Thriller Dance Steps

This post is for the ladies in my ward helping me out with Thriller. Here is a written version of the dance steps. I'm sure they're confusing--Hopefully it'll be more clear the more we practice.

THRILLER DANCE STEPS (from Sept. 16th)

*Step Right, Left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Shoulder shrugs
*Step right left, shoulder shrug right, head drop to shoulder 1 2 3 4 shoulder shrug 5 6 shoulder shrug 7 and 8.

Monster Walks Left and Right
*Step right, facing right, arms teed, hand flick 1 2 step together flick 3 4, repeat 5 6 7 8.
Step right side, together with monster arms, head thrown back 1 2, repeat 3 4.
Repeat on left side, step left side, together with monsters arms head thrown back 5 6, repeat 7 8.

Slide Right, Pivot Sequence
*Right step, left together right, throw back head 1 and 2, right step left together chest rests on knee 3 and 4, pivot to left 5, plie 6, snap up 7, snap down 8.

The Egyptian
*Clap overhead (feet come together) 1, slap sides 2, slide right with Egyptian head 3 4 5, left step in 6, shoulders up 7, shoulders down on And, head flip right 8, head flip front on And . . .
Repeat The Egyptian Left
*Clap overhead 1, slap sides 2, slide left with Egyptian head 3 4 5, right step in 6, shoulders up 7, shoulders down on And, head flip left 8, head flip front on And . . .

Monster Walk with Swing
*Monster hands up, walk right crossover left, repeat 1 2 3 monster hands swing left 4 swing right 5 swing left 6, crossover right 7, step left 8 swing right 1 left 2 right 3 crossover left 4, step right 5 swing left 6, swing right 7, swing right 8.
Right arm up 1, down to side with plie 2, swing around with left foot and left shoulder shrug forward 3 4 5 6 until facing back, head flip over left shoulder 7, head flip back 8.

Monster Lunges
With hands on bent knees, step (toward back of stage) starting with left foot, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.

Good thing we're practicing for the next month! Thanks for helping me out. Nicole

Labor Day Adventure

Yesterday, being Labor Day and Pete having the day off (yeah!!), but feeling sick after his fun trip to Texas, made our possibilities for adventure a little more limited. We couldn't really do an overnighter since my boys were pretty worn out after their trip, and Mitch and Madeline had piano lessons Monday morning. But we did have a neighbor (thank you Anne) give us 14 tickets to the Bee's baseball game. After trying unsuccessfully to get another family to join us, we decided to let our kids ask friends. Jake invited 2 friends, and Mitch and Madeline each had a friend. Tyler was very sad that he didn't get to invite "someone his size" but decided that Mitch was his friend too. We had to take 2 cars to accommodate all of the seat-belt needs, more expense but definitely safer and cheaper than a ticket. Anyhow 7 kids, 11 pizzas and sodas, 4 ice cream cones, 11 snow-cones, and 7 innings of sitting in the hot sun, we carried a sleepy, sweaty Tyler home. The Bee's were being beaten, I have no idea who won, but I'm assuming it was Sacramento. I could tell Pete was done. So the kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing Statues in our shady backyard, something I have grown to love about our house--afternoon shade on a hot day, while Pete and I watched the US Open Tennis match between Wacniacky and the Russian girl (whose name I've forgotten, something like Slovenka). Then we feasted on a take home Wingers meal and sent our kids to bed. Yes, I did get in two more chapters of the Boxcar Children and succeeded in scaring Tyler. This morning, as we drove down Walker Lane, a wooded part of Salt Lake, I asked Tyler if he wouldn't want to live in this beautiful area. He replied, "mom, don't you remember last night in the Boxcar children, how you said children shouldn't be alone in the woods? If we lived here, I would be alone in the woods and I need to have a mommy." Oops! At least he's remembering what I read. Anyhow, its nice to spend time with my cute kids and my fabulous husband. We are very blessed.

Confessions of a Lonely Wife

Okay, so I can finally write about my weekend now that Pete and the boys will be home tomorrow. I am wary of posting anything while my hubby is gone since my cousin, who lives in Arizona, was robbed after posting about a vacation on fb or a blog, I can never remember which. Isn't that terrible . . . they even did a news story on it. So, since that time, I really try not to talk about a vacation until its over, or to say I'm home alone, until I'm not anymore. But I have found that I post a lot less because by the time I get around to writing about my experiences, I've forgotten half of what happened. I'm rambling--back to the point.

Pete, Jake and Mitch had a fun . . . LONG . . . boy's weekend to Texas for the BYU vs. Oklahoma game (which BYU won tonight, in a very close game, 14-13). They left Wednesday evening, so they spent Thursday touring the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, eating lots of delicious Texas food, and watching the Utes beat the Aggies (no surprise there). Friday, they went to an aquarium and then spent the afternoon boating with Pete's brother Mike's family. Jake got up on two ski's and Mitch was the tubing champ. Saturday, they attended my nephew Kyle's game, then headed to Six Flags until it was time to attend the football game. Have I mentioned how crazy, busy my life is? Can you see why, when my husband lives like this even when he's on vacation? Don't get me wrong, I think its great--its just exhausting at times.

