Twas the night before Rama-Kwanzaa-Christmakkah-Bodhi-Yule (hope I didn’t leave anyone out) and all through the house many a creature stirred but nary a mouse.  The stockings were hung above the turtle tank with care in hopes that some one with wee gifts would fill them while dangling there.  Yane in those way attractive p.j.s and Jim in his flannel camo pajama pants have just collapsed for a well deserved nap.  When out on the lawn between the trailers arose such a clatter…Yane dashed about (phone dialed 911 but not sent yet) too see what was the matter…when on the rubberized roof could be seen a rabid raccoon chasing a feral cat…but no tiny reindeer…hmmmm…guess this is why there are no holiday shows based in a trailer court…go figure!

Esse comercial foi publicado no YouTube em fevereiro. É a Ambev levando o mesmo discurso de anos da Skol aqui no Brasil, para o lançamento da Brahma no Peru.
OK, você pode imaginar que está tudo em casa, é tudo marca da mesma mãe, mas então quer dizer que toda cerveja desce redondo? A Skol não é mais a melhor, a única com essa propriedade?
É claro que isso não deve fazer diferença pra massa consumidora de Skol, mas pra nós, esvazia o discurso de mais de uma década trabalhado, e muito bem, pela F/Nazca.

A revista Época Negócios, da Editora Globo, anuncia o lançamento do anuário que revelará “As 100 Empresas de Maior Prestígio do Brasil”.
A lista foi elaborada em pesquisa feita em parceria com o Grupo Troiano de Branding e será conhecida na noite da premiação, que acontecerá nesta terça-feira (01º), no Itaim Bibi, em São Paulo.
O anuário“Época Negócios 100” trará os perfis das dez primeiras colocadas na pesquisa e reportagens com as campeãs de 30 setores.
O projeto gráfico do anuário conta com fotos de Beto Riginik e ilustrações de Norton Gomes, da Liga Design.
Este ano, a pesquisa ampliou seu universo de análise. O número de entrevistados – de todas as classes sociais do Brasil inteiro -passou de 12 mil para 15 mil e as marcas expostas para avaliação passaram de 224 para 238.

As well as doing a pantomime this year, I’m also in the schools production of Oliver. To be honest, it’s a week before first curtain call and we’re seriously NOT ready. I’m being a tad hypocritical blogging from my iPhone when I really should be doing something, but there’s nothing to do.

So, in repute of the entire thing, I’m in the wings of the stage listenning to lady gaga.

Cherry, cherry, cherry boom boom.

Thanksgiving 09 was spent in Rapid City, SD with Danny, Cynda, Annalise & Sawyer.  We had a wonderful weekend together and feel incredibly grateful for time together and all the blessings life bestows upon us. 

The kids had a blast on all of our adventures.  Oliver was sad when we got back home last night and said “we not suppose to be home, we suppose to go to our(hotel) room for a venture with Annalise.”  For 9 hours in the car on both Wed & Sun the boys did awesome and we see many road trips in our future. 

Now, the pictures….

Thanksgiving Day

the boys did their thing - watching cartoons

Sawer was sick, so the rest of us took a walk at a park in downtown

kids playin pooh sticks

someone got very tired

papa was tired too!

Friday – Mount Rushmore & Jewel Cave

1st glimpse of Mt. Rushmore

Hello Mr. Presidents

Annalise & Oliver usin the buddy system

kiddos & presidents

Us & the Presidents

DCAS & the Presidents

The Presidents

Howdy George

Abe

Oliver playing in the dirt

Jewel Cave

waiting to begin our journey - 23 stories down - we finished 723 steps later & almost 40 stories down

cave formation

cave

cave

cave

cave bacon - look in the middle of pic - seriously that is what they call it

O was a bit freaked out and restless bu overall did very well considering...

