In case you’re wondering, the title of this post is a bit ironic. If you hang around the Interwebs, you may have noticed that it’s real trendy or whatever to write articles and posts that start with a number. Somehow it makes the content more attractive and edible if you enumerate stuff.
Far be it from me to deprive you guys of those delicious, crunchy numbers. I want to honour your readership. So… Bon appétit!
TEACHER PREPARES FOR TRANSFORMATIVE EVENT
A week ago Thursday, I found out that I get to be staff at a week-long camp program in June that blends Leadership and Arts for Grade 7 and 8 students… and I get to be a teacher facilitator for Dance. 🙂 🙂 🙂 All descriptions of the program indicate that it’s the most profound, life-changing teaching/learning experience possible. I cannot describe how STOKED I am. (Merci beaucoup to Mr. A, who is responsible for me getting the position at all.)
On the same topic, I need to get on with whipping my own buns into shape. I still dance on a regular basis, but my fitness and flexibility levels are not where I’d like them to be for sharing dance space with 13- and 14-year-olds. Young teenage dancers tend to be seriously strong and bendy. (I was one, once upon a time, so I know.) Excellent motivation.
Mentally, I will also be whipping myself (into shape, or perhaps into a mess), by attempting to finish report cards and yearbook production before I go. I shall become the Duchess of Organization. It’s gonna happen. Grrr.
And lastly on this topic, I am girding myself psychologically to be away from my own munchkins for a whole week. One night + two days is still the longest I’ve been apart from E, and one day is the longest since AB was born. (Sean is gracious about this opportunity for me, which will also be a considerable challenge for him, parenting-wise; we are already arranging help for while I’m gone.) Luckily, there will be exciting things distracting me from the lack of baby kisses and endearing quotables… but still. There will be some withdrawal.
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WOMAN OVERDOSES ON CONTEMPORARY DANCE, SUFFERS NO ILL EFFECTS
Last weekend, I went to TWO dance shows in as many days. (Which is totally crazy, considering my normal rate of spectacles per decade, if you don’t count the ones I’m in.) On Friday night, Sean took me to see RUBBERBANDance Group as an early birthday present. It wowed us such that, over dessert after the show, the two of us had a real conversation about dance … which has never happened. Despite me being a dance performer, I honestly don’t think we’ve ever discussed the art form at any length before.
So yeah, minds were blown. Talk about strong and bendy. And seamlessly interactive in a way that looks effortless but has to be incredibly hard. Watch the promo, you’ll see what I mean.
Then, on Saturday evening, I was lucky enough to go with a group of dancer friends to see a live music/dance presentation called “Dichterliebe: The Poet’s Love,” by Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie. Again, it was fascinating and beautiful, though totally different from the other show. You can actually watch the whole thing in this video – except that in the show we saw, this same baritone – Alexander Dobson – had full facial hair and luscious shoulder-length locks. (The dancing starts about halfway through.) If you like poetry, it is worth checking out the words – they are rather extraordinary.
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TODDLER TURNS 18 MONTHS AND ENTERS ADOLESCENCE
On Sunday, Baby AB was officially 18 months old. She’s still very short, with diapers and a round baby-belly, but in many ways we feel like we have a teenage cliché in the house. (Two, actually, but that’s another post.) As our daycare provider put it the other day, “How can she be so small and so cute – and so willful at the same time?”
Teenager or Toddler? You be the judge.
- She talks almost nonstop;
- She often deliberately shows her belly button;
- She experiments with kissing;
- She loves accessories and bling;
- She wants to choose her own clothes;
- Unacceptable clothes are offensive to her;
- She likes to hold hands;
- She flies into rages with very little provocation;
- Reasons for her anger are not always clear;
- She alternates between needing help and being insulted by help;
- Her moods possess a quality of epic drama;
- You cannot convince her she’s wrong, ever;
- She frequently bugs her brother on purpose;
- She is learning and growing at a scarily fast pace;
- It is amazing watching her discover her potential.
