Auditioning at the Playhouse

What's it like to audition at the Des Moines Playhouse???

Well my daughter and I auditioned for Annie a few weeks ago and I though I'd share the process..in case anyone was thinking about doing the same. Well rule #1 is to find a vocal coach to help you prep the song. There were 175 people trying out and only 7 spots for kids..so we knew the first impression...our voices...were essential. We asked my friend and vocal teacher Vanessa Grimm to work with Emily and I a few times. Emily (7 yrs old) chose "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music and I chose "Show Off" from The Drowsy Chaperone. We both made up choreography and memorized our lyrics. ***RULE #2*** Always sing a Broadway song and never from the show you're trying out for. O-and make sure you bring an original piece of music (no copies) accompanists are always provided..make sure you've practiced with someone playing the piano part on the music so you know what it sounds like.

The big day arrived..we got plenty of sleep and arrived 30 minutes early...I decided to look pro and buy a dance skirt (for my turns) and some character shoes (for dancing) at the theatrical shop... I least wanted to look like I had done this before (which I hadn't). We had to wait in line and fill out our audition sheet and all of our conflicts on the calendar. They took pictures of us and gave us a sticker with our # on it (145 and 146). We filed into the theatre and listened to instructions..I changed into my new shoes and was ready to raise my hand to go first...like the brown noser I am...but they proceeded to tell us we would audition in groups of 20 in the order we were numbered..it was now 6:20 and my daughter's bedtime is 8pm..wow ...this was going to be a long night. They shooed us all out and Em and I decided to go get a bite to eat and do some pre Halloween shopping to get our mind off the audition. We both had a cough...so we went and got some medicine too. We called our awesome sitter Crystine for reinforcements and she met us at the playhouse at 8:30pm. We chatted and played games...still not our turn....I reapplied the lipstick and got my dancing shoes on again..we decided to find a quiet nook and performed our pieces for the video camera and Crystine for practice. It was 9:30 and finally our turn. We walked in and sat down..we had to go up and get in line (no more than 3 in the line at a time) when it was approaching our turn. At this point I was a bit nervous. I turned to my 7 yr old and whispered..."Are you nervous?" She looked at me in amazement and said, "Why would I be nervous?" I decided to smile back and shut my mouth :) She was before me (thank God) and was amazing...she had seen from the 10 people that auditioned in front of us that the piano player was omitting the piano introductions (I'm sure time was the issue), when it was her turn...she instinctly marched up the stairs, across the stage, handed the music to the piano player...pointed to where she was going to begin, smiled..got front and center, turned to the accompanist, nodded her head, and started. I'm sure if someone would have snapped a pic..my mouth would have been agape..my eyes in amazement. I was so impressed with her confidence, pitch accuracy and beautiful singing. Before I knew it..it was my turn..holy moly..I started to shake, my palms got wet and I started to pray, as I handed my music to the guy and found my starting pose..I looked out and thought..."Who am I trying to impress?" And with that one thought I let it all hang out and let loose..complete with growling and hip thrusts..well in good taste of course :) They cut me off (they did to everyone) but I was happy with my performance and walked down with pride. I smiled and hugged my daughter and politely watched the rest of the people audition. I was glad it was over and started to feel that I was indeed getting sick...we left that night and I gave Em a little pep talk about how even though we had great auditions, we may not make the show, because they could be very picky, and maybe this is not the show we will be in. Before I got to bed I had a message on my VM..they had called me back for the next round of auditions..but not Emily. I decided I'd wait until after school the next day to tell her..the high she was feeling and the pride was just so great to watch. They gave the kids a sticker that said "I auditioned for Annie" she saved it in her sticker book so it would still be sticky the next day and she could wear it to school (how priceless!)

My callback was very fun...although I was getting very sick at that point and had taken every over the counter cold and flu med I could find...I still felt pretty crummy. I wore pants this time, but still wanted to get some wear out of those fancy new shoes (God help me not trip!). I came in and counted 30 kids that were called back and 34 adults. They gave us a little pep talk and we proceeded to audition for new new people that were not the in the previous audition (not good...my best asset is my voice..not my dance moves) They had all the kids leave to dance and and they had us read from the script. I had put down that I wanted to try out for Ms. Hannigan...I could sing all of her songs from memory already...I love the show! It became very clear that they did not want a 34 yr old Ms. Hannigan..but someone who was over 45. They had me read Grace and Lily lines and I even made the director laugh (good sign) I read with confidence and never tripped over my words...I though I did great...definitely one of the best.

