Lily's First Halloween!

Well, I have done it again... I have waited too long to post and now I am completely uninspired to write anything. However, I will do my best and try not to bore any of you. I will make up for it with lots of pictures.

Halloween...


We love our neighborhood as all of you know, but when it comes to Halloween, it is a big fat dud! So, this year, we decided to go to our good friends in Pleasant Grove--the Knapton Family. They are wonderful people who have adopted us into their family. They also live in a VERY well off neighborhood and as far as the candy is concerned...we knew that area would not disappoint!

Lily was a "Lady Bug Fairy." I didn't plan it on purpose but, a nick name we have for her is "Lily Bug." So it's kinda cute that last year she was a flower and this year she is a bug. She loved her costume, more particularly her shoes; they clicked every time her feet hit the floor. The Knapton's have beautiful hard wood floors and Lily spent most of her time walking back and forth hearing herself make noise.

I don't know where she got it, but the picture above is her new "pose" that she insists on doing every time I want to take her picture.
This is my favorite picture of Lily:)

Vincent was Bumblebee from Transformers.

Lily was completely oblivious to what was going on but Vincent on the other hand was rearing to go! So...we were off to our first house.

This was the very first house we went to and Lily followed Vincent up the stairs and was very excited although she didn't know why. Vincent knocked on the door and then they waited for about a min. Right as we were about to leave this is what happened...


Lily was a little traumatized. However, this was nothing compared to the next house.

This house had a fog machine and lots of animated figures. Lily was freaked out and so was Vincent. We thought the fog would be the worst thing but when we got to the door, there was this man in a really scary mask who was convulsing and wouldn't talk. He was practically hovering over the candy bowl. He was in character the whole time which kinda made me mad because we were the only ones there, and he wouldn't break character for a 1-year old. Lily refused to get the candy out of the barrel and Vincent grabbed as fast as he could. After we left, the man decided to chase Vincent to the side walk. Vincent was freaked and Lily wanted on Dad's shoulders ASAP.

When we got to the next house, Lily leg-locked Josh around the neck and wouldn't let him put her down for about two houses. After that, she was thrilled and really enjoyed the mechanics of putting the candy in her bucket. She wouldn't let go of the bucket the whole night even though it was getting heavy. Josh would try to help her carry it and every time he went to take it, she would scream and pull the bucket behind her which would then throw her off balance because it was just too heavy:)

This was my favorite house of the evening... I wish we could see it better but it just wasn't dark enough yet.


We had a fun filled evening. The thing that amazed me was that we didn't even get around the entire circle of the gated community before Vincent said to me, "I'm done Mom." I was shocked and replied, "Don't you want anymore candy?" with which Vincent responded, "I'm good." Man, back in the day, I would trick-or-treat till my bag was totally full. Halloween just doesn't seem to be like it used to.

I had to post this picture of my neighbors, Rodd and Ashley. They are too fun! This is what they wore to their Ward Halloween party. My favorite touch was the sticker on her blouse that said "I Voted," the fiber bars and the Worther's Original candies in her basket. And Rodd, well, he just fit the part. We love you guys!

More fun Fall and Halloween activities...

This is Vincent's classroom. I volunteered to help in their Halloween Party. Each Mom was supposed to bring an activity for the party. My idea was musical chairs. The teacher LOVED it! I guess no one had ever done it before and it was a hit with the kids. I used Halloween music like: Monster Mash, Ghost Busters, Purple People Eater and Addam's Family. It also made for good background music while the other kids were at their stations.
We had a whole lot of fun!

Earlier that month, we went to the pumpkin patch we go to every year. It is at a local farm and they have a lot of activities for the kids including a very easy corn maze.





Lily loves animals. She was most happy here with the goats. She will pick up anything off the ground and try to feed the animals. I love this picture because she is waving to the goat.

Lily had no fear playing in the bounce house with 20 other kids. She was getting knocked by everyone. Especially her brother:)
Lily's second love is climbing and she WILL climb what ever is physically possible. She wanted to do this playground equipment herself.
She loved the slide. She has figured out how to use her feet on the side of the slide to slow her down. Smart!

Vincent loves the monkey bars and is very good at them.

Fall is a wonderful time and we take advantage as much as we can of all the fun activities. Just one more thing we love about Utah! Now, we look forward to the snow!

Vincen't's Publicity Shoot

So... I never thought I would say this but... Vincent had his first publicity photo shoot yesterday. It went very well. Vincent got to take pictures by himself and also with Bob Cratchet. They looked amazing. In fact, all the costumes in this show are AMAZING! Everyone who had their photo's taken looked great. I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone but as soon as I get the professional pictures, I will post those as well.