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BLOGGER INADVERTENTLY WINS RAD BEVERAGE CONTEST
Also on Sunday, I had the pleasure of brunching with the lovely ladies behind bear & lion, Heather in Heels, Friends in my Closet, Eightyink, Rustric Retrievals, and Heart, Heather. We ate at State & Main, a restaurant chain which is still new to Ontario, and we were treated very well indeed.
When I arrived (typically late), most of the group was already there and had ordered Caesars, because apparently they’re brunchy. I did not order a Caesar (because CLAM BROTH), and there was no Mimosa on the menu, so I went with something that sounded good: a Mexican Bulldog. Little did I know it would be approximately the size of my daughter’s head, and look like this:
The ladies agreed that my beverage took the proverbial cake. And it was quite tasty and refreshing. And it was almost noon by then, so. Yeah.
Conversation was really fun, as usual, and the food was great. I had veggie eggs benedict, and it was delicious, but next time I’m having the Baileys banana-bread French toast.
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COUPLE TRIUMPHS BY WATCHING 40 SITCOM EPISODES IN NINE DAYS
Naw. That’s just too outlandish.
Sean and I wanted to triumph: I’d found out that How I Met Your Mother would ending forever on March 31st, and we had nine days to go. I figured out how many episodes we had left to watch (about 1.5 seasons) and I felt the fizz of determination. We got one evening in – I think we logged a solid six episodes… and then failed thereafter. Sean was working evenings and, well, it’s one of those shows we must watch together. The weekends were hectic and blah blah blah. We still haven’t even started the final season.
Fortunately, Skye was watching, and like a true friend, she sent me real-time non-spoiler updates, such as “I can’t believe that happened!!!” and “Now some tears…” so I could feel like I was participating. 😛
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All right, awesome teacher-dancer! When I’m back from Sweden I can take over on the Family Camp director stuff to let you get ahead of the report card and yearbook game. And of course we’ll help the week you’re gone.
Once again, congratufabulations!
I told Sean that you need to run a recording device for AB approximately non-stop for a couple of days, because in a month or so she will be talking in complete sentences with a grade 9 vocabulary and the full logical process and scientific method at her tongue-tip and you’ll wish you could remember exactly how cute she sounded when she was just 18 months old! So get it on record!
You’re right – we try to get footage, enough proper snippets that we can remember this amazing stage… but then there’s the “clam up when the video is running” syndrome. No matter how subtle we try to be. Maybe you’re right, we need a toddler-cam that’s just running all the time. 🙂
no need to fear the instgram. it’s quite friendly. friendlier than facebook! haha!
I’m sure you’re right… I know it’s really pretty… I just have an inferiority complex when it comes to photos.
Yeah, I used to be so caught up on HIMYM but this season got behind, and now I have to avoid the internet. EVERYONE wants to talk about how it ended. Man.
I TOTLALY – yes, TOTLALY – want to try the bailey’s french toast! Let’s go!
I bet that AB would want to eat it too. But she can’t, if Bailey’s. (I will make her some more spinach-lentil-rice croquettes as consolation.)
I can’t believe BOTH your shows are on the internet! Amazing! I am going to watch the heck out of them, sometime. And how funny about that guy with the beard/notsobeard thing. I can also bring my cd of the dichterliebe if you want, though i guess why would you if there is youtube.
I totally miss both your teenagers! No one says where I am, and there i am. No one says come, hold my hand, and kiss too. No one says can we do kirigami? No one calls me Mummy or Daddy. No one helps me take off my coat and boots when i come home. No one says Emi! Book! Read the book. Read it. Again. More page. Uh-oh! Sheep.
Hey, we should see if we can manage to watch the series finale together! Then we could feel epic and talk about how it ended together. Then we could celebrate with Baileys french toast.
For the record, there IS someone who’s saying (daily) “Where’s Emi?” and peering down the stairs – you just can’t hear her from your house. 🙂 <3
Awwwwwww!!!!