Ethan somehow snuck up front right next to the ranger

crazy horse

after Jewel cave we celebrated Christmas together

Saturday was spent at the Water Park at our hotel, we celebrated Doug’s bday and Cynda and I snuck away for an afternoon performance of The Nutcracker.

ethan and annalise h2o lazy river

o ridin the river

doug and e giant slide

cynda and sawyer - river

e & a began going down the big slides together - sometimes they hauled up their own tube when a parent wasn't around

i love this pic! the kids had a ton of fun & went on the slides a zillion times

Doug’s bday

Doug wanted pizza for his bday meal - he also a got a giant pizza cookie

Basch boys

trying to take a group shot of the kiddos???

the kids swarming doug helping him open gifts

As you can see it was a fantastic trip! 

Wishing you a peace filled holiday season! 

The last of the oak leaves fell, arranging themselves artistically in patterns on the ground.

The trees alongside lush green fields shed their autumn clothing.

The Virginia Creeper hung on in there, not yet willing to surrender the last of her scarlet jewels.

And it rained. 

It rained so much that we had to bribe Lucy with apples and biscuits just to get her to leave the house.  Here she is, rear end only visible, as she hurries to get home.

I reckon she thinks Oliver has the best idea.  And I would have to agree!

This is my contribution to My World Tuesday.  Thank you to Klaus, Wren, Sandy, Sylvia, Louise and Fishing Guy who keep it going for us every week.  If you’d like to join in yourself, or if you’d like to see what others have contributed this week, please click on the link below.  Have a great week, everyone.

This episode features tracks whose performers have the letter “o” somewhere in their name (every track except one). Here is the tracklisting:

The Originals “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me”
The Originals “She’s My Old Lady”
The Originals “Game Called Love”
The Originals “Behind Closed Doors”
Brothers By Choice “Oh Darlin”
Jeffery Osborne “Getting Better All The Time”
Ozone “The Preacher’s Gone Home”
OBryan “Still Water #9″
David Oliver “Private Tonight”
Arthur Adams “Private Tonight”
Jeffery Osborne “Baby”
Jeffery Osborne “Congratulations”
Oliver “I Gave Myself To You”
Oliver “I Want Your Love”
Oliver “If I Should Lose This Love”
Ohio Players “It’s Your Night”

Please feel free to send us an email at vibe@doctorvibe.com.

God bless, peace, be well and keep the faith,

Vibe and Teach
vibe@doctorvibe.com

Välkommen till nya bloggen gott folk!

Här kommer jag alltså att skriva om familjens vardag. Troligtvis kommer det att bli mest om Oliver och hans utveckling och framsteg. Hoppas att den här bloggen kommer att locka mig till mer skrivning än den andra, även om småbarnslivet inte alltid tillåter eller innebär kraft över till sånt här…

För att göra det lite festligare ska ni få en (några veckor gammal) bild att beundra så här på denna regniga måndagseftermiddag!

We wanted to prepare Addison for Oliver’s departure.  It’s wouldn’t be fair for her to walk into the house after a play date to find her best friend has disappeared.  Addie is a smart kid.  She picks up on nuances and knows something is amiss in our lives.  She came up to me yesterday while we were playing blocks on the living room floor, put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Mama sad.”  I thought that was a good opener to talk to her about why Mama is sad and what is going on with Oliver.

Things my 2-year-old does not understand:

• Death
• Euthanasia
• Cancer

Mercifully, she doesn’t understand all of those things.  I don’t want her to.  She doesn’t get that we don’t want to make this decision.  She also doesn’t understand that, if given the opportunity, we would move mountains to make it all better. 

What Addison can grasp is the concept of Oliver living somewhere else.  My goal in all of this is not to lie to my daughter, but to put things into terms that a two-year old can understand.  It’s not as easy as it sounds.  We sat down and told her that soon Oliver was not going to live with us anymore.  He was going to have to live with God in Heaven.  For once, in my life as a parent, I am glad I didn’t video tape this moment because the look on Addison’s face – the confusion, fear and disbelief that crossed over her - was one that I never want to see again.  Then she pointed to the door and said, “Oliver, car?”,  asking if he would be going for a ride somewhere.

