We have video!

I'm trying out a video service to see if I can load shots of the kids on the blog. Let me know if this works - it's Theo's dance from the parent viewing back in December.

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I have not brought my specs with me

well, actually, now I shall have to - after noticing some eyestrain and undue squinting after hours of studying, it now seems I've reached the reading glasses stage of my adulthood.  Just add a mustache, and I'll look just like Dad!

the ubiquitousness of Pachelbel

we all know this, don't we? And it's too, too true. I found this on my friend Jill's blog and laughed my ass off.

Happy New Year!

January is always a busy month. We got back to school, dance, and judo, and had three major events.
First and most important, of course, was Stasha's eighth birthday!

Opening presents first thing in the morning, with Tim still asleep, and blowing out candles later in the evening:

Stasha's birthday was immediately followed by the judo club hosting the Senda Cup, which the kids weren't directly involved in, but Tim and I were volunteering as timekeepers as announcers. The kids sat in the stands watching the matches and being quite good, for the most part, till they tried to climb under the bleachers. Since I was the announcer with a microphone and speakers at my disposal, I got to chastize them loudly from across the mat. It was strangely satisfying.

The tournament was followed the next day by Family Day, in which all the students, young and old, demonstrate what they've learned. It's also the first family day for which I have no pictures, since I was on the mat myself and Tim refused to bring the camera. However a friend did get a pic of us after it was all over:

Finally, the end of the month brought us their first big dance performance, Malanka, in celebration of Ukrainian New Year. Due to camera failure, I didn't get pictures of the actual event, but I did get pictures of the dress rehearsal that morning. It was a huge success, and despite the fact that we all spent the next day flat on our backs in exhaustion, all the work and preparation was worth it.

Theo in his Polissia outfit. That's right, it has pink ribbon trim. You have to wonder if those Polissians got beat up a lot.

Stasha is ready for her close-up

To keep boys from turning to a life of crime, or hockey, they've given them their own dance where they can show off their tricks. They're fine-tuning the choreography here, though not necessarily with the best example ever, since this is the guy who lost his pants in the Vesna performance last year. Happily, everyone's pants stayed on this time.

Finally, an early lesson in suffering for the sake of art. I had to get their stage make-up on and feed them before the performance, but without messing up their costumes. Thus poor Theo has to eat his cheese sandwich in nothing but make-up, underwear, and a kitchen towel. I feel so sorry for him, I will never use this for blackmail.

Stasha's news

Well this my  brother "kissing" the new floor.! there is tassie runing from Theo's antics.!

Now this is me saying stuff at the Christmas concert.At the side  with the orange hair is Evan. Behind (how you cant really see) is my best freind Amy. then me.

did you now i can memorize three of  three people (evan amy and me). (evan) wow those kidergarden kids sure are cute. do you remember being so young.(amy) ahhh yes twas soo long ago. however i still think im preety cute.(me) um yeah ofcours you are. ohhhh bla bla bla bla bla the rest is boring anyway.

Stasha got tired of typing, so I'll just say that this was for the first performance of the year, at the big Christmas craft fair. It's the traditional welcome with bread and salt. Fortunately, the bread is glued to the tray.

Theo's great feats of wonder!

Now this one is a little embarrassing moments (I cant even remember why i did this.) were i like to keep this private. yet my mom sent this as a blog anyway no matter how much i didn't want this posted. Anyway this is me rehersing my dance after the event with my sister. Please dont laugh. I'm emberressed too much already.

Now this is the same dance exept i'm not in only family public (were i'm in risk of embarressing pic's.) and i'm not in my underware at home. I'm at the Yates for my christmas concert. I look much cooler for 2 resones;1 I'm not in my underware. (Duh!) 2 i look poupular. So thats that and mom please dont send another one of my "embarressing moments" on her blog.

Now this is somthing to be proud of! I'm in a very cool (better then the first two poste's.) position with one person younger then me and the rest older. I'm the handsome rascle left of everybody and I'm doing a cartwheel backwards. This more amazing feat of wonder is Ukrainian dance. Hey! Stop laughing! This is tougher (much tougher) then ballet! You have to do very manly stuff (If your a man.) like reapet cartwheels and lots of other hard stuff. Now the tragic ending of stuff (like Christmas.) has begun. i bid you all a farewell and... well you can open your mouth again the amazing feats of wonder stuff is over. Goodbye... CUT!!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

The house is again flooded with miniature chocolate bars and packets of virulently coloured candy (I have a food dye thing - "poison! You're eating poison!)

The kids of course dressed up for their school parade, visit to the old folks home (!?) and trick or treating:

Stasha is wearing the same costume for the third Halloween in a row! When I first made this dress, it was too long - now it's a good six inches too short. All the better to stomp around in, my dear.

Theo's costume is a my old shirt and Tim's old jeans, with liberal applications of fun fur and an old mask we got years ago. I live to recycle.

Today, the kids have a PD day. For some reason it's a custom around here to have a PD day right after Halloween, presumably so the teachers don't have to deal with over-tired, sugar-crashed kids. Tim stayed home with them this morning, and they all looked very smug when I had to troop off for an eight o-clock lecture. I came home at eleven to find them still in their pajamas, all in our bed, and a big bowl of half-eaten candy right next to the bed. Grrrrr.