DC Diaries, Day 1: Capitol Hill

Arrival

After a morning of nervous pacing, Adrianne drove me to the airport, and I was off on my dream vacation. I flew to Baltimore Washington International airport (BWI for short), with a one-hour layover in Dallas. I arrived on the east coast at around 9:00 in the evening. My friend Shane Thompson picked me up and took me back to his house, located about an hour south of BWI (and a half-hour south of D.C.). Although there were airports closer to his house, Shane was willing to pick me up at BWI, since the cheapest airfare brought me there. I appreciate Shane's willingness to drive so far out of his way in order to save me a good deal of money.

We took the beltway around the north side of DC. Shane told me that we were taking this route so we could see the LDS temple, which would dramatically appear above the beltway. I had heard that this view of the DC temple was startling, but I was not prepared for it.

As we topped a rise, the temple appeared suddenly before us. I was in mid-sentence, and immediately stopped what I was saying and breathed a low "wow." The temple loomed directly above the roadway. It was lit up for the night, and with the dark vegetation between the temple and the beltway, the temple appeared to be floating above the road. It was breathtaking.

Imagine this scene, only at night!
(photo from Wikipedia)

We got into the Thompson household at around 10:30. After chit-chatting for a few minutes, Shane showed me my room, and I got ready for bed. A combination of nervous excitement and a body still on Arizona time made it difficult to fall asleep that night. 

Slugging

I had been prepared to spend close to $100 for a weekly pass on the Virginia Rail Express, to move me between DC and Woodbridge, VA, where I was staying with the Thompsons. However, shortly after moving to Virginia, Shane tried out an innovative commuting option called slugging. He enjoyed the experience so much that it was now his mode of choice. He convinced me to try it with him and I agreed, despite my reservations.

"Slugging" is essentially an informal car pool. Riders, called "slugs," line up in designated but unmarked locations, usually near a bus stop or at a park-and-ride facility. In order to use the HOV lanes near DC, single riders will come to the slug lot and pick up enough riders to qualify. No money changes hands. The driver gets to use the much faster carpool lanes, and the slugs get a free ride into town.

(Historical note: the term "slug" is in reference to fake coins that dishonest people would try to use to get a free bus ride. In the early days of slugging, bus drivers thought the slug lines were people waiting for a bus. When they found out they were fake riders, they were given the same name as the fake coin).

Slugging has a few unspoken rules. Riders and drivers don't talk to each other, except to thank each other at the end of the trip. Riders don't complain about the music choices of the drivers nor fiddle with the radio. 

My first morning as a slug, we arrived at the lot and there was a single car waiting to go to L'Enfant Plaza. The driver already had one rider, but I didn't want to slug alone on my first experience. Shane asked the driver if he could take a fourth rider so that we could go together. The driver acquiesced, moved some papers from the back seat into the trunk, and away we went.

The carpool lane moves tons faster than the regular lane
(photo from vdot.org)

As the week went by, I got more confident in slugging. I'm not sure that I could use it for a daily commute, but it certainly saved me some money. By the end of the week, I was slugging on my own and didn't need Shane to hold my hand. 

Early Peregrinations

From L'Enfant Plaza, Shane and I walked north to the Mall.  A jolt of excitement went through my body as I first set foot on the Mall. With the Capitol building to my right and the Washington Monument to my left, I spread my arms and did a full-on Maria Von Trapp twirl (minus the singing).

My first selfie of the week

I didn't have anything planned until later that morning, so I moseyed eastward. Like a flighty tourist in Hollywood, I was imagining celebrities at every turn. At one point, a pair of walkers passed me by, discussing the Reagan Doctrine. One of the walkers was slim of build with short curly hair. I was half-convinced that it was Rand Paul, but had no way to confirm my suspicion.

The south side of the Capitol Building

I took my time walking over to the Capitol reflecting pool, circled around the capitol building's south side, and crossed the street to the Supreme Court building. I sat on the steps of that sacred and historic building and simply savored the moment. Here I was. In DC. Living out my dream vacation.


Capitol Building

 I had a reservation for a tour of the Capitol building at 9:30. The tour began with a short film about the structure of the legislature and the history of the building itself. After the film, the 100 or so people in the theater were divided into three tour groups.  

