Max's 2nd Short Film--"Guero in America"

On top of everything else happening in November/December, Max was asked to do another short film for an ASU student.  Not totally sure how I feel about my son being the token "white kid" in the movie but hey, someone had to do it:) I think he did a FANTASTIC job!  SOOOO proud of my "white-privileged" boy:)

Softball--Friends FOREVER!!!

We call these girls, "The Fab Five."  They have been together for 4 seasons now and they make quite the team.  With Chloe pitching, Tatum at 1st Base, and Laila catching...these girls are unstoppable. 

This next year will bring on some changes for these Fab 5.  Tatum & Chloe V. will of course stay together but Laila is moving up to a club team and Marlee and Riley are undecided yet.  So these girls had one more big party to celebrate their amazing team and friendships. 

Laila hosted the cookie decorating/gingerbread house building/ugly sweater/sit on Santa's lap party.  I was so glad Tatum got to go for a couple hours--she had shows to get back to that afternoon.

I seriously had 5 minutes to come up with an ugly sweater.  Thank goodness I keep all those darn gift bows:) . Now off to her party!!!

From Left to right:
Chloe M.--the sister who cheers the fab 5 on!
Riley, Marlee, Chloe V., Laila, & Tatum

Stop #2 on the Party Train:  The Chandler Mall to see Santa!!!

But drinks first!
(Tatum and Chloe V. did NOT have tea in their drinks:)

Seriously gonna miss these girls next season.  

December...oh how I hate/love you!

Seriously need to re-think my December activities.  Once again, it was a bit over-whelming.  We had softball to finish up, piano recitals, Annie rehearsal/shows, and of course Chris was gone for 11 days of the month--this time in Austia/Germany for the 200th anniversary of the "Silent Night" hymn.  Live and learn and boy have I this year:)

Tatum had another great softball season playing for Coach Scott & Chris on the Diamond Queens team.  These girls are a tight-knit little group.  They had a great season.  We were "thinking" the season was wrapping up early this year for several reasons--fewer games, more fields, etc...but we were just WRONG!  The season went clear into mid-December which really put poor Tatum in a rough spot with both her softball teammates and her Annie cast.  Somehow (LOTS of prayers) everything worked out just fine.  Tatum was able to be there for her team who took 3rd place overall AND not miss a single show for Annie.  But believe me...I lost a LOT of sleep over things totally out of my control on this.

So on to Annie--Tatum was cast as an orphan and Max was "Bert Healy."  The show came together amazingly well and these two sure enjoyed being a part of it.  

All 11 orphans & Sandy!

We lovingly call this photo:
"When Elle & Emmett lost their next
big case and became homeless."

Miss Hannigan & Tatum

Jovi who played "Sandy"

Camryn, Ashlyn, & Tatum
Our twins we carpooled with:)

I had 25 tickets to this show and with Chris being gone the entire first weekend of shows, I had to get creative to get all my tickets used!  So I took Hayden C. with me one night and then 5 of Tatum's teammates with me another night!

Miss Hannigan is Hayden's most
FAVORITE character in the show!

The Diamond Queens:

Chloe V., Laila, Marlee, Riley, & Chloe M.

Everyone LOVES Miss Hannigan!!!

Miss Askins is Max & Tatum's
biggest fan!  She never misses their shows!

This is a Zoni judge who was really
impressed with Max.  He spent a lot
of time talking to him after the show.

Max had the opportunity to double as "Rooster" one night.  Remi was also asked to step in a "Lily St. Regis" for this same performance.  This duo did AMAZING!!!  Max was really nervous about it but ended up having soo much fun in this role along side his Bert Healy role--that was an exhausting night for sure!

So another fantastic AYT show in the books.  Way to go Max & Tatum.  You guys handled the pressures of this month (softball schedules/rehearsals/extra roles) with such dignity, poise, and grace.  I am super proud of the both of you!  Love you guys to the MOON!!!

Max's Eagle Court of Honor!

FINALLY done with the whole Boy Scout/Eagle thing!  It really has been a pain in the butt--but definitely worth it!  SOOO crazy proud of both my boys doing this!

