Special Activity Day

I'm doing a bonus post today, as I didn't post at all yesterday, due to it being a very busy day. Luckily, it was all fun stuff.

First, for some odd reason, I chose yesterday to put decorate for Christmas in the advent calendar. Now, considering what the rest of the day had in store, I'd have been better off with a short Christmas picture book to read together yesterday and decorating today. However, when I first planned things out, I didn't know yesterday was going to be quite so busy and Davan has been dying to decorate. So, I stuck with it.

Thus, we got up yesterday, had Saturday morning pancakes (no chocolate chips), strung up lights and started decorating. We ran out of time before we were totally done, but we made a good start and were all feeling festive.

We ran out of time because I had to do Davan's hair, she had to get dressed in her performance duds (thankfully easy for Zig Zag performances - it's all built from stuff they already have or out of the stock of unitards Do Jump owns) and get out of the house to go to a gig. Davan and most of the rest of the Zig Zags were performing at Cedarwood's Winterfest. Cedarwood is a Waldorf school here in Portland. They all had to be there over an hour prior to showtime to warm up and rehearse a bit. While waiting, Anthony and I wandered around the Winterfest looking at the handmade crafts for sale and checking out the school. If Davan had to go to school, she'd probably fit well at a Waldorf school, even though I do have a few reservations about their style.

Then it was time for the show. The Zig Zags filled a 30 minute time slot and did it very well! It was so much fun to watch. I still feel a great deal of relief at that when I compare it to watching a gymnastics meet, which was super long and stressful because Davan was always so worried about her performance there. She was a little nervous before the show yesterday, but not much and she was super excited after about how much fun it was. She loved all the behind the stage camaraderie.

After the show, we whipped on back home for a quick lunch and sign making session (more on that later) before departing for the library, where Davan and I were doing a class on making a winter diorama. That was fun and, by happenstance, two friends of ours were also taking the class. The time slot was for two hours, but we were done in an hour and a half, giving us a little more breathing space between activities than we'd expected.

Thus, we went to Paradox Cafe for a bite to eat, rather than Rice Junkies, as a special girl's advent evening out. We didn't have time to come back home for dinner because we were due at Do Jump by 6:30 in order to man the concession stand for the evening professional show. Which, by they way, if you're local to Portland and can afford it (it is costly at $30 a ticket), you should go. The show is fun and appropriate for most ages. If you own cats, you will especially enjoy their original production of Cirque de C(h)at.

It was our duty to set up the concessions, wear something bright and colorful, wait for the doors to open (while watching all the pre show furor, which was fun), trade cookies and water for dollars, wheel out the cart, and then run around to the other side of the stage to collect the chairs left behind by the band. Really, it wasn't very taxing. Then we got to watch the show as best we could from a back isle by where the performers came in and out. We missed about 20% of the action because of not being able to see and had to stand for the whole thing, but it was still pretty fun. It was fun to see the performers (most of whom we know pretty well) coming in and out the sides of the stage.

It was past Davan's bedtime when we got home after our full day to hit the sack. Any one of the days' activities could have been a main event for the advent calendar! We're glad to have an unscheduled day to chill out today, even though yesterday was fun, too.