The tour included four rooms in the Capitol: the Crypt, the Old Supreme Court Chambers, the Rotunda, and the Statuary Hall.

The Crypt is a room beneath the rotunda, with some forty columns holding the building up.  It was originally going to serve as a tomb for George Washington, but that plan didn't work out and the tomb in the center of the room remains empty. On the outer walls of the room, are 13 statues, each one representing a founding father from each of the thirteen original colonies.

The Crypt

Next was the Old Supreme Court Chamber. For most of its history, the Supreme Court had no home to call its own. From 1810 to 1860, they met in a committee room in the basement of the Capitol. In 1860, the Senate moved into a larger chamber for themselves, and the Supreme Court moved into the Senate's old chamber. It wasn't until the 1930s that the court got a building of their own.

The Old Supreme Court Chamber

From there, we moved to the Capitol Rotunda, truly a sight to behold. On the inside of the dome is a painting called "The Apotheosis of Washington."  In the center of the painting, Washington sits enthroned in heaven, flanked by the goddesses Liberty and Victory. It's a bit overdone in its hero-worship of our first president, but impressive nonetheless.  Under the dome, paintings from scenes of America's founding circle the room, along with statues of various former presidents.

The Capitol Rotunda

The Apotheosis of Washington

Our final stop was the Statuary Hall. On the way there, we passed the office of the Speaker of the House. I snapped a photo of the door and moved on. Later, as our tour guide talked us through the significance of the hall (it used to be the chamber for the House of Representatives), a group of people walked through the center of the hall. I mused to myself that one of the men looked like John Boehner, but thought nothing more of it after my fake-sighting of Rand Paul earlier that morning.  However, as soon as the group had passed through the hall, our tour guide confirmed that it was indeed the Speaker of the House that had passed within ten feet of me.

John Boehner's Office

Statuary Hall is, as you can guess, filled with statues.  Every state in the union can send two statues to the Capitol building. These statues are spread throughout various parts of the building, but a large portion of them are in Statuary Hall. There is one additional statue--that of Rosa Parks--that belongs to no state. She is honored by all the states equally.

Statue of Rosa Parks

Supreme Court

After my tour of the Capitol, I wandered back to the Supreme Court Building. This time I went inside and wandered the halls. The first floor of the building is dedicated to portraits of former justices, as well as informational displays about the history of the building and the symbols used in the carvings and reliefs found throughout the building's interior and exterior.   

The Supreme Court building...and myself!

John Marshall, perhaps the greatest Chief Justice in U.S. History

The Supreme Court is a fascinating institution to me. I agree with their opinions about as often as I disagree with them, sometimes frustratingly so. But I think my fascination with the court is due to the fact that, more than any other branch of the government, the court is collegial, meritocratic, and principled.  Let me explain.

The Supreme Court of the United States
(photo from Wikipedia)

Before each hearing, the justices meet in private to don their robes. Part of this ritual includes every member of the court shaking hands with every other member. They remind themselves that they are in this together. Two justices might have disagreed the previous week, but they now put those differences aside and enter the court room with equally open minds. Having a lifetime appointment means that these men and women are to work together for decades, and this knowledge often lends itself to a more collegial air than is found in Congress.

Unlike Congress or the presidency, justices are chosen from a field of professionals who have actually accomplished something with their lives. They are not selected based on how good they look on TV, or how well they speak in sound bites, but rather on the quality of their legal scholarship. You can agree or disagree with the views of Kagan or Scalia, but you cannot deny that each and every justice was an accomplished lawyer and jurist before being appointed to the court.

Finally, each justice on the Supreme Court approaches the law from a different perspective.  It may be conservative, or liberal, or a mix of both depending on the issue.  But they apply that perspective in a principled way.  Justice Thomas does not try to get Sotomayor to sign on to his opinion by agreeing to sign on to one of hers.  There are no kick-backs, or deals, or negotiations.  Supreme Court opinions are (usually) based on principles, conviction, and sincere legal reasoning.

