was in 8th grade she decided that Show Choir was going to be "her thing" in high school. I will be honest, I was surprised. I always thought she would be my high school soccer player, be on swim team, maybe debate (yes, Stan, if you read this I really did just say that. She does have an insane vocabulary), but show choir? I really shouldn't have been that surprised she does LOVE  to sing, loves to play the guitar, and loves to be on stage!

I will be honest, I am still not IN LOVE with it. It is demanding with lots of hours of practice outside of school and NOT CHEAP! In fact, I am told it costs $250,000 a school year to budget the program, NOT one cent is given to the program. We do a lot of fundraising to say the least. They need to buy music, costumes, buses to go to and from competitions, pay for the band, choreographers, costume people, etc. 

Los Alamitos or BUST!

This last week I chaperoned one of their competitions, my heart is being softened, I think I may be becoming a Show Choir Mom!  She has great friends in her group, and all I need  is to see the pure joy on her face when she is on stage performing and I know she is right where she should be.



I got to ride the bus with this gorgeous group of girls!

It worked out great being able to chaperon. I had my sisters help me get my kids where they needed to be and my hubs able to be at home to take care of everyone, and I know they didn't complain when they got Panda Express for dinner. 

 So very grateful that I got to watch this in real time.......

For the competition they perform a "set". It is about 10-15 minutes long and each set has to include an  A Capella song. Olivia is standing first row all the way to the left. They were beautiful.  

Love this picture, she is front and center for most of this song!

I had to include this picture because she loved how her skirt looked.



Someone please get this girl a longer skirt. It would make her Mama happy!



Look at her face in all of these pictures. She is always "ON". I guess that is why she was awarded

MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMER

 for her group at the competition! So proud of her! I know that I am her Mom, but you know when you are watching a group on stage and your eyes just get drawn to somebody, yup, she is THAT somebody. I guess the judges thought so too!

Well, there is one more competition this season. Auditions for next year are in a couple of weeks. Spring Concert is in May. Olivia loves show choir, and yes, I am starting to love it too. There is nothing like watching your child LOVE something and excel at it and wanting to do their best. I have seen a change in her self confidence since the beginning of the year. I am grateful for the program that my daughter has fallen in love with and it is a good thing too because it looks like we'll be doing it for the next three years!!

If you REALLY LOVE Olivia................

Some videos of her performance, "Sweet Charity's Dilemma" for your viewing pleasure!

She did INCREDIBLE!

Okay, view them in order left to right.........I didn't do the whole melodrama, just her big parts!
1.

Soccer is here!

By noon today we had been to three soccer games in crazy 100 degree weather! And, I loved every minute of it. All of my girls are playing this year. It is Isabella's first year and she is loving it. I think she was way more nervous for her game than she was her first day of kindergarten! She did such a great job. She is playing in the U6 division, so there are only 3 kids on the field at a time and no goalie. She made herself the designated goalie. She was so funny whenever the other team got close she would get in front of their goal so they couldn't score. I guess I may have a competitive one on my hands. She was even lucky enough to play against a team with three of her friends from church, Brianne, Sadie, and Ella. Her team is THE PINK SPARKLES, and she has her cousins Gabrielle and Lacey on the team. Her coach is her Aunt Kim and Uncle Kris. I think we are in for a good year with her.

The Team

Nice throw in Isabella! Daddy coaching her from the sidelines!

THE PINK ROCKERS is Sophie's U10 team. She, #2, ran more than any other girl on her team today. I was so proud of her! She played defense, offense, and goalie(I hated that)!


Olivia's was our last game of the day and by then it was so hot and I was sick of dragging kids from field to car to field back to car to another field that I didn't even take one picture at hers. She is on TEAM TROUBLE MAKERS! What can I say, she played great, she loves soccer and is talented at it! I can't wait to see what this season brings for my three girls.


What a blessing it is to have healthy, active children!

School Days School Days............

So Thursday night was open house. Olivia and Sophie had both been working on projects that were going to be displayed. They both did amazing jobs. Although I do wonder why they are given projects that are more for the parents then the kids. Although at the same time they both were 100% their own ideas. We even tried desperately to sway them in a different direction but they knew exactly what they were going to do.

Olivia's teacher this year is Mrs. Mokler. We couldn't be happier with her! With a little good luck Sophie will get her in two years. We have been amazed at the difference between 3rd and 4th grade. It is a huge jump in responsibility and homework. Olivia flies through school with no behavior and academic worries. They start moving from room to room in 4th grade and she is in all of the highest classes and is doing phenomenal! This is Olivia's minor museum. In 4th grade they learn all about the California Gold Rush. They needed to make up a story about a minor, Strike it Rich Livvie, and make a museum with some of the things they used and had during the gold rush. Olivia didn't want a just a shoe box so she and Stan headed to Home Depot and she made hers. We are so proud of Olivia! I'll have to post Strike it Rich Livvie's story another day, Olivia is the most imaginative thing you have ever met! She had so many fun things to show us, the kids in gate even got to write a story and have it published. Olivia's book was amazing! Although, she did dedicate it to her cousin Calli. Where is the love?

Sophie need to make a WINGDINGDILLY for her big project. If you haven't read the book it is a cute one. It is about a dog that doesn't think he is good enough and become a bunch of animals together. Sophie wanted to cut up a bunch of Ian's animals and put them all together. That is what we did, but we did buy new animals just for the project. Sophie did all of the background clay all by herself. She is our budding little artist. Mrs Summers won teacher of the year this year for Southern California, need I say more? We seriously won the lottery this year as far as teachers go. I have had a great time working with her being her room mom! We also got to bring home Sophie's book all about the body and her government book. She is such a perfectionist. So much so I am worried about it. Her teacher says she doesn't take it well if there is a red mark on her paper. Good thing she hardly ever has any! We are so proud of Sophie Annie!

Isabella got very into seeing everything! I had a hard time getting her out the door. We even went to the kindergarten classroom to check it out and met some of the teachers. I swear Liv and Sophie were not this little when they started school. I am worried about my bug. She hasn't had really any interest in learning yet. Socializing though will be a snap!