Since God and Heaven are also concepts we haven’t yet covered in toddler teachings, we had to break it down even further.  We explained that Oliver is going to live in Heaven – up in the stars – where he will be happy and he’ll be able to chase his ball all day without getting tired.  The downside is that we won’t be able to see him anymore, but he will be up on a star looking down on us.  Anytime we miss him, we can go in the back yard and look up into the sky and wave to him on his star.  Addison was getting confused.  And a little upset.  I could tell she had questions but didn’t know how to articulate them.  I decided that was enough for the day.  Maybe I had gone too far.

Hours later as we were getting into our bedtime routine Addison pointed to the ceiling and said, “Mama, Oliver up high?  Star?”  And all I could do was tell her, ”Yes baby, Oliver will be up in the stars.  But for now, lets love him while he’s here with us.” 

A briga entre a Apple e a Microsoft ganhou um novo capítulo, desta vez, por meio de mensagens em posts no Twitter.

Tudo começou quando a empresa de Bill Gates fez uma parceria com a loja Saks para um painel mostrar as opiniões de internautas postadas no Twitter sobre as promoções de Natal da Microsoft, com a hashtag #holidaywindows.

No entanto, fãs da Apple decidiram entrar na brincadeira e começaram a colocar mensagens com a mesma hashtag, mas elogiando produtos da empresa rival e criticando os PCs com Windows.

O painel, que filtrava todas os posts no Twitter com a hashtag pré-determinada, começou a exibir as críticas e os fãs da Apple boicotaram a campanha publicitária da Microsoft.

Fonte: UOL Gigablog

A Acer começou a vender seu primeiro celular equipado com o sistema operacional Android, do Google, esta semana, e introduzirá novos modelos com a plataforma ano que vem, anunciou o presidente da divisão de telefonia da companhia.

A segunda maior fabricante mundial de computadores pessoais entrou no mercado de celulares este ano com 10 modelos, todos os quais, exceto o equipado com o Android, operam com Windows Mobile, da Microsoft.

“No ano que vem, o equilíbrio será bem maior”, disse Aymar de Lencquesaing em entrevista à Reuters. “O Android claramente tem impulso. O ritmo de avanço é muito mais alto que se poderia antecipar um ano atrás”, disse ele, acrescentando que a empresa não tem planos de usar outros sistemas operacionais.

O Android detinha 3,5% do mercado mundial de celulares inteligentes no terceiro trimestre, ante zero no período um ano atrás, enquanto a participação de Microsoft caía de 13,6% a 8,8% no período, de acordo com o grupo de pesquisa Canalys.

De Lencquesaing afirmou que a Acer não tem planos de acompanhar os grandes fabricantes de celulares, que introduzem de 50 a 100 modelos novos a cada ano. “Nosso ponto ideal é provavelmente de entre oito e 10 aparelhos, e com isso nos sentiremos confortáveis”, disse.

O setor de celulares inteligentes, em rápido crescimento, se tornou campo de batalha entre os fabricantes tradicionais de celulares e os de computadores, com a Asustek, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo e Dell também interessadas no mercado. “Trata-se de um mercado lotado”, disse de Lencquesaing, acrescentando prever quedas fortes nos preços dos celulares inteligentes, o que beneficiará fabricantes de computadores como a Acer. “No setor de computadores, estamos todos acostumados a quedas acentuadas de preço. No final, quem sai ganhando é o consumidor, e isso expande o mercado”, afirmou.

Seguindo o caminho inverso, no mês passado a maior fabricante mundial de celulares, Nokia, começou a vender laptops.

Fonte: Reuters

I recently sat for five hours with half a dozen women (and one man with a real gift for ironing) as they assisted the costumer for Greasepaint Youtheatre’s upcoming production of Oliver! I too wielded the needle and thread but fear I shouldn’t have been so armed under the influence of heavy duty cold meds.