Afternoon

Lunch that day was at the West Wing Cafe, a small deli-style restaurant a few blocks north of the Capitol.  I had a turkey focaccia sandwich, with lettuce, tomatoes, veggie cream cheese, and sprouts.  It was delicious, but not meriting a photo. Still, if you're in the area, and find yourself in need of a sandwich, it's a solid choice for lunch.

After lunch I walked to the south side of the Capitol, where I found the U.S. Botanic Garden. The garden includes a series of connected greenhouses, wrapped around a central greenhouse structure.  The central building is the jungle room, and it's quite impressive. Each of the greenhouses surrounding the jungle room also has its own theme: ferns, desert plants, orchids, medicinal plants, and so forth. I sat and took a long break in the medicinal plants section because it just smelled so good.

Following my brief exploration of the Botanical Garden, I headed over to the Museum of the American Indian. Unfortunately, here I was disappointed. The museum seemed to emphasize how modern Native Americans synthesize the pressures of modern and traditional cultures. In doing so, many of the displays neglected to inform visitors exactly what that traditional culture is all about.  The flow of the museum was rather counter-intuitive. Half the time, I had no idea where the tribe on display was located.

A random naked statue in an exhibit in the American Indian Musuem

By contrast, there is a museum at the University of Arizona that has a permanent display on Indian Tribes of the Southwest and their traditional cultures. I thought this museum far surpassed the Smithsonian's effort at a similar museum. I only spent two hours in the Museum of the American Indian, so it's entirely possible that my first impressions would not be borne out by a more focused visit.

Supreme Court Again

My morning visit to the Supreme Court was ill-timed. Court docents host lectures inside the court room, but these lectures start every hour on the half-hour. During my visit earlier in the day, I didn't learn about the lecture until my perusal of the first floor was complete, and by then the lecture had already started. I would have had to wait for another 45 minutes for the next one, so I determined to come back later, if my schedule allowed for it. As I finished up at the Museum of the American Indian, I looked at my watch. It was 3:00. I figured I could make it to the Supreme Court building in half an hour and attend the final lecture of the day.

The Great Hall in the Supreme Court Building

The lecture itself was pretty good. The docent covered court procedures as well as some history of the building. She explained the carved relief sculptures that could be seen along each of the upper walls of that chamber. These friezes depict historical lawgivers (on the north and south walls) and  allegorical symbols representing different aspects of the law (on the east and west walls). After the lecture concluded, I lingered in the court room, meditating on the great reverence I have for this veritable "temple of justice." This was one of those sacred moments I had come to DC to find; a quiet moment of contemplation in a near-sacred place.

I returned to the first floor, and perused the displays once again. I read a more in-depth description of the court room friezes and then headed over to the gift shop. With a tight budget for this trip, I knew that I could buy only one souvenir. My reverence for the court pretty much dictated where this souvenir would come from. I walked out of the court a few minutes later with a small leather notebook, embossed with the seal of the Supreme Court, that I can use at work to take notes during meetings.

Evening Walk

My brother-in-law was coming down from Connecticut to experience DC with me for the weekend. I figured I had no right to invite him to stay at the Thompson home, so we got a hotel room, the cost of which we split between us. We decided to stay at the Washington Hilton, which was both affordable and historic (it's the hotel where Reagan was shot in 1981).


Ray was not due in until after 11:00 that night, so I checked in without him. After doing so, I walked down to Dupont Circle to find dinner.  I had previously researched a fast-foody joint called Panas, which specializes in empanadas. It's a small operation, with only two locations in the DC area. The restaurant offers over a dozen different empanada flavors, so it was difficult to choose just four for my evening meal. The ones I chose were delicious, but I remained curious about the other flavors so I decided that I would have to return here later with Ray.

After dinner, I took a stroll down Massachusetts Avenue, a section of DC sometimes called Embassy Row. Every other house on Embassy Row flies the flag of some foreign nation. Some of the homes have a large sign out front proclaiming the nation to which it belongs. Others have a small plaque next to the door. These were a little difficult to read at night. Still others were not clearly marked at all, leaving me to guess whose embassy it was, based solely on my knowledge of world flags (scant though it is).

