Pakour Boy

We showed the boys some free running and building jumping on youtube. Weston was inspired. Donovan was too, but he's so pale, he could hardly muster putting his robe on to go outside and watch.

Suddenly our whole back yard was an obstacle course to explore. He climbed everything he could see. He jumped and leaped and rolled and bounced and he never wanted to come in!

We filmed him and snapped photos, but he never seemed tired. Once or twice he'd fall kinda funny and look up with a real serious look and then put a smile on his face and say, "I'm OK!" He loved it. He was so inspired. I was too. These guys throwing their bodies through the air... It seemed incredible, and yet the way their bodies moved seemed right. Like we have an inner knowing of human physics, or that we were intended to move so instinctively and fluidly... so trusting of our strength and balance.

I wasn't too worried for Weston, although I realized he doesn't quite know how to roll forward or backward very smoothly, only sideways. It made me wish I could enrol him in gymnastics nearby. Then in sadness I realized I would be a fool to demonstrate. I mean, I would if I had to, but I knew hitting the ground rolling for me would have been hard.

We finally watched the highlights of the U of O/USC game and were so thrilled. I kept saying, "That's right by where I grew up!" Grandma and Grandpa were there!"

Donovan drew a football picture in honor of the ducks.

When Weston would not come in after numerous promptings from his Parkour running, I finally agreed to let him run his "pattern" as he called it for some spectators. Travis, Alysa, Cassia and Leah were coming out of rehearsal and they obliged. They treated Weston like a real champion, even providing an underscore.

Yeah Weston.

I hope I can overcome my obstacles as well. Rather than seeing a wall, or a daunting task, I hope I can find a creative way to dance, leap, or crawl my way over it.

Nibblement... important winter play

Here's a few pics from today and more selections from the community concert on Sunday.  Ray Schultz played a wonderfully shmaltzy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on the soprano sax, and Gerald Wilson played his violin with Shauna.  I guess he's been playing since grade 2, but this was the first time I ever heard this soft spoken farmer play... and their rendition/duet of Silent Night was stunning.  One of my favorite moments was when Cassia stepped up with her highland dance clogs and gave a us a rapping tapping Lady of the Dance number without lights or huge soundtrack.  --Just clippety cloppety chop chip hop!  So exciting.

Oh, we got dumped on with snow last night.  So beautiful and so so white!  I love how crisp and clean and crunch crunch crunchy it is under my boots with double-socked toes nestled inside.  The air is much more breathable now that the mercury is creeping up toward zero fahrenheit.

There's some big showcases from the students this week: performance night last night and Greek presentation tomorrow morning.  (Oh, I hope we don't sleep in again like we did today!)  Oh my goodness!  Dave (bless his soul) has been getting up first on show days to get Donovan his breakfast and I sometimes get up in time to make his lunch and send him out the door.  So, I always turn off the alarm after the second snooze when Dave gets up... but this morning Davey didn't hear the alarm (unbeknownst to me), so we both slept until 7:24!  Donovan's bus leaves at 7:35!!  Would you believe, we made it?  Poor sleepy DJ... we packed him his breakfast and his lunch, shoved snow boots on his stubborn feet and he and Dave trundled off in the semi glowing darkness over virgin snow to the big yellow striped taxi.  I was so glad they made it.  No way did I want to drive in this stuff with the pressure of a show breathing down my back.

Sadly, patrons are still needing to cancel because of the weather and we had less than half the house of what was once "sold out" --again.  I feel bad, but what can we do?  At least we're all performing well.  It's just a tough time for everybody right now.  Most around here are panicked and lacking sleep and it makes for some hurt feelings and bleary eyed mornings.  Only ten shows left.

I love the top picture of Dave and the boys.  Weston came over saying "I need some snugglement" and Dave wrapped him in and Donovan wanted in on it too.  Then all of them agreed to some "nibblement" after dinner.  Nibblement means some "nibble" which means singing the "two little magic words" song until they are pounced on and tickled until they scream.  This is important winter play... especially this week.