Weather Woes and Drama

Thursday after school and after we finished rehearsal I quick ran home and snagged all the close to Edwardian costumes I own and hauled them back to the school. They were going on a costume run on Friday and I wanted to show the Costumer what I had and help her sort through the wardrobes for what could be adapted. She really doesn't have much of a clue about the period and I wanted to let her know how I was costuming Maddie so we wouldn't be way off of the general plan :)

We had friday off because of SWEO (Southern Wisconsin Educational Organization) I think that is what it means. anyhow teachers are supposed to go to convention, but I got invited out to lunch with several from our school and some retiree friends. We went to the Great Dane in Madison and had a wonderful wonderful time. I really needed the laughs.

After I got back I dragged Maddie into Janesville to go look for finishing touches for her costumes. We of couse went to good will and the fabric store. found what we needed, but left about 15 minutes too late. Drove home basically in a white out of snow at about 25 miles per hour. It is sort of a back road and crosses one major river. Not enough traffic to keep track of the center lane or follow tracks so it was a little nerve wracking.

Saturday the snow really started to fall and we had to cancel rehearsal I called everyone and most were delighted. spent the day working on costumes. I managed to get most of Maddie's hat completed for the Ascot scene in MFL. Today we shoveled and had more snow and rain. It took me most of the day to get warm and dry. oh and we cancelled today's rehearsal too. It is going to be a very tough show this year.

Maddie and I rehearsed her costume changing and found that she can pretty much wear her main costume under most of her other costumes. This is very good news. I still need to hem up the wonderful period soutache coat I found for her. I still need to do a few little touch up and make her a ball gown, but otherwise things are very close to being finished for her. Yipee

sick people

Been busy with rehearsing and finding costumes and remaking Maddie's costumes for MFL and EBAYing for costumes so I don't have to make too many more costumes for Maddie. So that catches us up to Wednesday

Wednesday after school as I was headed over to the theater one of Maddie's classmates stopped me and told me that Maddie had left school early because she was sick. Now Maddie just does not get sick. I think I have called her in sick to school 4 times in all her years of school. She was never a sick baby. Only two amoxocillin events in her whole childhood. I was concerned, but unable to leave rehearsal.

When I finally got home I found her all curled up on the bathroom floor in her jammies with pillows under her head and the heater going. A big glass of water next to her. We have a very small bathroom so she was pretty well taking up the entire floor. She had been throwing up every hour since she got home. She commented that it was at exactly the same time every hour as well. I felt so badly for her. I got her a sippy straw which helped with the big glass of water. Puck had encouraged her to take some tylenol, but that came flying back up.

She was really upset about missing school the next day. They had a physics test that she really didn't want to miss. When she still was lying on the floor at 10:00 we decided that we would just call in sick the next day and then if she felt better in the afternoon she could go in for the test. This would at least give her a chance to get her homework done. She had a ton to do.

Puck was going to watch her, but ended up getting a call to come in and sub. I decided that I would stay home to watch Maddie if she was feeling bad in the morning. I got up at my regualar time and woke up Puck... he got in the shower and then he started feeling sick and throwing up. I had to call and tell the school that he could not come in and sub. I called in as well for myself since Puck could not take care of Maddie. Maddie slept till 10:00 then got up and started on her homework. She was feeling a little better. It all came crashing back though around noon and she decided to stay home. Puck was feeling better and said he could stay with Maddie while I went to the store for supplies... Ginger ale, Chicken Soup, 7up and toilet paper oh and kitty litter too.

I checked on Maddie and she was sound asleep with Beowulf clutched in her hand, her notebook fallen out of the other hand to the floor. It looked ok for me to go to rehearsal. Several cast members were out sick too. I picked up Maddie's homework for her so she would not get too far behind.

This morning Puck got a call to sub again. He got up to get dressed and was sick again. I had to call the schools to tell them that he could not sub. Maddie was looking better, but not great. Unfortunately the rule is that you have to have been in school all day in order to attend extracurricular events. This is the last day for pep band and she didn't want to miss it and tomorrow is the big Drama fundraiser dance which she has been looking forward to for months. She is president of the club too and made most of the posters. I hope she is having a good day.

Puck just e-mailed me that he was not doing too well... I have been feeling a little queasy, but otherwise pretty good. I was supposed to go to a bunco party, but I am begging off. I think the sleep will do me well. We have rehearsal all weekend and I am chaparoning the dance. I need to make some props too like a cape and some wolf ears.

I am feeling a little stressed out. My house is a complete wreck and all I want to do is sleep. I have been very cranky... guess I will have to play nurse Ratchitt :)

Saturday already????