Countries from around the world, large and small, can be found on Embassy Row. From Ireland to India, and from Belize to Croatia. Giants of world politics like Great Britain, and tiny countries struggling to make it, like Haiti.

The Embassy of Brazil sports this sign on their front driveway

By the time I reached Rock Creek, I had already walked a mile of Embassy Row, and I was tired. I faced the prospect of re-walking every step I had already taken to return to the hotel. But I knew that another half mile would take me to the British, Bolivian, and Brazilian embassies, as well as the Naval Observatory, which is the Vice President's official residence.

It was on this extra push to the end of Embassy Row that I came across a moment of surprising emotion. In front of the British Embassy is a statue of Winston Churchill. The British Bulldog is posed with one foot stepping forward, such that the statue has one foot on American soil, and one foot on British soil.  I sat for a few moments at the foot of that statue, finding again a moment of quiet contemplation. 

The British Bulldog

I'm glad that I pressed on that night, saw the embassies, viewed the gates to Biden's home, and found the statue of Churchill. It was a long day, and I stumbled back to the hotel, but I was satisfied that I had made the most out of every moment that day. And I still had a very full week ahead of me, many more moments to fill and many more dreams to realize.

It's Estrogen Week At The Barrett House

Nathan is out of town! He's on the East Coast, having fun in our nation's capital. It's just us four girls at home for now. Therefore it behooves us--as girls--to spend this man-less weekend doing all the "girly" things we can. To wit:

Girls get haircuts. Of course, they don't usually do it to themselves, unless they are three and a half and reckless. Sadly, Aurora took matters into her own hands this last week, slicing off random locks of hair and then gloating about it to me afterwards. I suppose it was inevitable that this day should come; both my older girls have tried cutting their own hair, so it was natural for Aurora to eventually follow suit.

Aurora didn't actually cut off lots of her hair, but she trimmed it so haphazardly, and in so many different places, that only a drastic cut would smooth the whole thing out. I cried as I cut off her blond locks (a friend would later smooth out my work). Aurora has incredibly fine hair (it's still as thin as a baby's), and it grows out incredibly slowly. This cut was erasing more than a year of growth. When Aurora saw her new "look," she cried too. Hopefully that will scare her straight! However, being young and emotionally resilient, she bounced back fast.

I have to admit the short cut suits her. It makes her look even spunkier and more adventurous than usual. We will probably come to love the look over the next several months. In the meantime, though, Aurora's dreams of braids, ponytails, and "Rapunzel hair" will be a long-term goal to work towards.

Girls have slumber parties. Since I had my whole king-size bed to myself, I promised the girls we could all sleep together in it one of the nights Nathan was gone. Friday night seemed like the best bet, due to our busy weekend. After a trip to the new frozen yogurt shop in Sahuarita, and then a nice spaghetti dinner at a local restaurant, the girls were beat, and it was time for bed.

As you can see, they are absolutely adorable when they sleep. As you can also see, they are taking up a little more space than they used to, and there was nowhere for me to sleep. I spent the night on the couch downstairs. No big deal; our downstairs couch is very comfortable, and that way I was able to drift off to sleep in front of the television's glowing gaze (the television has been my most constant companion of late). And the girls had a great time snuggling up together through the night.

Girls like to party (and go to church too)! This last Saturday was quite busy, filled with things both spiritual and temporal. In the morning, we attended the baptism of one of Lorelai's oldest friends, who is also the son of one of my dear friends. It was great to feel the Spirit and see how happy everyone was; so soon after Lorelai's own baptism, it was a great reminder of the power of the Holy Ghost and the importance of baptism.

After returning home and doing some housework, it was time for the "party" portion of the day; we headed over to Fiesta Sahuarita, the town's huge annual festival/birthday party/celebration:

That big slide on the right? I went down it. The girls were too chicken this year :(

We have gone to Fiesta Sahuarita most of the years we've lived in this town, and the last two years have been especially fun. Mostly because of the awesome inflatable water park they've set up! We actually spent most of our time in the water park this year. The girls loved every minute of it.

They ran through an inflatable maze, shooting water pistols at each other...

...zipped down several different waterslides...

...got very wet, and had a very good time.

