"Sugarplum Celebration" 2020 aka, fake Nutcracker

 Because of a series of Covid-19 cancelations, new opportunities arose, like participating in "Sugarplum Celebration." Noelle has wanted to try out for the Nutcracker the last several years, the first being the Fall she broke her leg. After not being able to participate the last 3 years years, this seemed to be the year. But the CY Stephens canceled the event. Robert Thomas studio retooled, called it the Sugarplum Celebration, found a different venue and only allowed RT dancers to participate  ( I am sure to enable contact tracing), anyone who auditions and is enrolled in any studio can be in the Nutcracker. 

Noelle auditioned for one dance. She attended rehersals every Saturday from mid-September to December.

Her group was multi-aged and danced to "Linus and Lucy" and was entitled Skating Dreams.

This was 1/3 of her class taking their final bows, others in her section bowed with other groups. 

I am so glad we got to have this one very Christmassy event, in a year in which lots of things were canceled. 

October 2020 Pandemic edition

Took these sweet girls to Clouds for a fancy coffee and a moment to just be teens (not at school)

Robert and Dallas headed to the first Cyclone game of the season (that fans were allowed to attend)

Cyclones won!

Dallas and his sixth grade "Threads Connections" class getting some sun and fresh air during lunch

The only thing enjoyable about our library being grab and go only is the kits that are now grab and go. In normal times you would have to be at the library at a certain activity time to get to experience this fun. I pick up the teen or child bag every time I grab our books. It's been great to pull these out when we are bored. Owl pellets, tie dye a mask, paint a canvas, break open a geode, Legos, solar system, make slime, sew a puppet, its like having my own tax payer STEAM kit.

Lamenting math

Dropping off at dance

Em was hired by a local Orchard to make some pies to sell by the slice for their festival weekend. It happened to be her Fall break week so she made 40 pies.

We hosted the end of the year celebration for Dallas football team in our backyard. One of the coaches showed up directly after work and was packing! It was fun to see half of the boys realize he was a police officer!

Possibly the one thing Emily was looking forward to at Ames High was marching band. Like every little thing this year it was "weird". She went to a normal looking band camp in August. When school didn't start in person they practiced at home. School went back to hybrid so she went back to before school rehearsals, it was deemed by the CIML conference that bands couldn't march. Ames offered the seniors to play in a pep band at home games. It was rescheduled twice and moved from the gym to the stadium but we got to see the Band Extravaganza. It was neat, I am glad they put the effort into the event. I wish it could have been all 400 students instead of the 150, but we will take it!

Two masks, one for the player, one for the horn

Also, during hybrid in person, concert band - the small group of 18 she is rehearsing with gets up halfway through the period and switches rooms for "air quality". Just documenting this here in case we think it is silly in 20 years.

Dallas and Noelle completed an Upward season. It was perfect!

So thankful.

Bonus, they had seventh players play this year. What a special gift to get to play with Cole one more time.

My sister celebrated her Covid birthday by renting theater to watch Hocus Pocus.

None of my family had seen it all the way through before. It was good to have theater popcorn again.

Noelle spent her own money on a donut pan

We went to cheer on Em's good friend at a VB match. Those sure have changed since my junior high days. The shorts are tiny and they play to 25 points now.

School

Murph

My workout gals had a fun run around Ada Hayden with a coffee klatch afterwards. It was wonderfully social.

I dug out a 24 year old sweatshirt to wear again

We purchased, prayed and packed bags for three Haiti kids to receive on Christmas

The beginnings of ceiling fan removal and new recessed lights.

 

November 2020 Pandemic edition

Noelle and I discovered a treasure in the pond down the road while walking Murphy and feeding the fish

We came back with proper tools to go bike fishing, aka our tree trimmer

One bike later

A very proud fisherwoman, also she really wouldn't believe Robert and I that this bike was likely stolen, joy ridden and ditched in the pond. The front wheel was off the axel and it had proof that it had been in water some time. She was adamant about hauling it home, cleaning it and making signs. I think it might still be in the back of Robert's truck.  

I voted, day of. Robert ended up going to Neveda to vote a couple days early as he had a last minute trip. I arrived 10 minutes before opening and waited in the cold with about 30 others. 

I had to snap a picture of one poll working in this painting suit get-up. I am thankful people volunteer for this job, it was a long day for them.

This was our last walk with Scout for November. His owners are back to working at home while the pandemic surges in Iowa again. Scout is getting older (12) so I always say goodbye just in case.

We celebrated Murphy's birthday by buying him a football. He is completely smitten with it and clearly bored with us. 

Noelle got to see a friend for the first time since March! Thankful for a 70 degree day in November.

We flew to Denver. Ironically the kids and I have flown 2x during this Covid-19 era. We haven't totaled it yet, but Robert guesses he has flown/traveled more this year than the last several, he has found it to be very safe and clean! Likely more clean that it ever was. He also gets tested and is very cautious around GPA!

Em was looking so cute and studious sitting next to me on the plane with her Nalgene and Hamlet -reading material. We boarded first on the flight out as we were assigned the first row, so the entire plane walked past her commenting on her Shakespeare. (it was for school)

We removed the ceiling fan from the living room, had an electrician come and add additional recessed lighting and then a drywall guy came at patched us up. I like it. The boys were pretty concerned about losing the fan, but now they can throw the football across the LR instead of parallel with it.

We sprouted this avocado seed in March. I have tried and failed/given up on sprouting an avocado many times. I think in the last house I didn't have enough counters space and eventually just tossed the moldy pit as I was tired of looking at it. Many people ended up with Covid pets, maybe I will end up with guacamole I can give to my grandkids someday.

I finally wised up and paid Emily to teach Dallas the 47 countries of Europe. He gets a Lego set valued $20 if he tried hard and listened to her, she gets $0.50/country he gets correct. They had to push it all into one week since we were in Colorado and slacked off. Results are pending. - Also- this is a homeschool or any parents dream picture. It wasn't all rosey.

We put another car to bed for the winter.

We are getting "production" Magic Tee's shipped to the house, it is all amazing, and real. So very proud of Robert and all the hard work he has put into this project. 

Emily made the Pioneer Woman's tomato soup with sherry, and it was delicious on day two even without the grilled cheese. Everyone will eat it, but I think only Em and I appreciate good soup.

The beginnings of Christmas in November. Not super early for us, but 2020!

 Documenting the pulling of the last baby tooth. 

I predict Noelle and Dallas having  braces at the same time!