Here is Chris & I celebrating our last trip to the Scout Store:

We decided to have Max's Eagle Court of Honor over Thanksgiving weekend mostly because all our family (including Carlie) would be here.  We had a great ceremony at the church then headed over to our house for Max's favorite foods:  A Nacho Bar and an Ice Cream Sundae Bar.  After the party, Max gave golf-cart rides to everyone who wanted one:)

Handsome Scouts:
Ethan, Seth, Max, & Wyatt

AZ State Fair!

I've been living in AZ for 20 years now and this was the first year I made it out to the State Fair!  I probably would have not gone if it weren't for Max performing with his WeBeGlee group.

Thank goodness for other "seasoned" moms who told me how to get $5 fair entrance tickets and 3 free ride ticket:) . We really did enjoy our time out there.  Max performed and then we hung out with some of our most favorite people--the Brassows:)

WeBeGlee!!!

Tatum, Max, Sarah, & Madison

Max totally talked Sarah into this ride!
She NEVER would have gone on by choice:)

Halloween 2018!

JAMMED packed Halloween like always!  Kids dressed up multiple times and even Chris and I dressed up for a "Scareoke Party!"

First of all...front porch was a huge focus for us this year.  We went all out this year to have the coolest porch in the neighborhood.

I bought this cute handbell set to use with my Music Preschool class and of course, this is what MY kids do with them:

We also added a new decoration this year (that I had to unplug many times because it was too scary for some students and then others just kept stepping on it over and over...) . Even my dogs set him off a few times:) . We named him:  Ichabod.

School Halloween costumes:

Heritage allows the students to dress up.  Tatum was only allowed "crazy hair."  (Max's latest obsession is 80s movie--The Breakfast Club.) . So Max dressed up as "Judd Nelson" and Ethan was a colonial person.

"Fingers like snakes and spiders in her hair!"

We were invited to the annual "Scareoke" party at the Brassow home this year.  We all had a fantastic time eating, talking, and most of all singing karaoke.  Max showed off singing "Bet on It" from High School Musical.  Chris sang "Ice Ice Baby" from Vanilla Ice and I sang my favorite song from Grease--"Look at Me I'm Sandra Dee."  We had a blast!

Fred & Daphne
from Scooby Doo:)

Where's Waldo & Wenda:)

On Halloween night, we had the BEST time sitting on our front porch with our neighbors--the Thurmans.  Max went out trick-or-treating with his friend, Zane.  Tatum headed out with her friends, Lexi & Natalie.  Ethan went out just like he wanted to...alone:)

Funny side story:  Max is very serious about his Halloween costume.   It MUST be scary.  He was soooo disappointed in his little sister being a Crayon.  Max's words:  "Tatum...a Crayon is something someone choses to be last minute because they can't think of anything else...but you've been planning this for months!" 

True.  She & Lexi planned for months to match on Halloween:)

Poor girls can't even take a cute picture
without Pennywise photo-bombing it!

Don't ask me what this is...

At the very end of the night, our kids were all heading home.  There was another guy with the exact same plans as Ethan--just walk around the neighborhood being creepy.  This guy walked up to our house and had what we called "Scare-Offs" with our boys.  OH MY GOSH!!!  We were laughing SOO hard.  It was SOO funny and you probably had to be there to enjoy it to the fullest but man...we LAUGHED.  The second video is basically of NOTHING.  I just put it here because you can just hear how hard I was laughing:) . And yes...we really did have that music playing out on our porch for all the Trick-or-Treaters which made it even funnier when Jason walked up!

They "hugged it out" and we're friends by the end of it:)

All in all just a really fun evening.  As we were sitting down on the couch after the night, I noticed that I had been tagged in a post on my neighborhood FB page.  This lady posted a picture of my son on her doorbell camera!  My friend, Andrea, saw it and tagged me saying, "Isn't this Max?"  My heart sunk!  I thought for sure this lady was angry!  So I quickly apologized but she responded right back telling me that she really enjoyed this little antic.  That my son and his friend really did Halloween just right!  SUCH A RELIEF!!!

So another great Halloween in the books!  Until next year!!!