After a while, I encouraged them to head over to the main festival grounds, since we had to be home early that evening. They were somewhat reluctant to leave, but thankfully the mini-Ferris wheel changed their minds!

 

You can't see her face too well, but Aurora is literally shouting with excitement in there.

This was the first time Aurora has ever gotten to ride on a Ferris wheel (she was denied earlier this year at the Pima County Fair), so she was in seventh heaven.

While they spun around, I decided to buy a treat for them to share...their very first funnel cake!

They were suitably impressed, and couldn't believe I'd never bought them one before.

We also took a quick train ride before heading home; the girls always love the train rides.

After three hours in the warm autumn sun (thankfully, the temperature that day peaked around the high 80s), we hustled home to watch the LDS Church's General Relief Society Meeting. Usually, I prefer to dress up and go watch the meeting at the church building (it's always broadcasted there), but without Nathan to watch the girls and after our hot afternoon, it was a relief to watch it from the comfort of my own living room (at least I put a dress on, though!). Also to my relief, the girls behaved themselves rather well, sitting quietly through most of the broadcast, or going upstairs to play quietly, while I watched. It was nice to be able to hear the talks and feel the Spirit from the speakers, one of whom was Thomas S. Monson, president of the church.

Girls stay up late, eating ice cream and watching TV. Well, actually, that' just me doing all that this week. I've been trying to lose some weight lately, but having Nathan gone all week has put me in "stuff your face mode" (hopefully I can make it back up later!). I bought a bunch of new ice cream flavors, and have been greedily sampling them in front of the TV each night. Also, since it's harder to go to sleep without Nathan here, I've been watching TV late into the night every night, which leaves me cranky without sugar, which leads to the consumption of more soda and ice cream and on and on and on it goes.

So far in Nate's absence, I have watched the entire second season of HBO's drama/fantasy epic "Game Of Thrones." Now, I'm moving on to "Downton Abbey," the soapy British costume drama that all my friends are crazy about. So far so good (that applies to the television and the ice cream).

I can't wait until Nathan gets home, and I can have a little testosterone in the house again!

Why D.C.

Like many people, I have a number of "dream vacations" percolating in my head.  Some of them are more likely to happen than others.  Israel may not be a realistic dream until peace breaks out in the Middle East, but Italy is certainly a possibility someday.  Seven years ago, one of those dream vacations became a reality as I walked through the ruins of Palenque and Tikal. 

Of the dream vacations that I've got swimming around in my noggin, the most easily obtainable is a trip to Washington D.C.  I've described this up-coming trip as a "dream vacation" to a few people and have been met with confused or incredulous looks.  A dream vacation, it seems, should be exotic or foreign or sensational.  My dream of going to D.C. seems unimpressively prosaic and mundane when compared to others' dreams of London, or Beijing, or Cairo. 

And yet, Washington D.C. is a dream vacation for me.  Those who know me well know how much this trip means to me.  Those who know me extremely well know why this trip means so much.  This blog post is an attempt to put that "why" into words.  That why covers a lot of territory, from the sacred to the profane, from high culture to pop culture.

 

First, and probably most obvious, is my love of politics and D.C. is the nerve center of American politics.  Although I'm unlikely to witness any great policy debates, or to go to lunch with any lobbyists intent on swaying my opinion, just being in the same place where it all happens is an intoxicating idea.

Second, and related to my first point, is the number of books, movies, and TV shows that have taken me to D.C.  Because of my love of politics, my favorite pop culture selections are often those that take place in our nation's capitol.  I've read Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn for years and my favorite TV show is the West Wing.  Some of my favorite movies have iconic scenes in D.C., including "A Few Good Men," "Clear and Present Danger," and "National Treasure." 

Through these books, movies, and TV shows, I have often seen the sights of our nation's capitol.  There are multitudes of scenes of people meeting on the pathways around the tidal basin, or in front of the memorial to Ulysses S. Grant, or on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  It'll be thrilling to be in the same place as these fictional events.

Third is my love of history and learning and museums.  Perhaps in no other place on earth, is there such a concentration of museums, most of them free.  These museums cover a wide range of human experience, from the American History Museum, to the Air and Space Museum, from the Museum of the American Indian, to the National Portrait Gallery.  I'm looking forward to lingering and pondering and learning as I mosey through each of these museums.