Vincent looked even more adorable in person! I almost started crying he looked so cute. He thought he looked pretty cool too. However, he didn't much like wearing the leg brace. I told him to think of how Tiny Tim feels because he has to wear it everyday!
We got to the shoot at 5 pm and then had to stay for rehearsal from 7 to 10 pm. Ahhh, the life of a professional actor:) He was pretty pooped. At the end of rehearsal, the company passed out our personal Hale Theater water bottles that we can fill as much as we want with free drinks from the concession stand. Vincent thought that was pretty exciting. This company is wonderful to work for. They really give you the royal treatment AND it is a professional and clean environment to work in. We really love it!

Vincent's First Play!

Vincent just landed the part of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol at the Hale Theater. We get to be in a play together. How great is that?!?!?!

I was in rehearsal one Saturday and the director announced that they were looking for another boy to play Tiny Tim. I told him that I had a five-year old son and he asked that I bring him the following Monday for an audition.

I ran home as fast as I could and asked Vincent if he wanted to be in a play with mommy. He said "Yes!" I made sure not to push the issue because I only wanted him to do it if HE really wanted to. I know he didn't really understand the gravity of what it was he would be doing but I thought it would be a wonderful learning experience for him in so many ways. So, I encouraged him but didn't force him.

We went to the audition and there were only 2 other boys there. We didn't get to see them audition but they looked adorable so we just had no idea what we were up against.

The director asked Vincent to repeat a couple of lines back to him. They were:

"God bless us everyone" and "Oh father, look at the house, it's Christmas." Vincent did a good job saying the lines but was far from animated with his face and body. He was actually quite fidgety with his hands but did as well to be expected from a five-year old auditioning for the first time. I didn't even really prepare him for the audition. He went in there very "raw."

After the reading, the director then asked him to sing a song that he would teach him. So, the director sang this (called I Saw Three Ships):

And all the bells on Earth did ring
On Christmas day, on Christmas day.
And all the bells on Earth did ring
On Christmas day in the morning.
After the director sang through it once, he said "Alright Vincent. Why don't you give it a try?"

Well how overwhelming is that to a kid? Vincent pulled down on the bottom of his sweater, got a silly face and said "I can't remember all of that!" The director laughed and told him that his mom would help him out. So, I sang the song with him a few times and he picked up on it real quick. He was adorable!

And that was it... we were done. I had no idea what the outcome would be especially because we didn't know what we were comparing him to. I just know that I was really proud of him and thought it took a lot of guts to go and do what he just did.

The next day, Vincent was asking and asking me if he got the part and I had to keep telling him that I just didn't know. 11:30 rolled around and I had pretty much lost hope. Whom ever got the part would have to be at rehearsal that night so I thought for sure they would have made a call by then if he got the part. Then Vincent asked me if I would just call. Well, calling to see if you got a roll is a BIG HUGE NO NO. However, I was in the show and thought I would just text the stage manager because he was there and I knew he would know. So, I text him this:

Hi Robert. I was wondering if they already cast the role of Tiny Tim? My son is driving me nuts and I want to put him at rest either way. I hope I am not bugging you! Thanks, Sabrina.

To my surprise, he text back right away and said that I wasn't bugging him, that he was going to call on his lunch break and that Jere really wanted him as the part of Tiny Tim.

I was beside myself! I was going to be in a show with my little boy. I almost started crying but held it back and told Vincent that he got the part. We were so excited and I just couldn't have been happier. Josh was excited too! He thought it was great and he felt as proud as I did.

He started rehearsal and is doing a fantastic job. Everyone thinks he is so cute and just perfect for the role. The cast has really made him feel welcome.

Vincent had all his songs and lines memorized within two days and really loves the song, Oh Come All Ye Faithful. He is having a lot of fun and I can't wait to see how he does on stage.

We went in for a costume fitting the other day. He got out of his too fast so I couldn't get a picture. However, I was able to get a shot of mine. This is just a fitting so it will look even better than this. I will have period style boots, corset, gloves, wig, head pieces etc. So here they are...



This is only the beginning of a great time. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the Christmas season than to be in this awesome show...with my adorable little boy:)

I Made It!!!!!!

On Oct. 5th I went to the Hale Theatre in Orem to audition for Charles Dickens', A Christmas Carol.

It all came about because I started taking voice from a teacher who works for the Hale Theatre. At the end of my first lesson, she asked me if I would be interested in auditioning for A Christmas Carol. I said "Heck ya!" She was very encouraging and felt I would be perfect for several different parts in the show. By the way, she is not a director.

I was very excited and started to prepare.

I can not express how wonderful it feels to be back and doing something that I really, really, love. It is sooooooo easy to lose yourself trying to take care of a household. I found myself really starting to get depressed and just knew I had to make a change!

So... I started Weight Watchers (lost 15.8 so far), got back into voice lessons and decided to audition for this show.