Somewhere today there are cast members or costumers pulling out their hair, and my stitches, in an effort to salvage the remains of sewing projects gone horribly awry. I can only beg for their forgiveness, and promise in the future to poise my pen rather than my seam ripper.

Am I the only middle-aged mom who fears my eyes and fingers—and so many other body parts—are turning on me just when I need them the most?

Yet as we chatted, I gleaned all kinds of insights into the world of young performing artists and the people who love them. Turns out my fellow volunteers were experts in all kinds of things (parents usually are), including what to look for when considering a performing arts experience for your child.

Many have children who’ve auditioned and/or performed for several Valley theater companies, and all had terrific suggestions for other parents preparing to hit the performing arts scene with their talented kids. Ever wondered what to look for in a quality theater experience for your child? Here’s what they suggested (with a few of my own observations thrown into the mix)…

Assume that the best ideas are theirs. I’m still in cold meds detox and many of these parents—including a mom preparing a move to Southern California so her teenage son can try his hand at several television pilots—are infinitely more experienced than I.

Learn what you can about expectations for performers. How often do children rehearse and perform? The younger your child or the more rigorous your child’s academic program, the more you may struggle with demanding schedules (daily rehearsals, late nights, etc.). Check the show’s calendar when your child auditions so you know what will be expected time-wise if your child is cast in the production.

Also check on expectations for parents. Will you need to attend one or more mandatory parent meetings? What type and amount of volunteer work is expected (ushering, supervising young cast members backstage, etc.)? High expectations aren’t necessarily a bad thing, just something you want to be aware of. (Remember when volunteering that s/he who signs up first has best choice of jobs and dates/times!)

Consider what may be required financially. Some theaters ask or require that families sell a minimum number of tickets (most let you count your own tickets toward the total, so this may not be a problem if you want to be in the audience multiple times). Others may expect families to buy costumes and/or accessories (tights, shoes, etc.). Also ask whether families are expected to participate in fundraising (selling raffle tickets, attending fundraising events, etc.).

Take note of safety-related issues. Are slipping or falling hazards minimized? Are potentially hazardous materials like paint removers kept out of children’s reach? Is nighttime lighting adequate? Are children properly supervised? Are drop-off and pick-up locations safe and secure? Every parent has his or her own standards, so just assure yours are a good match for the company/venue your child is working with.

Observe whether adults are behaving appropriately. Many years ago, I was shocked to see experienced theater professionals swearing or smoking while surrounded by children. You’ll lose some sway over this as your child gets older and performs in more mature venues, but it is certainly something you don’t have to accept for your child when he or she is very young. Hopefully adult volunteers are on their best behavior too.

Also consider the behavior of young performers. Are they respectful of their teachers, even when teachers have left the room or made an unpopular decision? Do they gossip or bully one another, or are they supportive and genuinely nice to fellow performers? You’re always free to ask about written behavior guidelines (parents and students sign codes of conduct before students can participate in Arizona’s annual thespian festival) and the consequences for performers who don’t meet these expectations.

Notice the way things are organized and communicated. Do children start and finish at scheduled times? Are schedule changes communicated both verbally and in writing? Are volunteer hours logged accurately and consistently? Do you get plenty of advance notice when your child needs to gather make-up or other supplies? Do you have phone numbers for key players in case of emergency or questions about the production?

For some parents, practical matters carry a lot of weight. Are rehearsal and performance venues within a reasonable driving distance? Can you balance the needs of multiple siblings while taxiing one child to and from the theater nearly every day? I love the approach of one mom I spoke with—she makes sure siblings get to attend their sister’s performance with friends in tow. That way it’s a fun event for them too, rather than merely a show of support for their sib.

Other parents evaluate companies and venues with more forward looking fervor. One stage mom I know says she refuses to let her child perform at the same theater for more than two successive shows. She wants to assure he is a versatile performer, accustomed to a wide variety of rehearsal spaces, stages and even directors and other professionals. While some parents prefer the comfort of a single director who can really get to know their child over time, others prefer that their child work with the greatest number of qualified professionals as possible.