Finally, there is my love of American History, a love which borders on reverence.  Underneath the grit and grime of modern politics, the American ideal still resides unblemished and untarnished.  My trip to D.C. is almost a pilgrimage, as I look forward to quietly sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court, bowing my head in reverence at the Vietnam Memorial, and kneeling at the grave of Private First Class Ira Hayes. 

More than anything, it's this last reason that drives me to D.C. this week.  I've communed with the divine at precious times in my past: in the wilds of Colorado, on a hill overlooking the city of Tampico, Mexico, and in a quiet, shaded plaza in the ruins of an ancient city in the Peten jungle.  Now, as I walk where Lincoln walked, as I stand where dreams were shared, and as I honor those who went before, I hope to once more feel the divine spirit that has guided not only my own life, but so much of our nation's history.  Underneath the raucous and boisterous politicking at the heart of Washington, there is still a common creed that unites us as a nation, and a divine hand that upholds us as a people.  A visit to Washington D.C. is a chance for me to touch that history, to feel the tangible artifacts of our common creed, and to give thanks for the freedoms and liberties that are ours.

So, yes, Washington D.C. is a dream vacation, and one that will very soon be a reality.

Mr. Barrett Goes To Washington

No, he's not going as a former Boy Scout leader-turned Congressional representative...thank goodness. But yes, my wonderful husband Nathan is heading to Washington DC this week for the first time ever! He has never been to our nation's capital before, despite being a huge political junkie; a presidential election year is like a year-long Super Bowl for him. And yet, he's never had the opportunity to visit D.C. before. As you can imagine, he's very excited about it.

from tripadvisor.com

Before any of you start thinking Nathan is abandoning me to go off and have fun for a week...I want him to go, and I am very happy he gets this opportunity! The timing was right for him to go; some friends of ours from our Sahuarita LDS ward moved to the DC area just this summer, so Nathan will stay with them for a few days to save some money. Plus, he happens to be going during a national Free Museum Day promotion. That means, besides all the free Smithsonian museums, he'll be able to visit another, normally paid, museum for free! And finally, when Nathan started researching this trip several months ago, he found great round-trip fare tickets from Tucson to Washington. It was a confluence of events too good to pass up!

When I was in college, I spent a summer in Washington, D.C., doing an internship at the Library of Congress. It was one of the most fun few months of my life; I worked hard, then partied hard on the weekends, cruising every which way to visit all the sights on the east coast I'd never seen before. I also fell in love with D.C. itself; it's a beautiful city with a rich culture and history. I would definitely like to go back again someday, hopefully with the kids. However, we wanted to wait until they were a little older so they could fully appreciate the trip. In the meantime, though, this is an awesome chance for Nathan to go on a trip just for him; he will get to "soak in" the Washington D.C. experience without having to worry about anyone else. In fact, he is even meeting up with my brother Ray for a few days while in DC; Ray lives in Connecticut and it is hard for the family to visit him. I think those two will have a lot of fun palling around for the weekend!

It is true that I'm a little jealous of not getting to go along. However, I will have plenty of stuff to keep me busy while he's gone...piano lessons, school, Fiesta Sahuarita, a friend's baptism, and more. I also plan on taking the opportunity to catch up on some television shows Nathan's not interested in...I forsee some late nights of binge-watching in my immediate future! Finally (and most importantly), Nathan owes me now. Sometime in the near future (when the time is right), I will get a "me trip" of my own...it remains to be seen when and where that trip will happen, but I have plenty of time to start planning it!

So, look for some "guest posts" from Nathan in the coming weeks, as he shares photos and experiences from his trip. I realize this blog is technically "our" blog, but since I'm the one who usually does all the writing, it will be fun to have Nathan take over the reins for a while. But if the rest of the family has adventures without Daddy in the near future, you can expect blog posts on that as well! See you soon.

