SAB

We just found out that Quinn and Logan were accepted to the School of American Ballet (SAB) summer program in New York City. Yeowzah. We unfortunately had to decline the invitation as we have committed to attend Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) where they were given full scholarship. Those two boychicks just never cease to amaze.  

15 days to Beignets

The countdown has started. We leave in 15 days to New Orleans where we will promptly head to Cafe du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee. I am so glad I live 2,000 miles away from Cafe du Monde, because I know if I lived closer, I would eat beignets every day and then I would weigh three tons. I normally have incredible discipline and will-power and am not cursed with a sweet-tooth, but get me around freshly fried beignets loaded with powdered sugar, and watch out! I swear we get our annual quota of fat and sugar in one visit down south. But our visit isn't centered around Cafe du Monde, our real purpose is to see Jim's mum, who lives just out side N.O. in Picayune (you must pronounce this word with no fewer than seven syllables and say it in a sing-songy sort of way.) It will be a short visit, but just long enough for the boys to get loved on by grandma and just long enough for us to get our fill of fried goodness until we return again next year...

Dance

Our evening of volunteering at the boys' activity night was a success. Jim and I had so much fun that we've agreed to volunteer at all the upcoming activity nights, which totally bummed Quinn and Logan out. Who can blame them? I sure as hell didn't want my parents lurking around when I went to school dances. Of course, I attended a private, religious middle school and we didn't do fun things like dance or roller skate, that would surely lead to S-E-X. Our class outings included day trips to the Manteca Waterslides. Getting kids together at night would also lead to S-E-X. Let's just say I didn't start having fun until high school...

So activity night was fun. Jim and I got stationed selling pizza/popcorn, to which Jim wondered if he had Food Service Professional flashing in neon lights from his forehead. We begrudgingly accepted food service duty only because we would be situated right next to the gym where the dancing was taking place. Oooh did we have fun. This is such a fun/confused age. Being able to watch hundreds of 11-13 year olds navigate the sticky social dynamics, was really enlightening. We did our best not to embarrass our children, and for the most part they still acknowledged that they were related to us. At one point a gaggle of girls saw Jim's name tag, which displayed his first and last name and they squealed, "Are you Quinn and Logan's dad?" Jim responded in the affirmative and they all giggled and squirmed. I was stuffing bags of popcorn at that point, so didn't get a good look at the types of girls who would so overtly swoon over Q & L in front of their parents, but just hearing them made me laugh. 

All in all, we had fun. I'm sure some innocent hanky panky was taking place somewhere in the school, but it wasn't happening at the popcorn/pizza station. Oh well, maybe next time...

Junior High Dance

Tonight Jim and I agreed (volunteered, begged) to help chaperone the valentine's "activity night" at the boys' school. I was especially eager to gain access to the social lives of tweeners, because since the boys have started middle school, we feel sort of left out. Almost nightly we casually ask the boys how things are going, what happens during a typical day at school, who do you hang out with, etc., and although we are fortunate and thankful that they don't reply with monosyllabic grunts, they still do not provide me with the juicy details I'm really after. It's also a strange transition from elementary to middle school. In elementary school, we were still the hovering/doting parents. We carpooled to school, we talked daily with the teachers and other parents, we dutifully went to all school functions, etc. Middle School is a whole different scene. Gone are the days when we take our kids to school and know who their teachers are. Haaa. I haven't a clue about what goes on at school, and it's not because I don't try. It really is that different. Now the boys make their own breakfast and lunch and get themselves to school. In fact, Jim and I aren't even here in the mornings, so they are pretty much taking care of themselves. The scary part is that they do a really good job and so last summer when they knew they were going to Philadelphia for ballet school, they assumed we were renting them an apartment and they would be living on their own! Anyway, when the opportunity came to volunteer for activity night, I eagerly signed Jim and myself up for the honors. I can't wait to watch the social interaction of these kids. There will be dancing, karaoke, games, and I'm sure lots of other "unapproved" activities. I'm not quite sure of what our jobs tonight will entail, but I really hope we are smack in the middle of all the action and not stationed in the parking lot. On second thought, the parking lot is probably where all the "real" action will be...

PNB

We just got word yesterday that Quinn and Logan were accepted to the Pacific Northwest Ballet summer intensive on full scholarship! We couldn't believe it! I didn't think they'd even be accepted, yet alone on scholarship. PNB is a highly selective, world-renown program and as you can imagine we couldn't be prouder. We'll hear today whether or not Rachel was accepted. It has been a few weeks of sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear their audition results...They were accepted with full scholarship to the ABT summer intensive in Alabama and also invited back to attend The Rock in Philadelphia. We were initially all ready to commit to ABT when we got word of their status with PNB. Wow. So we'll make our final decision today, as we have to let ABT know by tomorrow. We're leaning pretty hard toward PNB, as it is closer to home, is a five-week program, and would be an incredible opportunity for the boys...As you can imagine, Jim and I are two of the proudest parents on the planet.