It never hurts to consider the personal qualities and professional qualifications of teachers, directors or others who work with your child in a performing arts setting. One parent might favor a strict ballet teacher, while another may prefer a teacher who takes a gentler tone. (It’s clear the Oliver! kids genuinely respect and admire director D. Scott Withers, enjoying his balance of strict professionalism with supportive personality.)

I’m not suggesting you volunteer with ulterior motives, but it has occurred to me while writing this piece that there are many things I only know because I volunteer. Eavesdropping is tacky. Don’t do it. But being present for your child, and getting a feel for the environments where your child spends time, is practically written into your job description as a parent. (But don’t hover—your child and the staff will want to arm wrestle for the privilege of chasing you out the door!)

Gossiping is as tasteless for grown-ups as it is for children, so take what you know with you when you go. The only thing I uncovered backstage at Stagebrush is that some folks are too kind to tell volunteers to use the lobby restrooms instead of the restrooms off the wings. No real scandal here. Just embarrassment. (This is the type of thing fellow parents ought to share with one another.)

Please tell me this too has happened to you. Who knew one could make such a commotion in the loo?

You can apply many of these musings to a variety of performing arts settings—camps, shows, classes and more. Only you know the nature and extent of your expectations when your child is participating in a music, dance or theater experience. But we all have one thing in common—we’re better off when we take time to reflect on our values and expectations ahead of time.

You won’t always have a feel for these things in advance. Like much of parenting, there’s wisdom in experience, and sometimes only trial and error take you closer to your true comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t be afraid to fail. Your child is learning right alongside you about how to make choices about how and where to spend his or her time and energy.

Sometimes they need to learn these things on their own, but when you can share the journey, embrace it. They are little for only so long…

–Lynn

Coming soon: Reflections (of parents and performers) on mature theater for youth. (Have an opinion on the new television series Glee? Too racy or right on? Let me know by commenting below!)

the above quote tops my list of reasons why everyone should watch ‘parks and rec’. also, i think i’m going to have to start saying that, even when it’s totally out of context (kind of like now) just because it’s the best quote ever. especially you ‘office’ watchers- you would be hooked!

now, on to things that are relevant. hope everyone’s thanksgivings were smashing. i know mine was. got to chill at mom’s for a week, no make up, hair all out in thriller-status full throttle, and see the whole family. including the newest addition to our family- oliver:



since he’s the only man of the house, he pretty much runs shit. yup, he’s the king. his throne? the huge dog bed in the middle of the living room.


which forces chloe to sleep here:

lol poor chloe… but he’s just so cute, you can’t be mad at him! see?

it’s been a few days so i’m sure you’re fienin’ for some hot mess, and i’ve got a good one for you today- the new j.lo video!

first of all, courtney love- is that you? second, woman- you have children! you are on full out hooker steez and we just can’t have that. it’s already bad enough that a whole slew of your freaky sex tapes are about to be released next week. you’re gonna have to have the “birds and the bees” talk with your kids at age 3 at this rate. i mean, how else do you plan on explaining this one? so yeah, i’m gonna need you to stop with that. and third- can’t really say i’m in love with the track. or even like it at all for that matter. so this is going to be a problem as you are jennifer lopez and could probably get any songwriter in the world on your album. a crying shame, the whole lot of it.

in extremely important celebrity superstar news, i have a website! djkalkutta.com!! although, don’t look yet- there’s nothing on it! should be an “under construction page” up within the next few days, and the whole operation should be finished in a couple weeks. will definitely keep you all posted- especially since this crafty little wordpress blog will soon be attached to the website and you will be lured/forced into viewing my other media and listening to my mixes. muahahaha! prepare to be brainwashed! just kidding… but seriously, it will be dope. speaking of the which…i’m off to work on a mix to put up…post again soon.

A month later.  The fastest month in my recent memory.  It was a month ago that we were given Oliver’s diagnosis and, well, here we are.  Already.  We were told he’d have good days and bad.  We were told to give him medicine for his pain.  And now here we are, the bad days are outnumbering the good and the medicine is barely taking the edge off.

