Novemer 2009

What a month November was! I wrote 50,000 words of the first draft of my novel and became an official winner in this year's annual NaNoWriMo competition. I've already recapped it here on my "other" blog if you want to read about it. Clint and Erin were both so supportive of my efforts this year allowing me to completely neglect them both for most of the month so I could focus on my writing. I couldn't have done it without both of them - a fact I'll be sure to remember when I'm published... so I can write something completely fitting in my dedication. Emphasis on the 'when'!

Erin's dance team performed at the Jazz game half-time.  This was Erin's second Jazz game and this year was even better because her cousin, Brynlee, is on the team. Makes the pain of paying $20 a ticket for upper bowl seats to watch a little less painful when half of your family is also required to be there with you. Of course, I am not a fan of basketball so I read a book the entire time (except when they danced) and took a lot of flak from my siblings... but I can handle them! And I only had two days to read before book club!  It was a very long and very crazy day that I had to handle on my own since Clint couldn't get the time off from work. The life of a dance mom is a crazy one... luckily I have Amber to share the insanity with!

The day started with having to be at the arena just after lunchtime... which meant I had to burn a day of vacation so we could hang out waiting for them to allow us onto the floor to rehearse. This is Erin with Brynlee and Taegan chilling before it was time to do make-up.

They let parents go down to the floor of the arena when the girls rehearsed - something they did not allow us to do last year. It's no doubt the only time I'll ever sit in seats that close to the court. That place is massive even without people filling the seats!

Between rehearsal and the performance we had about an hour to grab some dinner and get the girl's hair and make-up done. Luckily, Amber (aka my fabulous sister in law), was with me to help carry all our crap when we walked to Gateway - or rather I waddled while they walked. It was fun to watch Brynlee get all made up in her first "official" performance make-up.  Looking back on last year's performance, I could see what a difference a year of competition had made in both my comfort level of applying make-up and Erin's ability to sit still.  I know Amber and I are both looking forward to the girls being old enough that they can do their own make-up!  Of course, on the flip side I know the "it's only for competition" line won't work for Erin much longer and then she'll want to borrow my eyeliner and wear mascara every day. *shudder at the thought!* I'm enjoying her youth while it lasts...

At game time, we left the girls in this crazy hot room full of like a hundred dancers between the ages of 5 and 18 from all over Utah to wait out the first half until their performance. I thought I was going to pass out from heat before we could escape that little cramped room and begin our hike to the nosebleed seats. Brynlee was a little nervous at that point but luckily she had her cousin, Erin, to ease her fears - that and coloring books and DS games.

It all culminated in an awesome show. It still amazes me what a natural Erin is with performing in front of crowds. She has never once been nervous - just goes out there and does her thing and has a blast doing it.

So... here's where the video of the performance is supposed to go.  But the file is too big to upload!  It is kind of long (but only 5 minutes!) and probably only grandparents and die-hard dance enthusiasts will appreciate it but still it is supposed to be here...  I'll now attempt to become an expert at video editing on the computer so I can at some point get it posted.  (Wish me luck!)

It wouldn't be a post recapping November without Thanksgiving. Typically this is not an enjoyable holiday for me ever since the year I got married and had to start contributing as a grown up (and burned the mashed potatoes that year!) My Mom's side of the family has a very cool - albeit kind of insane - tradition I grew up with where we celebrate Thanksgiving with a formal, four-course, sit down meal (on china even) whose menu hasn't wavered since my childhood. We're all getting older and the last four years the planning and hosting of Thanksgiving has transitioned from my Mom's generation to mine while continually expanding to not only encompass all my cousins but also their spouses and children. The family is as close as ever but getting ginormous. Denice, my ultimate party planner extraordinaire sister, and I armed with our spreadsheets and months of preparation planning (some might call it OCD) have taken over the logistics of Thanksgiving from Mom and Gram and I have hosted this meal - for 25-30 people depending on who joins us vs. the in-laws for dinner - at my house for the last three years because I have the only place with space enough to host the crowd - kind of. I know this because we had a split Easter celebration for the first time ever earlier this year because of space. (I could host but who wants to hunt eggs in the mud pit in the back yard that is our current long-term landscaping project?)