We then went down into the basement of the playhouse and found this room with a wall of mirrors and met the choreographer. She had us do creative movement and tell a story through our dancing...good I can be creative..it was fun..and I got to know some other people as our movement interacted..nice people. She then taught us two different dances that we performed in smaller groups many times so she could watch everyone. This was hard and at that point I had wished I had worn sneakers. She had us leaping across the stage and I was sweating something fierce after this was all over..it was quite a work out. I was concentrating very hard and I tried my best..I missed a few hits and might not have lept as high as some of the others. I left that night thinking I was going to get another call back..the director had not even heard me sing yet.

I thought my performances at least would earn me an "ensemble" part. No dice...no 2nd call back and when they listed the cast list 48 hours later my name was not there. So sad :(

A smart friend might say..."They didn't know you..they only give out parts to people they've worked with before" or "Maybe next time.." or "Maybe it wasn't part of God's plan for you to be in the show"

A week later..my pastor talked to me and offered to pay me to help with the Christmas program. I accepted (I have to have a stressful Christmas.... I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise! :) Now at least I'll make money doing a show with my daughter and giving back to other children and helping them shine instead of being in the spotlight and having my daughter be sad that she didn't make the show and her mom did. I was able to then explain to her that even if you have a great audition, they still may not choose you....it was good for her to see. And I learned I'm good enough to get a callback at the DSM playhouse... and maybe I'll be in a show someday...when it's the right time.

I'm glad I did it..it was a fun memory with Emily!

Big News!!!

Hey I have some big news! I went to a children's music festival and have been motivated to write my own children's music album. I met "Funky Mama" from Kansas City and she urged me to write an album and perform my songs to kids and families in DSM. Well, I prayed about it and thought about it and I feel it is my calling.

Sooo...I'm well on my way to developing a business....
Name: Debbie Doo Wop
Website: debbiedoowop.com (not ready yet as of 10/5)
Blog:debbiedoowop@blogspot.com
My space; debbiedoowop
Facebook: debbiedooowop
or follow debbiedoowop on Twitter :)

i'm working on an album right now (writing and finding musicians)
if you ever want to give me input, please email me at debbiedoowop@gmail.com :)
Blessings..and wish me luck!

How to save time in the kitchen???

The best way, of course is to go out to eat (my fave!)...that seems to save a lot of time in the kitchen, because you're not even in it :) Seriously, I think the secret is good planning and shopping. I recently went to a moms conference called hearts at home and it was amazing. They had speakers talking about how to be a better mom and who doesn't need a little coaching? One speaker raved about making meals in advance..spending an entire day cooking and dirtying up dishes to eat for a month (approx). So i tried it...twice now..and it was great. I still prefer cooking with fresh veggies and being spontaneous, but it's nice to know I have yummy meals in the freezer when we're busy, I have a sitter or a friend needs a meal. I bought a book at the conference with some recipes and I also made of some of my favorites, but 4x as much and packaged and froze it in family friendly portions. We like to take our lunches to work so too much is a good thing for our fam. I would recommend trying interesting new recipes 1st, we still have 4 meals of sweet and sour ciobasa (not the best) and my kids just do not like homemade mac and cheese (kraft rules). So I went shopping and bought huge packages of ground beef and chicken and went to work. It was fun to do it during a lazy Saturday in the winter..when the kids would take turns with mommy (1 at a time) and the other two would play or watch movies. But during the summer months I have not had any time to cook all day..we're just having too much fun outside. So I've been doing smaller things, like when I make dinner, I make 2x as much and put the 2nd pan in the freezer or leave it in the fridge for 4 days and cook it again. Or when I make bfast...make 2x as many pancakes or cook 2 packages of bacon and just reheat for quick mornings. Left over biscuits from dinner can be made into bfast sandwiches if you cook up some scambled eggs while you're cleaning up dinner, put the bacon on top..slap a slice of cheese, pop them in a freezer bag and toss in the freezer...then just defrost in micro and minute and heat up a minute and nice hot bacon egg and cheese biscuit (yum yum). Also..i love to make pies! They're pretty easy if you have the crust ready. (beef pot pie, turkey pot pie, egg quiche, cheeseburger pie, tomato pie, fruit pies etc.) The key is the crust. I use refrigerated dough a lot..buy a bunch on sale and you can freeze them. Then always keep a couple in the fridge..then you're always ready..flaky crust is yummy...so crack an egg and whip with some milk and brush it on top of your crust before you pop it in the oven...yummy flaky crust :) You can also let the kids help roll it out or cut out shapes with butter knife or help flute it. If it's just your fam eating..what does it matter what it looks like? Also..put tin foil over fluted edges if it needs to bake more than 45 minutes..you don't want burnt edges..and keep and eye on it..reducing heat if it starts to get too brown.