Oliver is not well.  We knew this.  We were told this, but now we’re seeing this.  Ollie’s lymph nodes are always swollen now, making it hard for him to eat.  He gags on his food during most meals.  It’s okay though, because I wet it down and mix it with canned food to make it easier for him to eat.  Ollie’s hind legs are very weak, undoubtedly a side effect of his stroke earlier this year.  He falls down a lot.  He slips on the tile floor.  It’s okay though, because I just pick him back up again.  I can pick him up all day.  We could go on like this for a long time.  The one thing I can’t help him do is breathe.  It’s hard for him to catch his breath and he is starting to wheeze.  I can’t breathe for him.  If I could, I would.  Believe me, if I could find a way to make this different - make this better - I would. 

So, here we are.  We’re having difficult conversations.  We’re trying to be objective, trying not to be selfish.  It’s impossible.  No matter how much I reason, no matter how many ways I look at it, I don’t ever feel like I am making the right decision.  He still wags his tail and greets me at the door when I walk in the house.  But is that enough?  Is it enough that when I pick up his ball he gets excited and wants to go outside?  He only has the energy for one or two laps around the yard.  Then we go in the house for 30 minutes of wheezing.  Is it enough to keep him here, to keep putting him through this, because of these snippets of his former life?  I don’t know that I will ever be at peace with this.  But in the end, it’s not about me at all, it’s about Oliver.  And right now Oliver is not well and he’s not going to get better.  This isn’t the flu.  There’s no pill, there’s no drug, there’s no procedure that will make him better. 

Here we are.  Today we went to the park as a family, maybe for the last time.  This week we will say goodbye to our best friend.  How do you do that when there is never enough time?

Den senaste veckan så har det varit mycket “vi komma, vi komma från Pepparkakeland…..” Gissar att dom övar in sånger till Lucia på dagis

Så under helgens Hallsbergsbesök fixade Mormor till ett Pepparkaksbak till Oliver. Och för att vara första gången så tyckte jag att bagartalangen fanns där (Han har det nog efter Mamma, hihi….)

Det blev grisar och hjärtan……

Nu måste vi mjöla lite Mormor…..

Är man liten så får man göra hjärtanen hur man vill i degen

Nu ska det kavlas ut lite mer deg.

If you’re in the US, here’s hoping you had a lovely Thanksgiving.  This summary is almost certainly incomplete as I’m filing it before departing for Michigan on Thursday.  But unless Brangelina announce a Thanksgiving Day adoption surprise, that’s probably not the end of the world.

Just in case you’re traveling, here’s the planes, trains and automobiles take on baby naming:

• Renault is calling its new electric car the Zoé.  According to the Daily Mail, this has resulted in quite the flap in France, where Zoé is a top twenty name for girls.  Parents have started online petitions; Renault says it is sticking by the name;
• I’m not familiar with the site, but Targana is reporting that a woman gave birth on a train and named her son Lalu – after politician and former Minister of Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav;
• And just to complete the trifecta, the baby named AirAsia after arriving aboard an Air Asia flight has been gifted with free flights for life.

A few other interesting links:

• Sebastiane is back, and she’s posted about some gems.  I quite like Svante and company, as well as Kaija – you might recognize her as a Finnish nickname for Katherine, but she’s also a Latvian name meaning seagull;
• Nancy had added prompts to her baby name site.  It’s far more helpful than asking your husband if he thinks his style is classic-modern or more modern-traditional?  Help her build the list here;
• Namberry has a fun list: 20 Lost Literary Girls’ Names.  I love Thisbe – though as Kat commented, it may not be the best reference to inspire a child’s name;
• I always tell myself not to be surprised by names spotted by Bewildertrix.  Then I click on one of her posts and see that Charlie Chilli has arrived;
• Would you name your twin sons Canyon Clay and Cavern Cane?  For Real Baby Names spotted that unusual set.  I do know another boy called Canyon, from our old ‘hood.  On his own, I rather like it.