My wonderful mother came up just for the occasion. I picked her up on Sat. and we went shopping for an outfit (see picture above). We wanted something sparkly that I felt good and slim in. We had a lot of fun and before you knew it, Monday came and off we went at 8 p.m. to go to my audition. My mom came with me for moral support. It felt good to have her there, just like old times:) I like to call her my lucky charm.

I have to say, the morning of the auditions, I woke up with a HORRIBLE cold. However, I think it was to my advantage because I seemed to be more relaxed about everything. When you have a cold, or any sickness, there is nothing you can do about it so you just have to make do. I found myself with an "Oh well, I guess I will just do the best with what I've got and have a good time" attitude. I also took the advice my mother gave me which was, "You are the new kid in town. Don't worry about competing. Just go in, have a great time and do it because you love it."

Well, it worked! It was very refreshing to audition for a new group of people who have no expectations of me whatsoever. The song I chose was "Show Me" from My Fair Lady. I chose it because I could show them that I can do a British accent and it showed some belt and lyrical soprano. My song went well, and after that they took time to really talk to me and look at my resume. As all that was taking place, I could see the "wheels" turning in the director's head and he proceeded to ask me more questions about what roles I would be interested in.

The worst part of the audition was when the stage manager realized he forgot to give me a reading while I was waiting in the hall so, he gave it to me on the spot and I had no time to look at it, however, I guess I didn't do too badly because two days later...

I GOT A CALL BACK!!!

I was called back for the roles of Mrs. Fred who also doubles as the Charwoman and the Caroler's which is considered to be the the chorus. I was sooooo excited.

At the call back, I went in with one goal and that was to be as sparkly as I could and have a blast. That is exactly what I did. I fought to the death, I memorized everything they gave me on the spot and tried to give them as much movement and character as I could. I really wanted them to notice me, that way if I didn't make the show, they would at least remember me if I came back. I didn't have my hopes up because I know how hard it can be to try to get into a new theatre company. You usually have to try several times and I was OK with that.

I was there from 6:30 to 10:30 at night and I was busy the whole time! I felt really great when I left and I couldn't have asked for more. I haven't done a show in 6 years so just to be called back after that long made me feel great!

After a couple days of waiting, I got a call. They asked me if I would except the roles of Mrs. Fred and the Charwoman (which were the parts I wanted and my teacher said I would be great for). Of course I said "YES" and had my first rehearsal on Tues. There are two casts because the performances are everyday (sometimes two to three a day) and during the busy season, it is unrealistic to have only one cast. I will be performing on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday cast however I will have a few Saturday's as well because I will be covering for my double. If you are interested in seeing the show, please call me and I will give you details.

All my neighbors are excited for me and I think they are going to make it a neighborhood event to come and see me perform. I love my neighbors:)

Anyway, I will put up pics and posts to keep you updated on all my fun. All I have to say is...

I get to wear a hoop skirt:()) How cool is that!?!?!?

Dad's and Doughnuts Day!

Vincent is very much enjoying kindergarten! Every Friday, the class has some sort of activity to go along with the theme of the week. This week the kids were learning about the letter D and got to invite their dad's and bring doughnuts:) Since Utah is one hour ahead, we lucked out that Josh could go because he doesn't have to start work until 9. What a treat for Vincent and Dad!

The kids got to read their favorite books with their dad's. However, some kids didn't have a dad or grandpa, so being as sweet at Josh is, he adopted some (Caleb and Sam). They read: Bunny Party, Max and Ruby's Christmas Tree (Vincent reads Christmas stories all year round) and the Tricky Twins.

I just thought it was an adorable activity and I think kindergarten is the greatest!

Gardner Village

I am so excited... Fall Is Here and there are so many fun things to do around fall time. The local farms have pumpkin patches, the haunted forests come out, Lagoon has "Frightmares," just to name a few.

To kick start the season, we went to Gardner Village in West Jordan. It is an historical site where they have turned barns and old houses into shops and restaraunts, and surrounding it all are very beautiful grounds. There is also a petting zoo for kids with pony rides. Every Sept./Oct. they have famous witch displays and the kids had a dandy time trying to find them all. I took pictures of several. Also, they have real witches that walk the grounds that you can have breakfast with or they also have a dinner show with the witches. We didn't get to do that but I will look forward to going back and checking it out!

Lily in a witch hat that she loved wearing...


This is some of the beautiful grounds we got to admire. As you can see, the kids even liked looking. (This shot is not posed.) Just to the right is a pond with ducks.

Lily just wanted to climb the walls, roll in the grass down to the water where the ducks were!




Lily trying to get into one of the displays.


Witches...


Cousins with the witches...








And finally, these last two witches were my favorite:


Hungry witch...
And, "Witchy Poo" who was sitting in this adorable outhouse. The kids got a kick out of this one. Vincent was very concerned and wanted to know what she was reading. I believe it was the comic section.