Another fun way to make a bunch of meals is to get some girls together on a Sat..have daddies bbsit and go to someone's big kitchen and cook a bunch of meals and trade so everyone goes home with a new dish, recipe, and more for the month. Just google recipes or freezing tips. I love the Internet! Here's some great tips I learned:

1. When freezing foods you cook, have them cool to room temp before you seal the bag or container and it reduces ice crystals on food.
2. If using freezer bags always write on them before you put the food in and lay flat on table to get all air out and freeze flat..you can fit more in your freezer that way.
3. Freeze in different portions...(ie soup..single for lunches and bigger for family)
4. Pie Dough...use an hour on a Sat and make 20 crusts (the kids will love it) make a big batch and divide in to 20 round balls...freeze in freezer bags and pull out one or 2 the night before you will use them and they will keep for up to 1 year...i just made a tomato pie last week with crusts from last Sept out of my freezer and even my picky sis couldn't tell (remember the egg wash). I did look fabulous! :)

I also just got introduced to "America's Test Kitchen" Cook books..these people cook a recipe 100 times and find out exactly how to make it super yummy and give very specific directions. These recipes are pretty fail-safe and very good. Also a good friend from church, Stephanie, let me borrow a 30-minute American test kitchen cookbook, so not only are the recipes fail-safe, but they only take 30 minutes to prepare...sweet!

Another way I save time is planning out the meals for the week and posting them on the fridge, so I only think 1x a week, then I make sure I have all the ingredients before the week starts and get my meat out of the freezer the night before so I'm not stuck picking up an ingredient before dinner at the store or wasting time defrosting meat.

As my children have gotten older they've gotten pickier palettes, we have more activities to drive them to around the dinner hour, and nutrition is even more important. I am ultimately responsible for having them try new foods, teach them how to eat healthy and to have a healthy mindset about something I love so much (FOOD!)

Bon Appetite!

My Ministry of Interruptions

As a mom and teacher I have goals...I have endless lists of things that need to get done every day and week. I try to start organized and I even schedule in time to exercise, relax, and even pray. But lately..and maybe it's the time of year..I feel overwhelmed by interruptions. I have things that should only take only a hour (cleaning the house) and they end up taking 3 becuase I'm teaching my 7 year old how to empty the dishwasher, or overseeing my 4 year old mopping the floor. Or, just the other day, right in the middle of me making cookies for a church function, the 4 year old overflows the toilet and in the meantime the cookies burn while I'm stopping the flow, and I have to start all over, but I'm out of eggs, so I have to get everyone's shoes on and head to the store and right as we start to load the van, my 7 year old son tells me we should ride our bikes because it's better for the enviornment and we can get exercise (nice guilt trip). At this point my small window of time I allotted for these tasks are gone and we have to be somewhere...AHHHH! Why do I always have to get interrupted? it can be so frustrating. But as I wind down at the end of the day...I look over how it went and try to find Jesus in the day...and there He is..in teaching my kids how to do chores, spending time with them, walking to the store and laughing at the funny dog we always pass and saying hello to my favorite neighbor I never talk to becuase I'm always in a rush. As I look back at my last week, everytime I felt Jesus and the holy spirit were working through me..I was being interrupted. Yes, I enjoyed and could tell that I was doing the work of God in those moments, but I continue to beat myself up about the daily "work" that didn't get done because of those interruptions. I think to Jesus's life and how many interruptions He had. In john 4:1-26 Jesus sat down at a well to take a rest and a Samaritan woman was came over to draw water. He was on his way to Galilee, and he was just taking a break, and changed that wonan's life by the conversation they had. In Luke 19, Jesus met Zacchaeus, a tax collector. He was on his way into town (goal-oriented), and noticed Zacchaeus in the tree. Jesus asked hime to climb down so he could spend some time with him.
Ministry, for Jesus, was the person standing in front of Him: the woman at the well, a tax collector, someone who needed healing, someone who had a question for him. Ministry for you and me is the same. It's the people standing in front of us: our spouse, our kids, our family, our friends, and even complete strangers.

You never know when you're doing God's work on earth. Pray daily that God can work through you. And I'll try not to get so mad at those "interruptions".

34 is just a number!

I learned in my 20's that planning my own parties was the best way to have a fabulous birthday! I usually make a week of it..and man do I make it known..no one in family would ever forget my birthday..becuase of all the reminders I sneak in their calendars :) And Facebook! What a great invention! Mr. Facebook reminded all of my friends of my special day! I also have the kids decorate signs that I hand up in my honor (hey..i do the same for them) :) I go out to eat mutiple times during the week and I always plan an "adult party" at a place where one might consume an adult beverage :) Here are Deb's bday rules:
1. Never cook on your big day
2. Shopping is a must
3. Absolutely no cleaning!
4. Surround yourself with people you love
5. Eat some of your favorite foods
6. Hug at least 10 different people
7. Shower others with LOVE
8. Wear an outfit you look great in and are comfortable (you'll need it for all the yummy food you consume)
9. Thank God - Big Time!
10. Dance!

I thought I'd be smarter at 34...and richer :)
Thanks God for another fabulous year!

DESMOINES DADs.com

Is "Mommy and Me" a PC tagline??? Not in Tiny Tots. There is a growing culture of stay-at-home dads in the DSM area and I am blessed to know a few. Scott Wirth has been bringing his kids to Tiny Tots for about 4 years and Samantha recently "aged out" and is starting Kindergarten this fall. He has made me change words to songs and rhymes and reminds me weekly that bonding with dad is of equal importance to a child's musical growth :) He started an At-home dad network of men. They have weekly playgroups, monthly dad's night out and family events as well. They even have a website you can give out to any stay-at-home dads you know http://www.desmoinesdads.com/ Here's a little excerpt from the website...

"Being an at-home dad can be an isolating experience. There have been at-home parents from the beginning of time. Our culture, though, is still unfamiliar with men taking this role. As At-home dads, we have unique challenges in understanding our identity and connecting to other dads for fellowship and friendship. "

I believe God is at work in this great group of men and I've even run into them at the park..it's a fun sight! I heard they recently grilled out at Greenwood park one afternoon, kids were in the wading pool and they had great food and playtime. Sounds like those men are doing a great job! Please refer any at-home dads to this free Tiny Tot class!~

Is 12 years of Marriage really incredible????

Well Jason and I have done it..we have defied the odds..we have been married for 12 years! Well I can't say it's been easy, but God knew what he was doing when he paired us up. I'm kind of a challenging wife...I have some (not many) flaws, but Jason seems to love me anyway. :) Every marriage has mountains of bliss and love and valleys of fights and anguish. When you have young children I think marriage is very hard. Life also deals you big blows now and then..job change or loss, death, abuse, life changing events, and tragedy. This makes a thick jungle called marriage that is filled with exhaustion, poopie diapers, messy houses, financial struggles, frustration with daily responsibilities and a life that doesn't resemble what you thought it would. My marriage has continuously been saved by God. I feel very lucky that Jason and I have found a church and a network of friends that help strengthen our bonds as a husband and wife. Our families are also very strong and help us see that life goes on..and marriage is a choice and a journey. Today I know that God wants me to be with Jason and He wants me to ask Him for help when I need it when it comes to my relationship with my husband. I pray daily for my husband and my marriage..because I think being married is harder that being a mother and I need help to do a good job in both.
So to celebrate our incredible journey...we took our kids and met sis and her family at Incredibles pizza in Urbandale. Apparently on Sundays if you pay $5 you can ride unlimited Go-Karts, mini golf, bumper cars, and bowling. Well my beloved is a frugal man and he thought he wanted to give it a try. Well apparently you have to buy the buffet to get in the door...$8.99 for adults and $6.99 for kids (3 and under eat free). Before I explain what went on, I want to tell you first we did have fun..because we were together as a family and laughed a lot. With that said..it was a trip...literally. I seriously felt like I had had too much to drink....Once you got into the game area (which was filled with expensive games strategically placed in and around our unlimited fun), the lights were lower and games were blinking and making lots of sound. It was acoustically inappropriate for gaming and my ears are still ringing like I was at a Van Halen concert. In the Go-Kart area which looked pretty cool, an announcer was doing a play-by-play of every race and every winner got a little trophy (Baby Katie got one) and you couldn't quite understand what they were saying because it was so loud and boomy in there, then there was music playing where the bumper cars were (before 8pm..some generic drum machine type dance beats..then after 8pm 107.5 music) So with the man yelling, the dance music, the whirling of the guitar hero and Dance Dance revolution arcade games along with the skee ball and bowling randomly banging it was incredibly LOUD. I seriously looked around at one point and saw 4 different toddlers crying and could not hear them. This makes for a scary place to get lost..and there is no one at the door checking hands like at chuck-e-cheese. It was so crowded (because of the deal) that we could only go on the bumper cars once, play one game of bowling and one game of mini golf and ride go karts twice..we were there for 5 hours..that's one ride per hour..that's a lot of waiting. When I really felt out of it was when I had just eaten 5 colors of jello (pretty cool actually) then played glow in the dark mini golf where the black lights made the carpet appear 3-D..and I could barley walk..with the loud music and the blinking lights..I felt like I had just had one too many margaritas (and I hadn't had any). Jason's summary...."It would be a great deal it you were able to get 2 meals out of it and stay about 9 hours." Well looks like you're going alone next time..I think I've had enough. The kids loved the food!!! My 4 yr old Katie said with a mouthful of brownies and cheese bread at 9:30pm, "Thumbs up on the food mommy..I like it!" I thought the salad bar was OK...pizza..not so great, but the dessert bar was awesome. There were chocolate chip and sugar cookies, ice cream, mini brownies, 5 different flavors of jello jigglers, pudding, Cherry pie, cinnamon rolls, bread pudding, and slushies: cola and cherry. I'm not a huge buffet fan, but the kids loved it! So my opinion of Incredibles was...kid pleaser..leave toddlers with sitter..seems better for school-aged kids. Need two parents if you have more than one child..to keep an eye out. Seems safe and very clean..we'll go back another time I'm sure.
HEADS UP..They have a toddler area..i didn't look too close but I think they have and mommy and me playtime in the am with a brunch?? Don't know much about that, but I'm sure you can look online and check it out...again very clean and plenty of seating for eating.

BLUE RIBBON TWINS

Four months old! That's how old my twins were when they first started competing in the twins contest at the fair. Now there's not much to it...so don't get too impressed. There are two catergories: most alike and least alike and there are different age catergories. Now twins are becoming quite the epidemic because of this fun little pill called clomid...so fraternal twins are poppin out all over the place. *BIOLOGY LESSON #1* Fraternal means two eggs popped out of a mothers ovaries and they both got the magic. Identical means one egg..splitting into 2 babies (AMAZING) after it got the magic. So least alike (fraternal) is the more difficult catergory. Now people don't usually dress them alike and boy/girl twins don't always have the advantage. It seems to always be the same 3 white-haired judges year after year (God bless em) So, the kids file up there, try to stand still next to their twin (now this is really difficult enough..because they love to bug each other and fight) Then they have to be patient and wait for the emcee to walk around and ask everyone their name and where they're from and what their favorite thing to do at the fair is. Try doing this when they are 2yrs old...all the kids are up there runnig around and crying. So Ryan and Emily have never gotten placed...just a "participation ribbon" I even dressed Ryan in a Cyclone(gulp,wince) outfit and Emily in a Hawkeye cheerleading outfit on year..thinking that was pretty opposite...but still..no placing! SO this year I was teaching Tiny Tots and my beloved sitter and now friend, Crystine took them to the contest and by golly..they WON. She said that they answered the question differently than everyone else. The question was..."What are you most excited about doing at the fair today?" Well I guess everyone answered the big yellow slide (except one pair that were crying and said they did not want to be up there) Ryan answered..I want to eat a funnel cake and Emily answered..I want to eat the elephant ear. So I guess food answes "Take home the cake" so to speak. Or maybe our love for fair food is being passed to our children. :)

What did you do this summer???

This is the proverbial question that is always asked when you get back to life after summer. I was always afraid my answer would be "nothing", so I think I've over-compensated as a mother and try to do too much. Well this summer we did not go on vacation (except for Ragbrai) and decided to just enjoy DSM. Well we did...we went swimming at all the aquatic centers, went to the zoo, the science center, raccoon river beach and Grey's lake beach, dozens of park picnic lunches and a few other fun places.

We started off the summer training like mad for the Hy-Vee triathlon. My husband, Jason has done the swim portion of the tri the last 3 years, and I was training for the bike portion and Ragbrai. My husband and I have both done sprint triathlons before, but the Hy-Vee triathlon is a longer one. Jason had to swim a mile, and I had to bike 26 miles. Hats off to my hubby...he trained well and had a great time. Even though I do get points for doing it, I did not train as well as I could have and the time was not the best, but, I find comfort in knowing I did Deb Paul's best that day! :)Racing in a triathlon on a bike is VERY different than chit chatting with friends riding on Ragbrai. It was wicked hard! My sis in law, Jen Paul, was our runner, and boy is she fast. She ran through college and is a track coach. Her husband, Jeff Paul, ran with the elites and had already finished the bike and 10K run before she even started her portion (WOW...Jeff got 18th place!!!) He told her to count how many people she passed in the run....she counted up to 296!!!!!! I told her that was good because only 295 passed me on the bike, so we were still up by one! :)

The real great thing about the TRi was that my 7 year old son, Ryan did the kids triathlon the day before. He was awesome! He worked so hard training and both Jason and I trained with him...swimming, biking and running. I was very proud of him, he was proud of himself and he's excited to do it again next year. I wish I had the opportunity to do that as a child!

We got to go to Adventureland 2 times, once with my fam and once with Jason's fam. My twins are big enough to go on all the rides now...and I think they did go on every single ride!! I still don't know why I always loved the silly silo..that ride is excruciating!

I did get to help out with our two Vacation bible Schools and our Fine Arts Camp. What a rewarding experience! Showing kids the joy in making music for God and glorifying Him through our talents and our voices. What a privilege to work with such great volunteers and kids!

But the highlight of my summer was Ragbrai! I have done the entire week before (2006) but this year I got to do the 1st 3 days. I was lucky enough to ride in an RV (my sis in laws) and sleep in a bed and have a shower and bathroom. Aside from a little rain, the weather was great (not too hot) and the company was great. My husband's family from the Quad cities...His brothers, Justin and Josh and their wives. Jason was home in DSM with the kids (God Bless Him) and I got to be with his family. Bare Naked Ladies was in concert for the Ragbraiers and I got to share the road with about 20,000 other riders. With my special Ragbrai mix on my ipod I was rip raring to go. I was slow and steady up hills, but my big bootie gave me tremendous speed down every hill. I ate pie and felt I had the TRUE Ragbrai experience this year knowing I had some time to rest when I returned to DSM. Even a day is worth it...I recommend it for all!

The mantra for this summer was "Enjoy every minute" The family God has given me is such a blessing and I savored them like a fine steak this summer! Even when i was hot and sweaty and tired and my 4 year old was whining to have me carry her at Adventureland, I still managed to savor it...I am so blessed..THANK YOU GOD!

What it's like being friends with the cupcake lady!

Jennifer Strauss is a wonderful woman that I am privileged to call my friend. She is this amazing chef that started out as a farm girl in rural Iowa and attended culinary school in Chicago. She owns the Carefree Patisserie in Valley Junction and is a great mom of 2. To be a business owner in DSM is hard enough..not to mention being a great mom too. She never fails to amaze me...she can be planning a fabulous birthday party for her 7 year old daughter one day, then making a $1000 one-of-a kind wedding cake the next. At last year's fair she sculpted the butter cow one day, then her 4 year old son got a blue ribbon for showing a cow the next. AMAZING! She is a hoot to go out to eat with too! First of all she is extremely generous and always manages to pay for half my dinner. She knows all the best restaurants in town and always seems to get special treatment from all the chefs. One of her favorites is Bistro Montage on Ingersoll...I haven't gone there with her yet, but I'll let you know how it goes. It's fun to go anywhere with her..because people will shout out..hey it's the cupcake lady??? She knows more people in this town than I do and I teach 130 toddlers every week...and I'm from DSM! She specializes in cupcakes (apparently they are all the rage now) and can make the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen.

I know Jen loves me..but she loves to giggle at my culinary expertise??? I made the mistake of inviting a pastry chef (Jen)to a huge (50+) birthday party for my twins 3rd birthday. We had it at the church and did a tiny tot class, crafts, pizza, and my first homemade sheet cake. It was a success of a party buy the cake was not my best work and I asked her to help serve it. Apparently flipping the cake out on a dish towel and frosting and serving it on one was not the classiest thing I've ever done :) LOL Also, my time consuming perfect shell piping was not "professional" like I thought it was. I can't even say "shell piping" around Jen...I think it's a naughty word around pastry chefs. I've come a long way in my kid's cake decorating, thanks to Jen. I still insist on making them myself, but fabulous Jen lets me decorate them at her shop...God Bless Her. I have been told by Jen that I show promise in my drawing skills and I can draw almost anything on a cake...she still helps me a little though. Jen and I met at St. Mark and our kids are the same age...so Jen and I were preggers at the same time **what a sight** I believe God brought us together, to learn from one another, and to help each other out. I believe God brings friends and people into our lives everyday. Friendships need cultivating and time and energy, and sometimes at the end of a busy day, we don't have the energy. In my life, if a friend crosses my mind, I believe it is God reminding me of that relationship and that gift. i immediately say a silent prayer for that friend, if I have time, I call them or text them and let them know that I'm thinking of them. Thank God for the friends He's put in your life. Friendships are an important part of our life and need to be nourished...call a friend today!!!!!!! :)

How to survive a trip to the Iowa State Fair with kids

Remember these 3 simple rules:

1. You don’t have to see everything in one day

2. Bring a stroller for kids under 5 years old

3. Wipes are essential

The trip actually starts the night before in the prep. I don’t know about you, but my kids are the best behaved right after a nice breakfast and a good night’s sleep. So I always do a bit of prep work so we don’t dilly dally in the morning. Put the stroller in the van, pack the bag, make sandwiches, water bottles in the freezer and everyone getting a good nights sleep.

Parking: Free parking is close if you get there when the fair opens. I always park free on the west side of the fair along the side streets there and walk a couple of blocks and enter in the one of the west entrances. This is right by the petting zoo so you could use that as a cooersion tactic at any point.. Some people take shuttles in….that has never worked for me because I’ve always had a stroller and I have always done it alone…so I like having my car relatively close. You can pay $5-$10 to park on the street or in the lot. I have found that you seem to walk the same wherever you park…so might as well be free. Now We usually try to do the fair for less that $20 in my pocket, so we buy our tickets in advance, bring some snacks and drinks with us and fill our pockets with free stuff at the fair. Now you need a big stroller so you canyou’re your soft sided cooler in the bottom…with your bag on top of that. You’ll want some water for sure. Also, a change of clothes for small kids is a good idea because the fair is a dirty place…so don’t wear your Sunday best. Remember good comfy shoes for mommy because you may end up carrying a screaming child those 2 blocks back to the car.

Set them up for success...let them know your expectations (don’t wonder off, let mommy know when you have to go potty, etc.) Dangle a few rewards for them as well (free ice cream,little hands on the farm,looking at the biggest pigs, holding the baby pigs,funnel cake, tattoos, fried oreos, etc.)

Here is a “Typical” day of the Fair for me and my kids (because my hubby doesn’t like the fair as much as me). First I want to tell you I have never kept my kids at the fair for more than 6 hours, we’re always in the car by 2:30..because that is the magic time before my kids explode with naughty exhaustion behavior. We usually go during a weekday, because it’s not as busy. *****ALERT: Some schools are starting pretty early so….Aug 20^th and 21^st are good non crowded days to go******

7:00 Wake kids up and get ready with nice, big bfast.

7:45 Leave for fair

8ish arrive and enter through west entrance. Petting zoo

8:30ish Grab a free ice cream sandwich in Blue Bunny Building right by petting zoo and look at kids food contests

9ish head to little hands on the farm before it gets too busy…..its not fun to wait in line..so I might do this first. ***BEST RESTROOM*** in newer pappajohn pavilion nest to the farm

9:30is..head to bill riley stage for fun stuff to watch…we love the fiddle contest, dance classes, and of course the Bill Riley Talent show (eat a funnel cake while watching)

10:30ish head the the animal barns…we just hit whatever is right infront of us..no need to look at EVERY animal

11:30ish..find a place to eat the food we brought, plus may buy some more to share…has anyone ever tried the Hot roast beef sundae>> Roast beef and gravy on mashed potatoes, with shredded cheddar cheese and a cherry tomato on top…that’s a good one to share.

12ish…Headed to soo the Butter Cow and the Hy-Vee Forest. There are great crafts there and a little water spray area to cool off in. There’s also an AE sample area for yummy yogurt and choco milk. There is also a big wooden train jungle gym and other things to see.

1pm We head to the air conditioned varied industries building and get tattooed up with all the free tattoos and see if anyone is at the PBS booth reading stories or giving hugs. It’s nice and cool in there.

1:30..headed back to the car, but if there’s money left..buy an elephant ear (huge and can share with kids) On the way out, look to see if there’s anything we missed.

Enjoy the fair…one of the best in the nation and it’s here in our town J

See you at the fair!!!!

The Computer Battle!!!!

As your children grow older and start to play computer games and learn how to "google" certain things need to be considered....parental supervision, child locks, no eating while on computer rules etc. But I think the most overlooked item would be.....holy cow, we need more computers!!! Now, the Paul's do not have a lot of extra money to go buying 2 more laptops so everyone can learn and have fun. But during these summer months, every morning I am stirred from my slumber by 3 kids fighting over the computer and who is going to play. Sometimes I hear problem solving skills being suggested or turn taking thrown into the loop, but mostly I just hear fighting that always seems to end up with someone getting pushed out of the way and crying to mommy (which at 7am is still me). I enjoy being woken up be hugs and snuggles, not crying and screaming.

Has anyone experienced Webkinz yet...an amazing thing..a virtual world with houses, malls, gem hunting, wishing wells, games involving matching scoops of ice cream at the ice cream parlor. There's even a fashion game. THere are easier games for 3 and 4 yr olds and harder games for 7-8 year olds. But the kicker is, once an older child wants to play..every younger child thinks it's the coolest thing since sliced bread. I had to search hard for a movie this morning that would "lure" them away from the computer. I felt like a lion hunter..finding the most juicy movie that would make them run to the couch so I could sneak in the computer to write this. I do like the computer..don't get me wrong, I'd rather them read questions and answer them than sit in front of the TV, but in the summer we try to leave the house by 10:30 everyday to get out and enjoy this gorgeous Iowa summer :)

What is Tiny Tots????

Deb Paul has been a music educator for 13 years. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1998. She received her Kindermusik training in Chicago in 1996. She taught 5th-8th grade band for 8 years at St. Augustin school in Des Moines and is currently the Music Education Coordinator at Rieman Music in Urbandale.

The Tiny Tot program originated in 2004 as a free outreach opportunity for St. Mark Lutheran Church. There are currently 4 classes per week and over 112 children are signed up for the 2009-10 school year.

Deb met her husband, Jason, in the Hawkeye Marching Band at the University of Iowa and they have 3 wonderful children. Her twins, Ryan and Emily are 7 years old and her daughter, Katie is 4. Deb loves touching the lives of so many children and bringing the magic of music to life in each of them. Deb has a gift of assessing the dynamics of each class and choosing specific activities that would excite every child.

Deb writes the Tiny Tot curriculum and uses a variety of resources and music to engage and teach children about the basic concepts of music. She uses a variety of percussion instruments to teach rhythm concepts, develop a child's internal steady beat, and work on developing a child's listening skills. The creative movement and dance used in class enhances a child's gross movement skills as well as increasing social interaction and stimulating creativity. Finger plays and motions for songs increase fine motor skills and make songs fun and easy to remember at home. Deb also tries very hard to have children find their singing voice and develop pitch-matching and increase their repetoire.

Classes are for children ages 0-5 years old. A parent/care-giver must accompany child to classes. PLease contact Deb Paul to sign up. CLasses are Thurs and Friday 9:30 and 10:30 and run 30 minutes in length with a 15 minute sharing/snack time at the end of every class.

Classes run August 13th, 2009- May 21st, 2010
NO CLASSES: Dec 24,25,31st Jan 1st and March 18 and 19th

Because Becky Told Me To....

I recently got back in touch with a friend from high school (Dowling 1993), Becky O'Brian....she was pregnant and moving back DSM from the eastcoast and was pregnant. (Insert praise to Facebook) I told her about a FREE music class I was teaching at my church. She had her daughter signed up before she even came out. Marley started Tiny Tots pretty young..considering she was an only child. Thanks for having faith in me Beck!!!! I have been putting out mass emails in my attempt to "appear" organized and professional to my Tiny Tot classes. I wanted to improve communiation and to tell moms, dads and grandparents in the area about fun things I've done with my kids and sharing info about my family.

Becky enjoyed my emails so much she told me to start a blog and since I am a co-dependant people pleaser I broke down and did it :) ENJOY!!!!