I love a good celeb-with-offspring event for namespotting.  This Celebrity Baby Blog story mentioned a few interesting combos:

• Mary James – James Marsden’s daughter; 
• Medium’s handsome husband Jake Weber has a son called Waylon;
• Chef Wolfgang Puck passed on his first name as a middle for sons Alexander Wolfgang and Oliver Wolfgang;
• Hamish Linklater of The New Adventures of Old Christine has a darling daughter, Lucinda Rose.

In honor of Thanksgiving, Nameberry posted on Tom – as in turkey.  Thomas wears quite well on a little boy, and is the name of a dear friend of ours, too.  But ’round our house, Thomas is a train.

This blog post proves that some dads are really into baby names.  (Arthur, are you reading?)  The couple came up with four interesting choices.  Their daughters are Rica Emmanuele and Nadine Ysabele; their two sons are Joseph Leonele and Andre Ezekiele.  It almost makes me hope they’re planning on a fifth so I can see a shortlist of possibles!

Speaking of interesting sibsets, check out Nancy’s post on this 13-and-counting clan from England.  I won’t list them here, but let me say this: Morpheus and Peppermint are among the siblings.  I can hear you mousing over already …

Thanks for reading!

The holiday theater season is upon us, and I am doing my happy dance. While others are decking their halls or dropping while shopping, I’m in song and dance mode. I’m trading in tangled holiday lights for sparkling stage lights. I’m trading in fussy decorations for fabulous sets and costumes. I’m trading in all the worries the holidays can bring for all the wonder and magic of watching children dance and sing.

Whip out your calendar and join the fun. Plenty of shows are running now, and plenty more will run past the Christmas holiday—but the bounty of holiday theater peaks between December 4^th and 20^th, so now is the time to get your favorite show dates in your planner. Don’t let the season slip away without taking in as many of these wonderful performances as possible. (A little friendly competition, anyone?)

Ten or twenty years from now, your child may not remember all those things wrapped in meticulous ribbons and bows. But memories of holiday plays and musicals—because we experience them with family and friends, because they’re magical—endure.  And memories trump materialism every time.

I’ve compiled a list of holiday shows to make it easier for you to find your favorites (be sure and read my last two blogs as well—one featuring holiday dance, the other featuring holiday music). For even more fabulous choices of holiday activities, see this month’s issue of Raising Arizona Kids magazine and/or check their online calendar of family-friendly events and activities.

Don’t want to wait for the shows that open next weekend? Get your holiday happiness on now with Childsplay’s Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (a world premiere based on three of Barbara Park’s best-selling books). It’s already playing at the Tempe Center for the Arts (it runs through Dec. 27^th). We saw our first Childsplay show well over a decade ago and they still continue to amaze, amuse, delight and inspire us.

Also playing now is Desert Stages Theatre’s The Snow Queen (it runs through Dec. 20th at their theater in Scottsdale). Gerry Cullity wrote the book, music and lyrics for this production, which is adapted from a Hans Christian Andersen tale.  We’ve never been to Desert Stages, so I’ll have to mosey over and check this out before too long. I’ve run into plenty of parents who’ve told me their children had great experiences performing there.

Broadway Palm Children’s Theatre in Mesa presents Frosty the Snowman: A Magical Adventure Dec. 4^th-29^th, complete with a “unique kid-friendly luncheon buffet.”  Fountain Hills Youth Theatre presents The Nutcracker—a play—touted as a “hilarious original re-telling” from Dec. 4^th-20^th. Laughter. Lunch. More laughter. What’s not to love?

Greasepaint Youtheatre (affiliated with Phoenix Theatre but performing at Stagebrush Theatre in old town Scottsdale) presents Oliver! Dec. 4^th-20^th. My lovely Lizabeth is performing in this one, so you better buy your tickets now before I snatch up the very last of them! It’s been years since I’ve seen her perform there and I’m just a tad bit excited!

