Life on stage and a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Today, Raia *finally* got a pair of jazz shoes to wear during dance class (she's been going barefoot up to this point), but it was only because of sheer luck! The pair we ordered through the studio back in August was back-ordered and didn't arrive until late September. They were waaaaaay too small. So the studio ordered us another pair in a different style (lace-up instead of slide-on to hopefully make them easier to get onto Raia's wide feet). We purposely ordered a size larger. They arrived yesturday and were *even smaller* than the first pair! But to the rescue came another jazz family who had ordered a pair of new shoes online at a super cheap price, and THEY were too small for their child as well, so they handed them over to the studio (since returning them to the seller would have cost more than what they'd paid for the shoes) to give to whoever still needed shoes.

That was Raia.

I was gone when they had her try on the shoes (I typically just drop her off and pick her up, since parents aren't allowed to watch the lessons because the kids get too distracted), but according to the receptionist Raia was sooo happy when they fit her feet, and she said "My mom will be SO HAPPY!" :)

They're tan, and she'll need to have a black pair for the final recital in June, but that gives us time to find a good pair that FITS at one of the dance supply stores that's about an hour away from us.

In other news, I've written a script! Nothing fancy or award winning, but I'm a little bit proud of it. :) Our Stake is doing a Road Show, and I (for some crazy reason) signed up to help write the script. A group of us got together to come up with a plot and a general outline of what would happen, then I sat down on Tuesday and wrote it all out, with dialogue and ideas for props and such. It took me all morning and into the afternoon. I called a "Teacher Inservice Day" for Raia's homeschool so that I could concentrate on it. (one of the perks of Homeschooling, and one of the reasons why we started at the beginning of August instead of the end of August like the rest of the kids in town did, was so I could call these impromptu days off and still be done with school by June). I think it's going to be a really cute play once it's edited down a bit, since it's a bit on the long side just now. (George, on the other hand wants to wait and see how good the acting is, before he gives a deffinite opinion on it. :op )

Today I took the kids to the pumpkin patch, after taking a look at the 10 day forecast. (the rain had BETTER STOP before Sunday if it knows what's good for it!!!) Today was the last dry (if cloudy) day for a while, so I let Errol play hookie from pre-school and we hit up the local pumpkin vendor.

We went on the free hayride, and the kids had a ball. Patrick especially enjoyed it. He sat nicely on the hay bales, or looked out over the sides of the trailor, or watched the large wheels of the tractor turning as it pulled us along, and laughed when it hit a bump. He loved wandering through the pumpkin patch as well. He picked two very small pumpkins as his personal selections to take home. Raia and Errol also picked two good-sized pumpkins, and I picked out a white one. Those two were more interested in the neighboring farm's goats than they were in pumpkins or hayrides. And I wasn't allowed to leave until I'd let them jump in the little bounce house the farmer had ingeniously placed near the weight-in station where you pay for your pumpkins ($1 per kid for 5 minutes of jumping). It was fun though, and we finally have our pumpkins. :)

Saturday is the hospital Halloween party for employee children. I'm thinking of doing a "test run" of my 80's Gym Rat costume that I put together to wear to Zumba on the 30th (there'll be a prize for the best 80's costume, and I'm determined to win it!) I've got white sneakers, black and rainbow stripped leg warmers, black leggings, a gray and white stripped long tank and an ultra-wide-neck pink sweat shirt. Plus I have neon colored plastic bangals, blue eye shadow, and I *hope* to find some neon earrings to wear as well, and maybe some black lace gloves. We'll see. :) I'm excited! I looooove Halloween!