I can not remember another month with this many performances!  It began with our children's choir at church having their Easter musical on April 5th.  Then Jeff's high school presented "Godspell" on April 16-18.  Jeff was the music director and also played piano with and directed the band that accompanied it.  They worked so hard on this, starting in January, and culminating with practices every evening for the two weeks prior to the show.  They did a great job!  (Oh, and I'll also throw in that Jeff played for a middle school show choir performance during the day on Friday of that weekend!)

 

Then our REALLY crazy week started.  I accompanied a children's theatre production of "The Little Mermaid."  It was directed by the Missoula Children's Theatre group and was really a neat experience!  They travel all over the country, putting on their show in a new city each week.  They audition kids (this was 1st-8th graders) on Monday after school, announce the cast at 5:30, and begin rehearsals at 6!  Then they have rehearsals from 3:30-8:00 Tuesday-Friday and give two performances on Saturday!  The whole thing in one week!  It was an easy show to play for and I really enjoyed learning some new ideas and techniques that I can use with my children's choir at church.  I have to say, though, it was really nice to be the quiet, observing accompanist this time and not have all the responsibilities of the director!

 

Meanwhile, Jeff spent every evening rehearsing til 10:00 for the opera he was accomapnying at the local university (except for Tuesday when he was running sound for an elementary school performance!).  They performed "Hansel and Gretel" April 24-27.  I took the girls to the performance on Monday night!  I was nervous going in...what kind of idiot takes a 2-year-old and 4-year-old to an opera?  But they really impressed me!  Ella stayed involved and watched the whole thing!  Lucy got bored with the show itself after the first act, but she stayed quiet and didn't disturb anyone the whole time.  I was so proud of them. 

 

Add one more performance...our adult choir, praise team, and praise band presented "A Night of Praise" at our church this past Sunday evening.  Jeff missed most of the dress rehearsal Saturday and go there just in time for the performance on Sunday due to his opera performances, but we were both there to sing by the time it started!  Whew!  Can we have a break now please?

 

By now you may be thinking...so where were your kids that week that both of you had rehearsals every evening?  The answer...Potty Boot Camp!  Let me explain...when we found out we were expecting Lucy, we tried our hardest to get Ella potty-trained before Lucy was born.  She just wasn't getting it.  So when my mom came to stay and help out after Lucy was born, she decided it was time for Ella to be trained...the hard way.  It was "all panties - all the time."  Even at night!  I was stuck in a chair for 3 weeks due to C-section complications and Mom knew I wouldn't be helping with this endeavor, but she was up for the challenge.  I thought, "If you want to clean up all the messes, go for it!"  By the time my mom left, Ella was trained.  Done.  Sure, we had a few accidents now and then for a while, but really she "got it" and it was done.  I said mom had put her through "Potty Boot Camp."

 

Soooo, when Lucy reached the potty-training age, we started in with her.  We didn't have the desire nor the time to spend frustrated with wet clothes, sheets, floors, etc. ALL THE TIME, so we basically stuck with pull-ups most of the time.  She was staying dry for the most part (waking hours only) as long as I remembered to take her.  She would never just come and tell us she needed to go.  So when we asked Mom and Dad to help out with watching the girls during our crazy week of rehearsals, they gladly obliged and Mom asked if they could do "Potty Boot Camp" for Lucy.  Again...I'm not around to help..."Sure!  Knock yourself out, Mom!"  So I sent all the panties we owned, as well as lots of changes of clothes, and off she went.

 

After 3 days of being made to pick up wet panties and put them in the bucket, sit in poo-poo for a while before being changed, help clean up the puddles in the floor, etc., Lucy "got it."  Lucy has been back for 6 days now.  She is wearing panties all the time, even at night.  She had two daytime accidents and three sleeping accidents during the first 3 days back, and has now been totally dry (day and night!) since Sunday!!  I think it was a success! 

 

And for all those mommies reading...sorry, she doesn't hire out.  I asked.    Thank you, Grandma!!!

Lots of pictures this week!  Beginning with our quick visit to see the Easter Bunny at the mall.  We didn't get professional pictures with him, but the girls thought it was fun to go up and talk to him.  They thought it was pretty strange that he didn't talk back, though!

 

Our church had its annual Easter Egg Extravaganza on Saturday with several hundred in attendance.  Then we made the 2-hour trip over to celebrate Brooke's 17th birthday and back Saturday night.  Yes, this is my little baby niece who was born when I was in high school.  She's getting too old!  (which says something about me, too!)

 

Sunday morning we reviewed the true Easter story with our girls using window cling pictures depicting Jesus' last supper, prayer in the garden, arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and appearance.  Then we opened Easter baskets and went to church to celebrate!  After church, we drove to my parents' house for Easter lunch with my extended family, an Easter egg hunt, dying Easter eggs, and a dinner of leftovers before coming back home.  It was a great weekend!  We cannot begin to say enough "thanks" to our Savior for what He did for us.

 

This is a long week for us without Jeff around as he in musical practice every night from the time school is out til after girls are in bed.  His high school is performing "Godspell" on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.  My parents are coming on Friday to spend the day with us and go to the show and then Jeff's parents are coming Saturday to do the same thing so we have a fun weekend ahead!

This past Sunday night was the Children's Easter Program at our church.  After an awful dress rehearsal on Saturday, I was SO PLEASED with how the performance turned out (thanks to the grace of God and a final rehearsal 45 minutes before show time).  Ella sang three songs with the Pre-School Choir, and was also one of four pre-schoolers chosen to sing with the Kindergarten-2nd Grade Choir in their performance of "I've Been Redeemed."  It was a LONG musical and she did GREAT!  I was very proud of her.

 

Jeff and I lead the 3rd-5th Grade Choir.  (Well, to be honest, I lead it and Jeff is my self-proclaimed "assistant.")  After singing one song as just our choir, we then combined with the K-2 Choir for a performance of the musical "Peter Cotton's Tale."  This was our church's first time in recent history (maybe ever!) to do a musical with drama and characters, not just narration.  Our choir did all the speaking lines, so it has been quite a big undertaking to block and prepare!  It was a lot of fun, though, and we were all left with a great feeling of accomplishment in the end.

 

Tuesday was Ella's kindergarten orientation.  We got to meet all the kindergarten teachers, got a ton of information and forms to fill out, and got a tour of the school and a school bus.  Ella was wide-eyed and very curious, yet quietly observant, which is how she tends to be with any new situation.  I still can't believe she is old enough for this, but it's here nonetheless!  It seems like a great school, which has led to it being overcrowded.  There are 24 or more students in each of 7 kindergartens! 

 

Jeff took a personal day Tuesday to go the orientation and afterwards, took Ella on a Daddy-Daughter Date.  This time they went to story time at the library (Jeff has never been before, so it was fun for Ella to show him around and introduce him to the teacher), had lunch at Chick-Fil-A (which has a play area), went to PetSmart (where Ella got to pet the kittens and other animals), and to Barnes and Noble.  They had a fun time together.  Now it's Lucy's turn! 

 

And the final group of pictures are Mommy being sentimental.  Today (Wednesday), Lucy is the exact same age that Ella was on the day Lucy was born.  So to celebrate, I dressed Lucy in the outfit Ella wore that day, had Ella wear her big sister shirt from that day, watched video of Ella at that age, and took some pictures posed to look like that day.  I know I'm a big sap, but it was fun. :)