Oliver! is directed by D. Scott Withers, one of the Childsplay artists who first fueled Lizabeth’s love of theater, so we know to expect nothing less than magic with a twist after seeing his productions of Rent and Pippin last season. Come for the 2pm Dec. 5^th show and help support Greasepaint’s food drive for St. Mary’s Food Bank (bring a canned or boxed food item to enjoy ticket savings).

Valley Youth Theatre near downtown Phoenix presents A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail Dec. 4^th-23^rd. They’ve run this show for years because Valley audiences just can’t get enough of it. There’s really nothing like the power of Pooh. Grab your favorite stuffed animal—Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger or Roo—and take them along to enjoy it too!

Another returning classic is A Christmas Carol presented by Actors Theatre of Phoenix Dec. 12^th-24^th at Herberger Theater Center. It starts a bit later than the others, so you can pace yourself. In the meantime, check out the Actors Theatre website—it’s seriously fun and will leave you feeling smarter than before your visit. The show itself—featuring some of the Valley’s most talented and beloved cast and crew—will leave you inspired.

Arizona Broadway Theatre presents A Christmas Carol: The Musical at their dinner theater in Peoria November 27th-December 27th. Their cast also includes many seasoned actors and talented youth. And who doesn’t love the idea of combining two rare family experiences–a sit down dinner and a night of entertainment out on the town?

The award for biggest holiday “menu” goes to Theater Works, performing at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts—which is offering three holiday shows this year. One, a concert featuring Christmas carols sung by Youth Works, happens Dec. 16^th (doors open at 5:30pm). Check their website for info on the accompanying firefighter toy drive and food bank food drive. The others, playing Dec. 4^th-20^th, are Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Miracle on 34^th Street.

ASU Gammage is bringing Annie to Tempe as part of the Broadway Across America series, and their timing couldn’t be more terrific. Annie runs Dec. 29^th-Jan. 3^rd, so it’s the perfect anecdote for that letdown we sometimes feel when all the packages have been torn open and family members start their journeys back to faraway cities and towns. Annie is a truly timeless Depression-era tale you may find especially poignant this season as so many families are struggling.

Make time for joy. Make time for theater. Make time to be grateful. Make time for theater. Make time for memories. Make time for theater. Make time…

–Lynn

Note: Always call and/or click presenting companies/venues for complete and up-to-date event information. To learn about special ticket prices and promotions, sign up for e-alerts from your favorite music, dance and theater organizations. As always, I welcome your comments if I’ve overlooked something wonderful. I’m especially eager to hear about performing arts experiences celebrating diverse holidays, so thanks for sharing those too!

Someone pointed out to me the other day that singing is a physical activity and of course he was quite right. This fact was brought home to me on the evening of that same other day when we had choir practice. It was a full run through of the first concert, plus some of the additional songs we’re doing at the second concert. It was tiring! I really don’t know how people who sing while dancing and/or acting at the same time do it, because I was ready to lie down after an hour of standing up and singing! It’s not even like I haven’t done this before.

We sang the Angels’ Carol, which went better than it did the week before, but there was still one entry I’m sure I didn’t get right. That in itself was tiring, I think because I was worried about it and therefore tense and concentrating really hard to try and get it right.

Some of the rehearsal was good, but some of it was worryingly bad. I think, unfortunately, the badness won out in the choirmaster/musical director’s mind (I don’t even know what his official title is) because he seemed a bit down at the end of the rehearsal, which obviously isn’t a good sign. We did the wretched ‘Oliver Medley’ last thing in the rehearsal, which didn’t go very well from my point of view, mainly because it’s really long and by that point I was ready to curl up in a corner and sleep. I don’t like Oliver anyway, which doesn’t help! I don’t really know what it is about it I don’t like. Maybe I just don’t like musicals about children, because I don’t like Annie, either.

Anyway, I’m a bit worried about the upcoming concerts because we still can’t get all the songs right and we haven’t got any more rehearsals left! I suppose we will just have to do our best and hope it all goes alright on the night(s).