Friday, May 16, 2014

Picture Day/Fototag

I spent my afternoon doing hair and helping with costumes all afternoon.  The tights did not come in the mail, but we called the post office in the afternoon because we thought they should arrive there right after lunch.  The very friendly postmaster confirmed that they had indeed arrived and Peter went to pick them up.  So we didn't have to trade tights after all.  What a relief.

While I was getting Veronika ready for her pictures, Jonathan took Flora to the studio to have her picture taken.  Then I walked down with Veronika in her princess outfit for her picture.  Peter also came by and took Flora back home (Jonathan had already walked back by himself because he had to get ready for his birding field trip tomorrow morning and couldn't wait for Flora to be finished.  They were running late with her group.)  One of Veronika's classmates had forgotten her ballet slippers so we called Jonathan at home and asked him to bring either Miriam's or Charlotte's slippers down.  He was back with the shoes in no time and "saved the day."

There was a short break after Veronika and Flora were done, but then I had to help to get the three oldest ready.  The older girls' hair had to be done differently, a low bun with a side part, which I had never helped with before.  For some people those buns are nothing, but I have never had real long hair and each bun is a challenge for me :).  I have had many years of practice by now, but I still think I am not good at it.  I must be not so bad, though, because Miriam's friend (who comes here twice a week after school to walk with Miriam to ballet class and whose hair I do then) had been in a rush from violin class and had attempted to do her bun herself.  She was very frustrated because her bun had fallen apart by the time she arrived at the studio.  Her mother was so happy to see me and said to her daughter that now everything was okay because I could help her do her hair.  We had to borrow hair pins from other girls, but managed to get her bun the way it was supposed to be and changed frustration into joy.  Here are a few pictures from the last photo shots.  

 White swans (Miriam's group)
Weiße Schwäne (Miriams Gruppe)

 Siegfried and Odile also known as Jonathan and Charlotte
Siegfried und Odile oder Jonathan und Charlotte

 Odile



Jonathan is taking his co-op class on a birding field trip to a swamp tomorrow morning.  Peter and another mother are going along.  It rained all day and there was a flood warning, but now it stopped.  It has gotten much colder and tomorrow morning it is supposed to be just 39 degrees.  I think I am getting a cold with those strange temperature changes and no working furnace for the colder days.  We also have another ballet rehearsal tomorrow morning and I have to hand in my last grades by Monday.

Ich habe meinen ganzen Nachmittag mit Kostümen und Frisuren verbracht.  Die Strumpfhosen waren nicht pünklich da, aber wir hatten uns gedacht, daß sie vielleicht schon bei der Post seien.  Ein kurzes Telefonat nach dem Mittagessen bestätigte, daß sie gerade nach Mittag dort angekommen waren.  So konnte Peter sie abholen (am Morgen waren sie noch nicht da und konnten so nicht ausgetragen werden.)  Jedes Mädchen trug so die eigene Strumpfhose.  Was für eine Erleichterung!  

Während ich Veronika für den Fototermin fertiggemacht habe, hat Jonathan schon Flora zum Studio gebracht.  Dann bin ich mit der Prinzessin Veronika auch dorthin gegangen.  Peter kam später vorbei und hat Flora wieder mit nach Hause genommen, nachdem sie fertig war.  Jonathan war schon wieder zu Hause, weil er seine Vogelklasse für morgen vorbereiten mußte und Floras Termin sich verzögert hatte, so daß er sie nicht wieder schnell mitnehmen konnte.  Eine Mittänzerin von Veronika hatte ihre Schuhe vergessen.  Ich rief Jonathan an, der dann wieder zum Ballettstudio gelaufen kaum, um Charlottes und Miriams Schuhe vorbeizubringen, um auszuhelfen.  Gut, daß wir so nahe wohnen (man muß "nur" einen Berg rauf und runter und über den Fluß.)  

