Curtains for Charlie Brown

Well, Charlie Brown closed last Sunday and we have been trying to return to normalcy all week since. What a fun run we had! Here are a few photos of the kids on closing night.

   

The strike party after the show was in a big, cold, loud warehouse space, but the environment didn't dampen the fun for the kids. Even Donny had a good time with his improvized pants/hat.
 

I love my little Round Headed Kid!
  

Also, last week was a baby shower/girls night out for my sister Beth who is expecting her second baby, Katie Twist, next month. We went to beaches and had a nice, low-key evening over Beaches' House Salad, chicken pizza and dessert (I ordered the bananas foster which was good, but not at all like any other bananas foster I've heard of).
  

Donny is trying to sit up on his own these days. Unfortunately, though he seems to have the muscles to do it, he still has to learn the balance side of sitting. We prop him up and he sits happily for a few seconds then falls one way or the other - all the time with a big grin on his face, as if nothing happened. He can sit for quite a while on the couch without falling. Eventually, though, he ends up on his face or side. 

    

We hope you are having a blessed holiday. Ours is promising to be busy, but a good time of connecting with family and friends.

On a different note, my Grandma (Whittaker) Borovec passed away in her sleep yesterday. We got to see her this summer and twice this fall. She was getting weaker and her mind was getting more fuzzy, but she seemed in good health. What a blessing that she was able to remain independent and healthy for her whole life. We will miss our little grandma. She was a gentle and hospitable woman with lots of love to give... and the first adult we could out-grow! She was never quite five foot tall, so her grandkids loved to measure next to her since she made us feel so tall. I'm going to miss having her around... and I'm sad that my kids won't remember her. Days like this make me think a lot more about my own mortality. It reminds me to cherish each moment and relationship.

 

Charlie Brown

Last night was opening night for our very first CYT show in East Portland! The kids were excited and our audience was blown away. The artistic team was as proud of our cast as we could be. There were 337 tickets sold - almost a hundred of them at the door!

We have a state of the art theater, but a not so great green room space to get ready in. It is the scene shop which is right off of the stage. It's cold and not so aesthetically pleasing... but it works! Next weekend we will have a better room when the college theater kids aren't using the dressing rooms. (They have a show in the black box theater this weekend so they got to use the dressing rooms for this weekend.)

 

The first circle up before a show happened in the cafeteria. We got to do the power squeeze, sing I Love You Lord, give some notes, and celebrate the moment we have all been working so hard for. Tyler, my assistant director, told the kids all to really cherish these moments. Everyone always talks about the first show in a new area. The bonds these kids are building now are going to last a lifetime. It feels so historic!

  

Here is a shot of our first audience! 

 

And our very first curtain call! They did so good! And they were flying high all the way to the cast party at La Carretta, a local Mexican restaurant. And they deserved to feel proud. The show was very good, the audience loved them!

  

Donny's Five Months!

We are having so much fun with Donny these days! He is getting stronger and smarter all the time. This week he has started to respond as if he understands a couple of words. He understands "kiss." I have a routine with him when I pick him up out of his crib. I whisper "kiss kiss kiss" to him, then I kiss his cheeks and mouth. He will sometimes offer his open mouth for kissing, and when he is in someone else's arms and I say "Give Mama a kiss!" He wiggles with excitement and turns to me with a big smile and waits.

He also knows the word hungry. If he is hungry, but still acting happy and I ask him "Are you hungry?" He starts up with his "feed me now!" whimpering. SO CUTE! Of course, if he isn't hungry, he doesn't respond to the word at all - so I'm not positive he really knows the word.... maybe it's just the context and tone of voice?

We have started some cereal with him in the last few weeks. He takes it really well, but then doesn't know how to swallow it. At Thanksgiving we let him suck on a pickle and an olive, and he had no reaction at all! Either he has no taste buds, or he just likes pickles and olives. He's not too steady being strapped into the high chair yet, but he liked it when we put him in it.

  

Thanksgiving was fun. Lots of good food, and a baby to show off and be thankful for. Not to mention spending time with my family!

       

Can you see the triptaphan at work?
  

Now Christmas is on the way, and Donny loves to look at the Christmas tree... but he likes jumping in his jumperoo more! Here are his monthly Girafferoo pictures. Sorry about the toes in two of them. I didn't realize they were there - and the pictures of him were too cute to not share anyway.