Bought the lace for the shirtwaist and got it all cut out last night. I should have made some sketches before I took the dang thing apart because now it is not quite obvious where the new piece go. I will figure it out though.

A very kind woman at school started one of those sort of auction/drawings where each items has a jar that you put your ticket into. It is a pretty good fund raiser, especially since you can add things in at different times. It is for a local family who are going through great hardship. dad cannot work because of back surgery and they have no insurance. I donated a rug and some wool balls... not tooting my own horn, it is just good to be able to do something. I hope they get a lot for it. I have had so many people do kindness for me when things seemed darkest it is really good to be able to give something back.

Maddie is working hard on the Opera. She had a big rehearsal last night and came home bursting with tales of wonderful sets and amazing costumes. She is so in her element and I am so so very glad that she is heading into theater after high school. This gives her a taste of what it is like to work with dedicated theater people and you can just see the joy on her face when she talks about everything she is doing there. I am not a huge opera fan, but I am going to the show tonight. Her favorite thing was the lingo they used about closing the big main curtains "pulling the Red at 9:00" were the directions. She loved that.

Sunday is the Sterling North talent show and she is performing with her Liturgical dance group there. It will be a busy weekend.

Rehearsals are going rough. We lost the little diva so I need to redistribute her lines. She didn't even have the courtesy to tell me, but sent one of the other actors with the message. . I guess we are well rid of her, but I wish she would have quit 4 weeks ago before we started blocking.

It is still chilly here minus four this morning and we still have snow on the ground... It has been a long time since we have had any measurable snow stick, but at these temps it is not melting soon.

I need to make some wolf ears, but first I need to hunt up the fur. It is too cold in the attic for that though

Edwardian Dress

more on this in post below :)

Closed due to cold

they closed school yesterday due to the frigid temperatures. It was 19 below for most of the day, but the wind chill was 35 below. It was nice to get the call the evening before so I could sleep in. Also I didn't have to call the woman I normally need to call since she is in New Zealand right now.

Spent the weekend taking apart a vintage 1900's waist. I bought a beautiful Edwardian dress on EBAY... The lace was completely shattered though and so I asked the seller if the rest of the dress (waist and skirt) were ok She told me that they were fine and that if I replaced the lace the dress should be wearable.

I am going to make dang sure that Maddie has nice costumes for this last musical of her High School career so I bought it. It took most of Sunday and Monday to carefully remove the pieces so that I can use them as a pattern. I bought replacement lace and satin lining and am anxious to get started. I need to figure out some other means of securing the dress because of the quick changes she will need to make... I bought some snap tape that I think I will use on the waist and probably get some more for the skirt. the waist attaches to the skirt.

I always try to find something special as a memory for each play she does. They used to be beanie babies, but lately have grown into interesting things. A tiny Alice and caterpillar, a nurses pin, things like that. I was having trouble finding something for this play. I didn't want to get some "My Fair Lady" thing since she had worked so hard to vie for the lead when she knew it was already pre-cast.

I searched for housekeeper and dancer things for days without coming up with anything too special. Suddenly I remembered chatalaines. The little pins that housekeepers kept sewing and household items on. They held glasses and needle cases... sometimes keys too. I found a wonderful one that was a little sword in a sheath... it has three little dangles on it. A tiny teapot, a little urn and a little spoon. The seller had no clue about the spoon, but I recalled from my days as a docent at the historic house that those little spoons were for digging out ear wax :) I know Maddie will just love that!!!! It was a battle but I won the bid on that one too.

Been searching for other things on EBAY for the play. We have lost a couple rehearsals and have one reluctant actress who feels slighted (If only she were a better actress she would have a bigger part) I gave her an ultimatum today In or Out! I am tired of mollycoddling her temperament.

So that was my day off and my day today

Ok I am busy

Been working hard on drama.... rehearsals almost every night... struggling with kids dropping out of the play... usually the ones who I wrote into the script and wrote lines for. well once you write lines it is hard to take them back so then I have to give the lines to new people and then re-print the dang script.

We still have 43 of the little darlings in the show and blocking is a freaking nightmare. Puck has 16 kids on stage crew (usually he only has 3) and is having trouble figuring out what to do with them.

Maddie auditioned for My Fair Lady and got the part of Mrs. Pearce... she is also the dance captain and assistant lighting director though and the head of the performing arts center reccomended her to supervise some extra student actors for a performance of the Madison Opera company... She is wrangling the little kids and teaching them the dances. She hope to help them with makeup as well.

It is brrrrrrr cold too ... finally got the tree down and the ornaments are almost all up in the attic again. hunting for costumes all the time and that is life right now

wave wave