This is only a highlight of some of the fun things we did and saw. We were having so much fun shopping and looking for witches, that we forgot to take the kids to the petting zoo. I guess we have something to do for next time!

WARNING! The Conents In This Post May Be Disturbing to Some Viewers or To Anyone Suffering From a Weak Stomach!

Let me preface this by saying, all Lily had to eat the entire day was dairy products!

SO...
The day started with a bottle and some pancakes for Lily. We waited for Vincent to get out of school so that we could meet up at the Gateway in Salt Lake with the cousins. All went well, except that Lily didn't really want to eat lunch. She had two bites of Vincent's macaroni, watermelon and some ice cream. After lunch, we went to the splash pad were we had fun playing until it was time to go. We packed up, I gave Lily her a bottle and we were off for the long haul home. On my way I got to thinking and thought, "I might as well stop and do some grocery shopping since I have some extra time."

No problem... or so I thought!

First stop, Costco. Vincent LOVES Costco for all the yummy samples; he makes sure to hit every stand even if the item doesn't necessarily appeal to him. And, of course, he always picks up a sample for his sister. Lily had a Gogurt, some pirate booty and a few more things that were dairy. They practically had a meal at Costco.

Let's recap:
A bottle
Pancakes
Macaroni
Watermelon
Ice cream
Bottle
Gogurt
Pirate Booty
MORE DAIRY

Next stop, Sunflower Market. By this time, Lily had been sitting a long time and just wanted to run around. (As I have said before, she always has to be moving and only stops moving for two things: Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Starfall.com.)

So I decided to let Lily out of the cart to walk around with Vincent as I collected a couple of veggies. The next thing you know, she had a MASSIVE cough attack (she, by the way, had just gotten over severe croup). I walked closer to her to see if she was OK. She clearly got herself a little worked up from running and the next thing you know:
LILY THROWS UP EVERYWHERE!

My first instinct is to catch the vomit as it comes flying out which of course makes a HUGE mess all over me, as well as herself and Vincent. I was frozen! I didn't know what to do except stand there and let it happen. Had I tried to rush her over to the bathroom, it would have made a bigger mess. I figured, "stay there and at least that will keep it isolated to one area." As this is all taking place there is this lady who is just standing there gasping and saying "Oh, dear!" every five seconds, and never once offered to help me. In desperation for some help, I told Vincent to run to the cashier as fast as he could and tell them that he needed help right away." So, he runs off as quick as he could. Can you believe it??? That lady stood there as I sent my 5-year old son off to get me help.

Anyway, Lily is STILL throwing up and just when you think she is done, more would come out! It was HORRIBLE!!! It smelled like a gallon of milk had been sitting out for five months. It had cottage cheese chunks and everything.

While I am sitting there waiting for Vincent to get me help, an employee came by, looked at me, and said in a very "blah" and lazy voice, "I'll go get a mop." He didn't even rush off in a hurry. Then I said to the lady who is STILL standing there, "I left my diaper bag in the car and I don't have any wipes." She replied: "Oh, of course. Wouldn't ya know it...that always happens when you aren't prepared." She then continues to stand there and stare.

THEN...
as if I wasn't embarrassed enough already, this REALLY HOT guy comes around the corner, sees me, doesn't even hesitate for a second and says, "Oh my gosh! What do you need? I will go get you some paper towels!" and quickly runs off. WHY is there always a really attractive guy around when you are either totally ugly, buying tampons, you trip and fall, or whatever?? I am up to my ears in vomit...NICE!

(I just have to say as a side note that when I was telling my mother this story, she actually asked me if I had noticed if he was wearing a wedding ring. I laughed and said, "I have no idea. I didn't check. An extra marital affair wasn't the first thing on my mind.")

Anyway, the worker finally comes back with a mop and 2 DRY paper towels for me to wipe off with. What a joke! That wasn't even enough to wipe off one arm! As he was mopping, the hot guy came back with an employee to help out because he couldn't find the bathroom. So, then the hot guy looks at me and says, "Are you good? Do you need anything else?" and then notices the two paper towels in my hand. He then says, "Oh no no no. I will go get you more paper towels." I asked him if he would mind pushing my cart to the restroom instead so I could wash us all off. He smiled and said "Sure thing!" and then followed us to the bathroom. And, YES, the stupid lady was still standing there! This man was sooooo nice. He even tried to make me feel better by talking about how cute he thought Lily was. He dropped us off at the bathroom, handed me my purse and asked me if I was alright and needed anything else.

I stripped Lily down to her diaper, and cleaned Vincent and I off.

Now some of you may be wondering, "Where was Vincent this whole time and why he didn't come back?" Well, he took soooooo long because:
HE WAS WAITING HIS TURN IN LINE!
I said, "Come on Vincent... lets get outta here!" He replied by saying,"Now thaaat was a disaaaaster!"