Project 365, Week 43

What a week!  I'm not even sure how to put it in a nutshell.   We received some wow-only-God-could-do-that news that I'll share here just as soon as I think its the right time and there was also a sad ending, but I won't spoil that until, well....the end!

I'm (once again) taking advantage of the ease of Project 365 and, at least for now, making it an all-in-one post.  Didn't seem like it at the time, but it looks like we crammed quite a bit into seven days.

Shaun, along with a crew from our church, spent this week driving to MA to set up and practice for a show they are putting on at a church there.  Countless hours.  He was leaving here about 3 pm everyday and getting home sometime after midnight, once was 2 am.  They are all so excited to be taking the "show on the road".  Most times he's taken a kid or two with him...all three are such theater rats.

Okay, I think that's all you need for intro...now onto our week!

October 23

Amanda loves, loves to ride her bike and asks me everyday if we can go riding.  I oblige her as much as I can, especially on a quiet Sunday.  Just she and I went on a walk/ride and got some good time together....well, plus Dumb Dog, which is what Aiden calls Trot most of the time.  (No, I don't correct him! :)

Later, we went to watch Daddy play football and the kids had a blast playing with Alayna.  She  doesn't always understand what her big cousins are doing, but she's always happy to go along with it to be one of the "big" kids.

October 24
Amanda was so excited to be going to play practice with Shaun.  She's actually got this whole story worked out in her head where she is one of the leads in it.  She knows all the songs (her versions anyway) and lots of the lines.

One of the songs she sings often is "what's done in Vegas stays in Vegas".  Anyone who hears her and doesn't know about the play must wonder about us.  :)

(This is the show they are taking on the road!)
October 25
Rocco and Aiden sitting together watching tap dance class.

 October 26
I was up at 4:40 and spent the day at a photographer's event.  I took this picture so I could show Avery I was wearing her backpack...it easily carried my laptop, lunch, notebook, water and several books.

Once I got back to the bus station, I went to pick up the kids from play practice, where Shaun had them and drove the hour + home, getting home after 10:30.  Long day, but good.

 October 27
Avery and I played Scrabble after school while the other two were napping.

Having her away at school everyday has definitely made us more intentional about our time with her.  Not that I believe in quality over quantity, but, well...you know.

 October 28
We celebrated my mom's birthday.  Its been a very, very long time, if ever, that this particular group has been assembled.  My mom, her four kids and her sister from NY.  My sister hosted a lovely dinner and then we were off to a show.  It was so special to be with these people (and none of our 14 kids...Ha!)

My brother was stylin'!

 Isn't she pretty?   She's ageless, I tell you.

 We saw Jersey Boys (my second time).  They put on a great show at this venue.  I had a headache that got progressively worse through the evening and on my way home, about midnight I had to pull over and puke.  I was crouched down by the highway in my heels and I thought, some people do this for fun.  No thanks!

 October 29
This is where the sad news comes in.  Snow.  White, cold, wet, heavy, EARLY snow.

Except.....if you have kids!!

Then its wonderfully exciting!  Then you exclaim over and over with glee that "its Winter, Mommy, its Winter!".  And you stand and watch the first giant flakes come down completely in awe.

And then, just as fast as your mom can scrambled to get out some mismatched winter gear, you head outside (after first asking for Uncle Nathan) to collect snow to add to your syrup.  And your sister is gone and your brother is sleeping and your mom can't stand the smell of syrup so you eat, wholeheartedly, by yourself and think YAY snow.  I'm SO happy it snowed today!!

Shaun and all the cast drove up to do the show.  They were warmed up, in full costume and makeup, all systems ready to go even with the snow coming down hard and, twenty minutes before curtain...the power went out!  SO heartbreaking!  They had to pack up with flashlights and head home in terrible MA driving conditions.  Shaun, who is out plowing in every storm, said its some of the worst conditions he's ever seen.

He's amazing, that man.  After being SO disappointed about the show not happening, and a very stressful two hour drive home, the first thing he does when he walks in is hug me and the kids and then is chasing after the squealing little ones as he tries to tickle them and "throw them on the bed".  Love him!

There's another show scheduled for tonight...if they get power back in time.

This is the second highest power outage our state has ever had, right after storm Irene, which was just two months ago.  Its crazy, in a nightmarish kind of way.  If you have never lived in the Northeast then its hard for you to know how LONG the winters are here, and to be starting it two months early is very disappointing.

I'm linking up with Sara and crew today.  Have a blessed week!