AM~Erica Holiday Madness

So anyway...

I realize it's been way too long since I've posted, but if I've had any "down time", I've been down on the couch...asleep. (Just ask my hubby.) So here's an update if anyone is still out there...

Traveled back to KC to see the fam for Thanksgiving. We saw a LOT of them, but it was nice anyway. Plus I got to put up 3 trees this year! YEA!!! I've been dying to do this for so long. I have been so inspired by Merillac's Enchanted Forest at Union Station (originally Longview Festival of Trees). My mom & I have gone every year except one. This year was no different. I will try to post pics of my trees next go around.

The Hanging of the Greens is happening this weekend at church. Since our Contemporary worship has decided to have a Hanging of the Green, too, and they wanted to have my dancers - with a whole new song - I have been trying to figure out how to not stress out my dancers with a new dance, but still use them...so...I am doing most of the dancing in Contemporary, and they will do the "traditional" dance in all 4 of the traditional services. Oh, this includes the Saturday night service. This means I can only use about 4 of my 10 dancers, and it's right after dress rehearsal, too. Oh, and this only takes place right after breakfast with Santa in the AM. OK - back to the dance...my dancers will only bring in a couple of things during the dance...especially since they come into practice late, have to leave early, and, oh yeah...they haven't even stuck around long enough to hear the song for Contemporary. This will be great fun!!

"Once Upon A Mattress" is getting there. It has to since dress rehearsals are Monday & Tuesday, final dress rehearsal/preview show on Wednesday afternoon, and shows on Thursday & Friday night. WHEW!!

I am counting the days until Saturday, December 8. Why?? I will be through with the madness!!

But the job is going well.

Stay tuned...please...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Insane AM~Erica

So Anyway...

Things have been crazy, but productive.

It looks like I have remained in the same room at work now, so a little more consistancy. I am working with 1 - 1 ½ year olds.

Oh, and Christian LOVES school! I am so happy about it! And we have made real progress with potty training today. We will keep encouraging!!

The choreography is coming along for the play...only 1 song behind & trying to figure out where to make it up. The play is only Dec. 5-7 & I've done 2 of 6 songs & only 3 practices a week. YIKES! We'll get there!

Tomorrow I begin the Hanging of the Green dance...only 3 rehearsals to do this song in. It shouldn't be a prob. We'll see how this one goes...

And a big B-Day shout out to Hubby!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY!!

I baked banana nut muffins this AM for him, a German Chocolate cake this afternoon, and a loaf of pumpkin bread. I'm done baking for a while!

OK...stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Countdown to Craziness...

So anyway...




My job is going well! And the Halloween party was fun! I have no idea who won the teacher costume contest, but it obviously wasn't me. Oh well, I know how to plan for next year...work the parents of the kids! Apparently, that's who vote. It was fun creeping some people out anyway.





Then, off to dress as Her Royal Highness, The Queen of Manchster for Sir Ethan's medeival birthday party, and sister, Liz, as the Royal Court Jester, "Candy". My mom made the most amazing castle cake, too!!


























Oh! Here are the invite pics I promised, too! We put info on both sides of half a sheet of paper, tea/coffee stained it, then rolled them into scrolls:






































Now, I must shift my focus (HA!) to all of the dancing..."Once Upon A Mattress" dance rehearsals begin on Monday; Hanging of the Green dance rehearsals begin 1-week from Sunday. I guess I should figure out the dances now, eh?




Oh, I must share the most amazing Halloween! Some of our friends from the church invited us to go to a family gathering & go trick-or-treating with them. We felt weird because we didn't want to intrude on "family time", but we didn't know what else to do in this new place, so we went...and it was like a magical scene out of a movie or TV show! The trees were just colored & a lot of leaves to step on & hear the crunch, the weather had just a chill in the air, neighbors were getting together for bonfires in yards, people handing out candy asked the kids to tell a joke first (apprarently it's a thing around here), and there were children in costumes EVERYWHERE!! It was amazing! Christian got the hang of it after about 2 houses. Oone of our friends' kids, Abby, came as a Candy Corn Witch (which her mother made), and the other, Audrey, wore a black dress, pearls, had a black updo wig, golves & carried a "Tiffany's" sack for her candy...yep, she was Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". They were awesome, too!



Here's a pic of our kids & "me" (really, it's Trish Barnett - a homemaker visiting from Stepford, CT).







There's also Sir Ethan of the Round Table, Liz as Princess Winnefred from "Once Upon A Mattress", and Christian as a monkey (we also lead him around with his monkey backpack/leash, so there was a little monkey on his back). Aren't they adorable?


Whew! Things are insane!


Stay tuned as things progress...


God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Whirlwind

So anyway...

I'm full swing in my job now. My schedule varies everyday, and I am floating room-to-room most of the time. Christian LOVES his school! He gets so excited when we pull into the parking lot!

Lizzie is having fun with her play, " Once Upon A Mattress". As it turns out, their choreographer was pregnant & due mid to late December, but she delivered 10 weeks early. YIKES!! So, that left the middle school play without a choreographer, right?? Well, guess who was asked to step up & take on the role! Yep! Yours truly! This will be so much fun! I've already done a high school version of "Pippin" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe". I met with the director, and will start my rehearsals in November, when the rehearsal times get longer. So exciting!

Oh! I was also asked to take over the traditional "candle dance" for our church's Hanging of the Greens service. No pressure there! So I will be doing that throughout November, too.

In the meantime, I am cleaning my house for my mom & dad to come visit for Ethan's 10th (boo-hoo, sniffle-sniffle) b-day on Sunday. She is designing the coolest cake for him. He is going to have a Medieval party with knights & princesses on Saturday afternoon. I will get pics of the invites and put them up. That's about as crafty as I get (mom & Heidi)!! Ethan & I tea/coffee stained the invites to look old. They turned out so awesome!

Before the party happens on Saturday, it turns out my workplace holds their Halloween party on the Saturday AM prior to the holiday. This is so that any families who do not want their kids to participate in the party are not really left out. This way, they don't have to come to the 2-hour event. However, this is their 1 big social gathering every year (the whole 2½ years they've been open). So, all employees are supposed to participate, but I've been given the option since I JUST came on. So I think I will since I will get paid for it. Then my mom (and maybe dad) can come up with Chris to see where I work. Plus, there is a costume contest for the teachers...YEA!! It's what I live for!

Whew! Got lots going on, and very little time to do it in. I will do my best to keep up my posts during the craziness.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica