Aladdin Junior

Way back in the fall Rebekah auditioned for drama club. The school was putting on Aladdin Junior in the spring. After much waiting Rebekah found out she scored a part with some speaking lines. After many days of after school practices and some evening dress rehearsals, the show was ready to be preformed. I came the first night and waited an hour an a half to make sure I got a good seat. I was the first waiting. However, because I'm not pushy / assertive, I ended up here in line. 

While I was waiting to get into the auditorium, I checked out the cast and crew board. 

And there's my little Apple Vender. 

The first night's performance was pretty fantastic. I didn't take too many pictures knowing I would be there the second night.  I did however get this one of the final number. Aladdin Junior, staring Rebekah. Yeah, the genie and Aladdin were in there somewhere too, but... 

The second night I waiting in line the same amount of time and this time the people who came after me were kind enough to let me go in first. I ended up getting in the auditorium early but still couldn't find very good seats. It seems the second night most of the cast and crew were saving seats for loved ones. However, I found some near the isle where I could still see and take some pictures / clips for posterity. 

With the genie - think he's casually picking up the lamp from Rebekah's basket. 

The many apple buyers:

 

Aladdin himself. 

The big scene:

Picture of a chorus number:

A chorus number:

Another picture of a chorus number: 

The big finale: 

Taking a bow: 

Then our cute little apple vender came out to find us, and I forced a few pictures. 

On the way out of the auditorium I saw the cast and crew picture.

Then Don took mom home and I waited for Rebekah to get changed. When she finally showed up, looking quite like a teenager in her stage makeup, she handed me the sandals (I've had for over 20 years) that I let her borrow for her costume. She said they didn't last the dress rehearsal. 

Seriously. What is it with Rebekah and my clothes / shoes? 

Before we left I asked Rebekah if she wanted a cookie, and told her to get dad one too. Guess which had is for her and which is for dad?

We finally made it home and while she got cleaned up I had the program pose with the flowers. 

Each year she's gets better and better. Can't wait to see what next year's show holds. 

February

Can't start without puppy pictures. 

 

Rebekah wore my coat recently. Since then the zipper hasn't worked. And it's really cold. So I got a new coat. 

One problem with more technology is that the technology can come back to haunt you. Every once in a while I get the following notification (service brake assist). The dealership can't figure out what's wrong, but say the brakes are fine. It seems to come on after the auto restart. Sometimes other notifications come on - service parking brake for example. But it won't stay on and since it's not on when I take it to the shop they have no idea. This particular picture comes from when it turned after a stop light, and stayed on all the way until I got into the car dealership garage, then promptly turned off. Was so mad! It's like it's mocking me! 

Rebekah's artwork from school. 

Rebekah wanted to go out for donuts. I didn't realize this donut would substitute as her dinner. I'd say rookie mistake but Rebekah's 11. 

My brother sent me this. I like it. I'm like unto Legolas. Go me. 

We went out to lunch with mom and Frank. Rebekah was slightly fearful of the "Howdy Doody Time" doll in the background. 

Every time Rebekah wants lunch from home I put a note for her to find in her lunchbox. Usually how wonderful she is, how much we love her, or something to that extent. Lately I put jokes as her notes. Things like "why did the bicycle fall over? it was two tired." Rebekah told me no more jokes, just a note. So.... 

"Just a note saying I love you." 

Which she actually like. So I continued on the theme: 

You are "fan"- tastic 

You are de - "light" - ful

You are brill - "ant"

One cannot say I don't try. 

February Books

Adult fiction. I think this would be considered a "proper romance" - meaning it's clean. It's basically fluff, poor girl finds out she's got a rich father then comes to work in his business, but then he dies and trouble ensues. It's fine. Nothing really rememberable but it's entertaining. 

This historical account follows the Comanches as well as Cynthia Parker, a young woman who was captured by the Comanches at age 9 and was later "liberated" from her captivity in her 30's, and her son Quanah Parker who maintained his Comanche heritage as the tribe was in its decline.  

Rebekah completed book 5. This is my least favorite of the Harry Potter series mainly because of Umbridge but also because my dislike for the author CHOOSING TO USE CAPITALIZATION AS HER MEANS TO EXPRESS SEVERE EMOTION! Ah well. It's Harry Potter. And Rebekah is enjoying it. 

Historical fiction set in China. The account begins in the late 1920's and follows the family as they leave their home because of war with Japan and continue to try to find a new place to live. Eventually the extended family splits up but each make their way to Taiwan and the son eventually America. The book ends somewhere in the 1980's. The son's experience in American is fascinating and somewhat chilling as well. Highly recommendable. 

This book caught my attention simply because I've never read anything on Samuel Adams. Turns out there's a reason. Basically the author shows how Samuel Adams was the fire under the revolution. It seems to me he'd be the one over all the looting and violence. So, I'm not a huge fan, but it was an interesting read. 

Adult magical fiction. It's complete fluff but it should get one through an airplane ride in a pinch. 

Reading a book about reading. What's not to love? The lecturer uses several novels to show how one can find information such as symbolism and irony as one reads the simplest passages. I earmarked several of the books he recommended. It was also fun to listen to the books that I have read as he points out things he found interesting. Kind of like a book club on audio. 

Historical fiction about WWII. And yes, I know: I say I'm going to stop with WWII but I always seem to find myself reading it. This was somewhat different because it had to do with a German family, the husband being a lead scientist in the German rocket program. It followed their trauma as they tried to live their life, not agreeing with the NAZI propaganda, but finding their children threatened if they didn't cooperate. After the war they are relocated to Alabama to work on the U.S. rocket program with operation Paperclip. Kelly Rimmer is a good author. While not my favorite, it's a different, worthwhile perspective. 

I started this book and then questioned the author. Sure enough, he's a journalist. It reads like his a journalist rather than a historian. And the "Three Days in Moscow" is just a few chapters of said book. The rest encompasses Reagan's life and the end goes into Trump's. Not recommendable. 

The author of this book ("Helen Zia, author of Last Boat out of Shanghai") was quote on the back of Peach Blossom Spring as endorsing the book. And so I looked it up and added it to my to read list. It happened to be an audio book so I jumped right in. Highly worth while. It's heart breaking to read about what people do to other people. And governments: I wish there was a way to work better for refugees. 

Read this huge book with my mother after finishing Talmage's Jesus the Christ. Did I mention it's huge? But there's so many good insights contained in the book. I assume most use this as a reference guide but it was highly enjoyable and enlightening reading it in its entirety. 

Middle grade fiction about a 7th grade girl and her reintegration into public school after her 2 year battle with cancer. Highly recommendable. 

I usually like this professor but I found this lecture series less than what I had hoped for. 

I wanted something entirely different. Since I'm thinking about rereading The Lord Of the Rings series again, I thought I'd reread this one. About a forth of the way through I started wondering if I actual read this. It must have been some time ago for I remembered very little. This is suppose to proceed the Lord of the Rings but besides some of the races (dwarfs, elves, etc) and main characters, and of course The Ring, the two seem to stand alone. 

I enjoyed the second book very much but remembered the first book as being underwhelming, so I decided to try it again. It was okay. The second book is clearly better. 

Rebekah finished another. I enjoyed this reread more than book 5 but it's still not my favorite. I'm excited to finish the series. 

Yet another account of Lincoln. Nothing new really, in fact as I write this a few weeks after I read it I find myself trying to remember anything about this book specifically. I remember thinking Meacham pointed out Lincoln the politician, but that's about it. 

A historical fiction account of the last queen of India's Sikh empire. The facts are true, embellished with fictional elements of course, but highly recommendable as a means to introduce the subject matter.