I, on the other hand, have realized a few things about myself while Pete has been gone.

1. I don't sleep well when Pete's gone. I didn't get to sleep until 2am Thursday night, and woke up at 4am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.
2. I read a lot (finished 2 books) and watch a lot of movies (3 and a half) when Pete is gone.
3. Life is less chaotic with two children (especially when I have no activities to attend since its a holiday weekend).
4. I eat out a lot more when Pete is gone. (Tyler actually talked me into eating at McDonald's twice. We spent 2 hours at McDonald's play land on Friday night and then had it again for breakfast today. YUCK!).
5. I don't get a lot done while Pete is gone because I get so little sleep, watch too many movies and read too many books. This is opposite of my spouse who painted my laundry room for me while I was gone to Germany and had the house in tiptop shape upon my return.

I have concluded from this experience that Peter is better for me than I am for him. When he's around, I am a productive, efficient, mothering machine. When he's gone, let's just say . . . not so much! As for Pete, you take me out of the picture and our house is run like a well oiled machine. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but its the truth. Maybe my biggest purpose in life is to show other husband's how great their wives are, help them really appreciate how great they really are, when they can compare them to my laid-back, slovenly ways! And women gain more confidence in my presence, as they realize they're not the only ones who don't fold their laundry often enough, or sweep, or organize disorganized closets, or do the dishes or weed the yard. Okay, I'm revealing too much, but on a positive note, Tyler and Madeline have both bathed this weekend (especially after playing at the FILTHY McDonald's playland for two hours). Madeline played "Yankee Doodle" on the Big-esque (think Tom Hanks movie) piano at the Golden arches thanks to my insistence on her practicing the piano. I learned that Ronald McDonald and the Joker are brothers, a valuable piece of information passed on from Mitchell to Tyler and then to all of the customers at the above named fast food joint (I think all that creative, imagination is inherited from me). We've read 5 chapters in The Boxcar Children at bedtime, so I can't be too horrible! It just goes to show how loneliness affects people differently, or maybe I just need Pete more than he needs me!

Funny Tyler story. Thursday I took Tyler to the library. As we were pulling into the parking lot, I was reminding Tyler that we need to be quiet in the library, speak with a whisper, that sort of thing. If you know my little guy, you know he talks non-stop in a rather loud manner, all day long. A reminder was a necessity. After my 2nd reminder, Tyler yells at me "Mom, I always talk with a quiet voice." Enough said.

Today, after my lazy weekend, I took my daughter and niece to see a show at Hale Center Theatre in Orem. The show was Over the River and Through the Woods and it was a funny, surprisingly moving show. I have a lot of fun memories hanging out in that theatre (never acting in a production, mind you) during high school and college. When Pete and I were first engaged, he did a show with our friends, Will, Amy and Kolby entitled The Nerd. Will is now a Tony nominated actor starring in Hair on Broadway. I could say, who wudda thunk, but I always figured Will would make it big one day! Pete hasn't had much opportunity to act in community theatre, but I think he should. As a matter of fact, I've decided that one of these days, I'm going to tackle my fear of acting and take a class somewhere. It's something I've always wanted to do, but been too petrified and self-conscious to pursue. Why not? If I can ride my bike for 111 miles, I think I could take an acting class. I know, I know . . . it doesn't mean I'd be any good, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be good at all, but it would be good for me and fun! I'll have to see what I can find . . . maybe I'll take a refresher tap course, voice lessons, and an acting class this fall and audition for 42nd Street in the Spring . . . I can always dream, right?

Well, one more night of tossing and turning, then Pete will be home. Craziness will ensue, and hopefully, I'll read a little less, and get a little more done!

Fond Memories

Last night, as I was reading The Boxcar Children to my kids, I had such great memories of my first time reading that book. I was in 2nd grade, like my daughter, and my teacher was Mrs. Osborne, my favorite teacher of all time. Mrs. Osborne was married to a professional tennis player, and had a daughter named Olivia (I remember, it became my favorite Barbie doll name for awhile), though I can't remember her other daughter's name. She was very cautious about playing on the jungle gym because the above named daughter, who had waist length hair, had lost a chunk of hair when it was stepped on by a fellow student while she was hanging upside down from the jungle gym. If my memory serves correctly, my teacher looked a bit like Grace Farrel from the movie Annie. Anyhow, I associate Mrs. Osborne with reading that book, because after lunch recess, as we came into the classroom, she would turn out the lights, have us lay our heads down on our desks, then read to us by candle light. The Boxcar Children became one of my favorite books. I love that memory! I'm sure it was against school rules and fire codes, but it was the best way to listen to a story. So last night, though we didn't have a candle, we did read the Boxcar Children by "camping lantern" light--I think that's a pretty good substitute. Aaaahhh! The good old days.