Yes, you heard me right - I'm knocking on 40's door and I have only once in my entire life celebrated Easter without all my cousins. Weird, but true. And that isn't even my Italian side of the family.

But, we're talking about Thanksgiving here...

Several factors this year had me dreading the whole prospect. Like I'm almost 8 months pregnant and I'm attempting to write an entire novel in one month just for starters. The thought of the effort involved - three days of cooking and cleaning my house and moving furniture and setting up the tables the day before so we can set them, etc - was not appealing. Then, Brett and Amber decided they were taking their kids to Disneyland and would not be in town for Thanksgiving dinner. Without the six of them, there wasn't going to be that big of a crowd for our immediate family. Which got mine and Denice's wheels turning... What if we didn't cook and clean and stress and clean up afterward and instead just went OUT for dinner this year? We floated the idea past the entire family but in the end the tradition was too strong for everyone to break at once and thus it was just our immediate family sans Brett's clan who decided to take the plunge.

Talk about heaven...

We got reservations at Tuscany and this is Denice and I actually enjoying dinner instead of worrying about the exact timing of when to put the potatoes into the serving dishes to insure they are still warm when Dad finishes cutting the turkey so we can all eat warm food.

Erin got to dress up in her fancy dress and sit between Grandma and Pa at THE GROWNUP table instead of being banished to the kid table in the corner of the kitchen. Although, she was the only kid at dinner and ended up being a little bored.

We all agreed this is the way Thanksgiving should be spent. With loved ones who you actually still love at the end of the day instead of being so stressed out that you want to kill each other. (Yeah, if you think I'm a bitch, you should meet my sister!) No wonder Denice and I both kind of hate Thanksgiving when we are being honest with ourselves... We ate early - us, my parents, my brother Shaun, Denice and Amber's family who also got ditched when they decided to go to Disneyland. We relaxed and laughed and ate traditional food that tasted amazing and were waited on by professionals. No cooking, no dishes, we didn't even have to clear the table! Like I said... Heaven! Afterward, we went back to Denice's, watched a movie together and ended up at Gram's house with the rest of the extended family for pie in the evening. We all agree it was such a great and relaxing day that we are going to do it again next year and let Brett and Amber enjoy it with us! Hell, it just might be the new tradition every year!

 Speaking of new traditions... it has become a tradition to participate in Black Friday - something I swore for years I would never, ever, ever do. Until last year when I tagged along with Amber - the bargain shopping queen - and discovered Midnight Madness shopping in Park City. Seriously, it is worth the drive and the crowds for ONE store and until my kids can no longer wear clothes from The Children's Place, I will be at the door when they open at 12:01 AM on Black Friday. How can I pass up a sale where I can get jeans for under $5? Erin and her cousins had their traditional sleep over at Grandma and Pa's house while we all climbed in Brett's mini-van and shopped. Clint even when with me this year and helped pick out clothes for Erin. Brett & Amber had driven home from California that morning so what was another couple of hours of driving, right? I had to work on Friday so Clint and I only did the three or four Park City stores and then parted to head home and get some sleep. Brett, Amber, Denice and cousin Amy then shopped all the early bird ad's in the valley until something like 9:00am. I still think THAT part is crazy but if you have the stamina - and Amber to pour over all the ads to find the great deals - I guess it is worth it!

Erin was off track the first part of November and one day Clint took her to the Aquarium for another installment of "Disneyland Daddy" while I was at work. She has such a love for animals and I know it is because they do these kinds of things together. As always, I am jealous of all the time he has at home with his job but also so glad for the time they get together. I've said it before and I'll say it again... 12-hour shifts do have their benefits when you only work 3-days every week!

Erin talked for days about all the creatures they got to see. Although, she was too scared to put her hand in the tank with the rays. I blame Animal Planet and the fact that Clint let her watch the special they did about "the Alligator Hunter" when he died - by being stung by a ray... Oh well, it's nature, right?  She didn't want to leave and Clint practically had to drag her out of the place.  Can't ask for better than that in the dead of winter!