The Girls' Performing Arts Plans For The Year

Besides all the usual activities this school year (homework, piano teaching, church callings, etc.), all three of my girls will be participating in some sort of big performance late next spring. This is the first school year I've enrolled all three of my girls in some sort of extra-curricular activity. It has meant for a very busy few weeks, but I figure I'd better get used to it, because this is my life from now on! It's time to accept that I'm a mother of kids now, not just babies, and kids love to stay busy.

Anyway, here's what each of my girls has going on this year (from youngest to oldest):

Aurora is trying out dance class for the first time! I had a hard time deciding if we should sign Aurora up for dance class or soccer...she is a very fast runner and very high-energy, and she also has an aggressive streak that I suspect would make her a fierce sports competitor. In the end, though, I decided to give Aurora the chance to dance for a while. She has always been so jealous of her older sisters' dance classes, and she loves to wear Celeste's old tutus and flounce around the house. That made the decision easier.

Aurora is in the Creative Dance class, which is mostly just wiggling around and acting goofy. But Aurora is really excited by it; she feels very grown-up putting on her leotard and getting dropped off to dance on her own, without Mom hovering around. Her class is in the Sahuarita Dance studio in the southern part of town, so it's a little bit of a drive away, but so far so good! If she sticks it out, she and Celeste will be performing at the big annual recital next May.

Speaking of Celeste, she is returning to the Sahuarita Dance studio, after taking a year off for preschool last year. Since she has always been very into dancing, this felt like the easiest choice as far as my girls' extra-curricular activities went. Once in a while, Celeste says she also wants to play soccer, and I remember Lorelai's soccer seasons, when Celeste complained non-stop about how boring the game was, and fled the games at every opportunity. I suspect she only thinks she wants to play soccer, just because that's what Lorelai did at the same age. And then Celeste comes back from dance class and declares, "I love ballet! I ALWAYS want to do ballet!!"...and I feel that order has been restored into the universe.

This year, Celeste is doing Ballet I, with a few bigger girls. She's also the only girl in her class who doesn't have a pink leotard (hers is blue). The first day, she was ashamed of this fact, even though no one said anything mean to her. I think she's over that insecurity now, thankfully. Personally, I love that my daughter stands out in the class, both in costume and in beauty and personality (because I am not at ALL biased!).

Lorelai is breaking some new ground this year. In past years, she's danced, played soccer, played baseball, and taken part in a few after-school clubs. Over the last year, I've also started giving her piano lessons and she is starting to really do well at that and understand it a lot better. This year, we were trying to decide what she would like best; Lorelai wants to try a little bit of everything and she's always looking for new experiences. I just signed her up for a beginning karate class at the local community center. I suspect she will really enjoy karate; it has enough "action" to keep her entertained, yet it will also teach her discipline and self-control. Plus, it is a "solo" sport, which is good for Nathan and I, since we are a bit burned out on team sports for the time being. We blame Lorelai's baseball season this last winter for this.

However, a new and different extra-curricular activity also came up within the last month. It was an activity I was very excited about, and which I encouraged Lorelai to sign up for:

Our charter school will be putting on a play this year! Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, to be exact. Tryouts were open for everyone at school from 3rd to 8th grade. The play's director is a friend and a former visiting teacher. I encouraged Lorelai to go try out, telling her she would have a great time no matter what part she got. This I know from personal experience...my siblings and I did a lot of children's theater, and I was involved in several plays in high school. I was even president of the drama club! And yet, I never had a major role in any play. I had a lot of fun being a crew member, or even just a chorus member. Theater is hard work but exhilirating. I hoped Lorelai would feel the same way.

Lorelai got the CD with the tryout music on it. She sang along happily to it all week. She went, she tried out...and she got a part! It's a small part, granted (she has one whole line!), but she will also fill in as a lady-in-waiting and a general chorus member. She is excited, and she's already been to one rehearsal. Some of her friends also got parts, and I think it will be a fun way to bond with them...so long as they don't release their inner drama queens! I am so excited to see her in a bunch of cute costumes, singing and dancing. I hope she has a lot of fun. The school will be working on the play all year long; it will be performed at the end of April. It should be a busy but fun experience, and I look forward to seeing the final results.

Now let's see if I don't go crazy shuttling my little performers back and forth the whole school year!