December was NUT-crackers

December started with Owen's turn to hang the star:

Roxy competing with Cosby, Cory and Kristen's late dog who constantly posted for Christmas photos last year.

November 27: Surgery #2 on Brady's meniscus:

The surgery itself was night-and-day different...walking immediately, less groggy...

Kate and her Friday/Saturday crew.  These girls are so creative making plays, dances, music videos, and movies.

This play ended with hundreds of particles of snow falling from the ceiling fan.

Our lush garden making progress!

Golf course flood zone during our weeks of rain.  Before leaving on our trip, I mowed the grass knowing Robin and Rick's family would be there and it was our last chance for 2 weeks.  The yard was so wet, mud tracked all over the yard and I wondered it would ever be the same.  It bounced back.  

Rain makes the most vibrant grass against the sunsets.

Owen and I practiced baseball together almost every day of December between his regularly scheduled baseball practices.  We make up games and he races me around the bases every 3rd hit or 10 catches.

Keys came down with severe pneumonia and was hospitalized for several days.

December 1st Jams!

Bringing Ralphie and Rosita back from the North Pole!

Early checkout for final dress rehearsals and the parade!

Kate & Ella = Best Friend "Sisters"

The float:

Dad and Owen fan club.  Early on, Owen started rejecting candy.  From our parade position, we were the first people given candy over and over, and he had handfuls of peppermint everything.  

Post Parade: 

Pre-show emotions after late nights rehearsing and the parade led to pre-show jitters and big feelings.  When I am too rough or don't do her hair just right on show day, it is a big deal.  She was wildly impressed with the result, though.

Danielle texted me from the dressing room: "They can't even look at me...only in the mirror."  They were certainly enamored by their fancy makeup, eyelashes and hair.

I watched the matinee and sat in awe and some tears.  My girl is stronger, more graceful, and showing more and more technique.  I held my breath while I watched her absolutely light up the stage in her soldier doll solo.  She had so many precise movements and jumps.  What surprised me most about the show were the sheer number of dances she seemed showcased.  This ballet has evolved so much in three years and it is clear every detail is combed over again and again to give each dancer moments in the spotlight.  

Along with the doll dance, my favorite was the snow scene--seeing Kate dance with the older girls and fit right in with so much grace and beauty.

Congrats, my surf bestie, for another show and another year running Kaua'i Ballet Academy!  Kate loves you so much.

Kate and one of the 100 people she invited.  I love that her teachers each came to a performance.

Between shows, Zachary and I ran errands, picked up food, worked concessions, prepared tickets, and did all the front of house tasks that stack up on show day.  Kate ate some lunch with us before the big evening performance.

Meanwhile, Brady groomed Roxy.  On show day, I am barely aware of anything happening outside the venue.

I get all the mom-feels watching my kids in any activity, but watching Nutcracker this year was especially poignant.  She was in scene after scene, performing with her whole heart and lighting up the stage.  The snow scene was my favorite, watching her dance between the older girls and the way it elevated her performance.  So grateful for this studio and these kind dancers and teachers who have given her so many opportunities!

Kate invited all her former teachers and every person she could think of, and so many people came to support.  David and Jojo even came out!

Shay was Clara this year, with Ty as the Nutcracker and Tate as Fitz.  A family affair!

Owen's friend from school, Evie, performed.  She has brittle bone disease but is one of the most resilient kids I've ever met.  They are good friends.  He asked Brady for a flower to give her after the show and hunted her down.  This was maybe my favorite moment of December:

Kate was on strict orders to get this photo with us prior to changing out of costume.  Zachary and I ended up working until about 11:30pm that night.  It was a long, satisfying day!

The next day, Zachary graced the keys for the first time in many months.  Big heart eyes.  

Kate, Zac, and Owen had sealants and I think sunglass photos at the dentist are a riot.

Between the main Nutcracker weekend and the encore performance put on at the Waimea Theater for veterans and family the following week, Kate went down hard.  This cold (she remembers distinctly getting on December 3rd) passed through the family and knocked us all down.  Cory told us that we get sick more often than any family he knows but what can you do?  She also struggled with an ankle injury and wondered all the way up to the day of the Waimea performance if she'd be watching from the side stage rather than performing that night.

Roses from her initial performance blooming abnormally well for Kaua'i, which usually turns them to a limp heap within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, Owen's coach pitch season was in full force, with 3 practices and 2-3 games every single week.  The best part of this season was having multiple classmates on the team.  Ms. Braun, Owen's 2nd grade teacher (whose son just signed on for college baseball pitching), came to watch a game.

Owen asked us to take a photo of "what it feels like to be Roxy."

This year, our elves joined Owen in his curiosity with the world and all things "science."

Another day, another game...with white pants...and Kaua'i's red dirt...

Nutcracker Round 2 (Show #5!): my sick girl doing her own makeup with shaky nerves as she anticipates ankle pain.  After warming up, it turned out okay and she was able to do her part perfectly!

I love the intimacy of the Waimea Theater.  Brady did tickets for a few hours prior to the show and joined me on the giant, soft seats a little while into the performance.

I was impressed with Mallory, Kate's YW president, and all the teachers who came to Waimea for support.  

Sunday, FunDay with a Gingerbread tradition.  I am getting less creative with the years and the kids were more than happy to bang through it and eat candy and frosting for the whopping hour it took to decorate.  No one show these kids social media/pinterest, please.

Roxy spent a lot of time at baseball games with us.  She's getting better and better with people and crowds. I trust her more not to jump or mouth.

Owen said he likes games but he LOVES eating with his team afterwards.  He is the ultimate organizer, inviting all the teammates to eat together and then play tag on the field for an hour afterwards.  Games turn into 3 hour events.

Zachary prepping hard for finals.  Brady and I did a lot to help him prepare.  We are impressed with his maturity as he's developed better study habits and grit.  It paid off in several of his classes!

Ward Party included an ugly sweater contest.  Brady and I posed for a bunch of pictures but somehow don't have any!  He cut out and laminated a picture of himself growing up for us to all wear on our chests.  Our kids chickened out so it was just the two of us, and I think ultimately I looked like such a jerk for not printing an awkward stage photo of myself!  Ace won in the kid category and Ty won for individual.

I think his "ugly" phase is so cute.  My favorite is the photo of him holding the dog paired with his giant belt buckle.

Oh, the places you'll go--here's a company photo from December:

Kate and Lyric sang a song together for the program, and I last-minute accompanied Trevor and played with Mahjinka. Another note: my favorite pre-Christmas moment of December outside of The Nutcracker was getting asked to participate in an inter-faith celebration of Christ in Kapa'a.  There were so many faith traditions and styles of music represented, and it was a spiritual highlight hearing the different ways others worship.  

A less Spiritual experience but also delightful: heading to Owen's Christmas choral concert and celebrating him as STUDENT OF THE MONTH! 

His teacher chose him for his helpfulness.  She said he is most cooperative kid in the class and really works to make connections with other kids. 

Another fabulous moment of December: studying for finals with Zachary.  This Algebra II final had 13 front-and-back pages of study guide.  It was, as another math teacher stated when I told him who Zac has for Algebra II, "thorough."  We were up into the early morning studying together, and helping tutor Garrett.  Call me crazy (NUTS? harharhar) but this was a highlight of December, too.  Watching Zac work so hard, and being part of that process.