RoadShowing

Did you know that Roadshows live on in some parts of the world?! Oh yes, they do. I was invited to direct ours and while it came at an inopportune time (I was in the midst of some debilitating health issues earlier this year) with a ton of support and some last minute inspirations, we pulled off a pretty awesome show if I do say so myself. It was a Battle of the Bands sort of deal between the wards in our stake (congregations from church) and we got to perform twice with multiple casts. Traveling 3 hours to the coast amid vomiting children and winding roads to perform/compete at one of the outlying branches just sealed the bonds in our troupe. :)

rehearsing (Sum lived on the Queen's lap during rehearsals)

a good crowd

Poor Will got a stomach bug one night, but "the show must go on" so he dug down and pulled out a great Master of Fire performance. Even won an honorable mention from the judges :)

little hobbit peeks out at the onstage magic

While a real challenge to get off the ground, we made some great relationships, had a lot of fun and it got me pumped to do some stage productions with my kids again when we get home. They really ate it up. There's just nothing like the bonding atmosphere of performing together.

Proud to say we took home not one but TWO of these bad boys. Well, they live at the church now, but it was nice recognition for all the hours of effort so many donated to a couple of fantastic nights.


Post-Edit:
A friend and parent of a couple girls in our show commented with links to her posts about each performance, including high quality pics (from the audience rather than iphone captures backstage) and plot synopsis. If you'd like more details and with their permission, please feel free to click over and have a look!

Merimbula Show   &   Canberra Show

Happy Ash Wednesday

We're learning all sorts of interesting things about Catholicism and the accompanying beliefs and sacraments. While we don't have the kids do the sign of the cross or recited prayers at home like they do at school, we do encourage them to appreciate all the different ways both religions worship and to recognize the symbolic value in each.

I attended the kids' Ash Wednesday liturgy where Will did an excellent reading from the Bible about how we're not to show off our good deeds. Then all the students received ash crosses on their foreheads. Definitely a new one for us. But I appreciated the introduction to Lent and that the ash cross was to remind them that nobody's perfect and encourage each child to use this opportunity to abandon a bad habit or find new resolve to improve oneself in some way.

Being at this school has led to some great dinner discussions already and I'd say that's a good thing.