Tuck in Your Shirt

Last night I had an experience. I am costuming a local theatre’s production. I told the actor playing Blank to tuck his shirt in for one scene- 1. You would not have an untucked shirt anyway and 2. I wanted that mens 40’s sillouette blah blah blah. He gave me a ‘look’. I said-mostly in a playful manner that this was ‘Blank’ not HISNAME. Meaning, that I wasn’t giving him fashion tips, just that I was dressing the character. He then yelled at me to ‘SHUT UP’ and started to walk away. I of course, gave his back a nasty look-and the director says to him ‘Oh, you're in trouble now!’(in a playful way). (At this point all the witnesses-which included the entire cast and crew -thought that he was trying to be funny and not succeeding.) He then goes off on a shouting tirade about how I have no right to give notes and why was I even talking. To which I said something about being the costumer-he then pointed out that I was not the director. People, I was not giving acting or movement notes. I gave notes like-“What happened to your belt?” and “You need to wear your hat.” Seriously. I have NEVER been talked to that way in a theatre situation. I gotta say, my pay rate does not include verbal abuse and belittlement. All this because I asked him to tuck in his shirt.

How Can it Be?

What is the deal?  Is this year just going by super fast?  It does not FEEL like Thanksgiving.  Maybe because of the weather which is sporadically chilly at best, or maybe we are just in a home school bubble, and the kids aren't coming home with turkey color sheets and pilgrim hats.  I just don't know.  And you know, that means that Christmas is sneaking up on me too.  Le sigh.  Maybe I'll reach my goal of a hand made Christmas, maybe not.

November 8

Today is my sweet O's birthday.  I am so happy that he is in my life.  My mom likes to say that he goes to the beat of a different drummer-I say he is the drummer.

His latest thing is to tell people that when he was a baby he looked just like George Washington.  You know, because he and GW had curls on the back of their head.

He is 7 now, so that means that we are a long way from baby hood.  This past weekend I brutally cleaned out a closet that had a lot of baby things in it.  It's all in piles waiting for me to find it new homes-via freecycle, craigs list, friends, or goodwill.

We have a few things left-just the things that I'll give to the boys when they start a family-and their hospital shirts/hats that I will probably never give up.

Mostly, I am in awe over just how fast time goes by when you are watching children grow.  And I really enjoy my children most of the time.  They do have their own flaws, but I recognize them and love them warts and all.  I feel like they are one of the things that I was put on this earth to do.  They are one of the purposes of my life.  With out me, my 3 children would not be here discovering the world.

The Ride

Well, I agreed to costume another show, friends, and for those of you that were with me on the last ride, no, I don't know what I was thinking.  Not really.  That's a lie.  I was thinking-"This show is set in 1946, not 14th century Italy.  I shouldn't have to make anything, just find everything."  I was mostly right.  Some elf creation might have to happen, but everything else just needs to be found.

I have had a lot of luck so far at the costume storage, in that the main little girl is completely costumed, all the ladies have coats, and I do have several suits.  The problem with the suits is that will the bodies I have fit in the suits I have?  And I need specialty things-like a majorette outfit. And a doctor's white coat.  The person wearing the doc smock(as I call it) is gloriously tall, so finding one that has long enough sleeves is an issue. I also need at least 4, maybe 5 elf costumes.  I have found the hats and shoes that they used last time but can't locate the rest of the costumes.

Fortunately for me, the actor playing SC might just be the real guy.  He has his own period appropriate suit. I love this.

Every time I go looking I find more things that will work.  This is a beautiful thing.  It means that I should be able to have a list of what I need to find somewhere else by the beginning of next week.

I am glad that our fall break is coinciding with this part of my creation process.  We have one more week of break and then back to school.  School is going well, with both boys learning and growing.

October 20.

Once upon a time, there was a girl.  She was very cute and funny.  She moved into an apartment with a room mate and had a job.  One day, she stepped out of her apartment and met her next door neighbor.  She was wearing Doc Martens, a camo shirt, and had her hair styled in Princess Leia buns.  He was wearing a ratty t-shirt, no shoes, and had the ugliest dog she'd ever seen.

It was love at first sight.  For him.

They were friends.  Then they dated.  Then they got engaged.  Then they got pregnant.  Then, they had to move the wedding back 6 months so that the bride could see her feet on her wedding day.

Now, they live in a little house, in a little town, with 2 beautiful children, 2 bad dogs, 2 horrible cats, and a backyard flock of chickens.

It isn't easy, but nothing really is.  They have each other when life sucks and when life is grand.  And isn't that how it's supposed to be?

4!

We got 4!! eggs today!  3 brown and one green.  So, that means that the reluctant big girl is laying and one of the Amish is laying.  Now, maybe the other two Amish won't be far behind.  'Wait.  Amish?  What?'  The easter egger chickens do not have a waddle/comb like the big girls have.  They do have a fringe of feathers under their beak from ear to ear that looks a bit like an Amish beard.  Hence the nickname.

In unrelated news, L had his first big recital today and did very well.  He played beautifully and was very focused.  He played 'Lightly Row' and from Phantom of the Opera 'Angel of Music' and 'The Phantom of The Opera'.  He also sat down yesterday and composed his first piece of music.

O was taking lessons, but is now having a break form them.  Because 'I only want to play Chopsticks and only when I feel like it!'.  Sooo.  But today he asked for a violin for Christmas.  I don't know what prompted this at all.

Songs

I was ruminating while hanging out my laundry this morning.  I had a song stuck in my head-I think by Elvis?

'Little sister, don't you kiss me once or twice, then say it's really nice and then move on!  Little sister don't you do what your big sister done!'

I was thinking that earlier generations think that there is too much sex in the current generations songs.  Let's look at what this song is saying-'Hey, your sister is a tease and only kissed.  So, you better follow through and not stop at kissing!'.  Um, yeah.  I know it's different than 'I wanna f*ck you like an animal' or 'The Thong Song', but really by how much?  Yes, the words I think have gotten a lot more graphic in popular songs, to the point that we rarely listen to popular radio at all in my house, but the subject matter hasn't changed.  So, if you really want to keep our children's minds and hearts as innocent as you can for as long as you can, filter their listening selections.  I say this as a person that remembers singing along to George Michaels 'I want your sex' as an 11 year old.