Nach Veronikas und Floras Terminen hatte ich eine kleine Pause, doch dann ging es weiter mit den drei großen Kindern.  Dieses Jahr nußten Charlotte und Miriam eine andere Frisur tragen.  Für viele Leute sind die Ballettfrisuren ein Kinderspiel, doch für mich sind sie immer eine große Herausforderung, wenn ich mit zwei Sorten Haarnadeln, Haarnetzen, Haargel, Haarspray, Kamm und Bürste agieren muß.  Ich habe nie so lange Haare gehabt und nie Erfahrung mit so etwas als Kind machen können.  Durch unsere Tänzerinnen habe ich aber inzwischen ein gutes Grundwissen mir angeeignet, doch fällt mir das Ganze immer noch nicht leicht.  Als ich mit den drei Großen dann beim Studio ankam, konnte ich auch gleich Miriams Freundin noch mit ihren Haaren helfen.  Ich mache ihre Haare immer zweimal die Woche, wenn sie nach der Schule zu uns kommt, heute war sie jedoch direkt von der Geigenstunde gekommen und hatte ihre Haare selber gemacht.  Das hatte jedoch nicht gut geklappt und ihre Mutter war so froh, als sie mich erblickte.  Mit Haarnadeln, die wir von anderen Mädchen borgten, haben wir dann die Frisur noch gerade rechtzeitig hinbekommen, so daß es strahlende Augen anstelle von Verzweifelung gab.  Also sind meine Haarkünste doch wohl nicht so schlecht.

Morgen früh fährt Jonathan mit Peter und einer anderen Mutter und Jonthans Co-op Klasse zum Vogelbeobachten in einen Sumpf.  Es sollen nur drei Grad werden.   Diese Temperaturschwankungen sind verrückt, und ich glaube, ich bekomme eine Erkältung.  Wir können ja auch die Heizung nicht anstellen, weil sie kaputt ist.  Dann haben wir morgen wieder Ballettprobe und bis Montag müssen meine restlichen Noten fertig sein.      



16 comments:

  1. Congratulations on getting through this very busy day and doing such lovely buns! I like Charlotte's hair on the side and her costume is very nice. She looks very pretty :) I'm sorry your furnace is still not working with such crazy weather. Wear warm sweaters tomorrow, and socks! I hope you can stay home and have good hot soup? It's raining here tonight also. Greg just got back from walking the dog and I'm ready to crawl into bed and listen to the rain falling outside. My friend Janet is camping with her family in New Jersey and she texted me a little while ago to say they were soaked. I hope they get some sunshine tomorrow. Good luck with the performances! Are they this weekend? Chanda has a rehearsal from 11:30 to 4 pm on Sunday for her ballet show. They have so many children to fit into the schedule that they have three different casts. Chanda's class is in all three shows so they have a long day. Your ballet school looks a little smaller and quieter. That's nice! Enjoy the show time, and I hope all of you stay well :)

    I

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    1. I am glad I am not camping in the rain, poor Janet. The recital is on the 31, we will have plenty of rehearsals before that date. I have to go to the post office this morning, maybe the walk will warm me up. Veronika and Flora also have a cold.

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    2. Chanda's rehearsals do sound much busier than ours and ours are never on a Sunday. People would not do that around here, they are very conservative and go to church. Will she get any lunch in between?

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    3. It's funny that you should mention lunch! She took food with her but ate it all before the lunch break. Then she called me at the lunch break and begged me to bring more food. However, Greg and I were busy with catsitting and apartment repair, so we didn't go. I told her she wouldn't starve and I would have a good dinner ready when she returned!

      I think it's good that people spend a quiet Sunday with family by you. It can get a bit too hectic here in the city. We don't go to church every Sunday, but we do sit down for a morning meal, prayer and poem together. I also do have a Sunday dinner, but not everyone is always there for it!

      Good luck with the recital preparations!

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    4. She must be really growing! Jonathan also always complains there is not enough food, Charlotte is kind of in the middle, Miriam only likes sweet things, but does not eat very much in general, Veronika eats a ton, and Flora eats like a bird, a crumb here, a crumb there, and half an hour later she is hungry again.

      Around here even many stores are closed and the college library and bookstore also stay closed, more like in Europe. So nice you are able to have some family time on Sundays. We normally don't do any special activities on Sundays, except going for a walk.

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  2. Schöne Kostüme! Und tolle Zeitleistung! Hoffentlich klappt es bald mit der Heizung. Wir hatten ja auch mal einen ganzen Winter lang keine Heizung. An diese Zeit erinnere ich mich gar nicht gern.
    Seltsam jetzt wo es bei uns wärmer wird, wird es bei euch wieder kälter.

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  3. Charlottes Fotos sind wunderschön, sie wirkt so elegant!
    Ich kann überhaupt gar keine Frisuren machen. Als Kind hatte ich mehrere Jahre langes Haar, um es zu bändigen flocht mir meine Mutter jeden Tag einen französischen Zopf, das hat aber immer so gezogen beim Kämmen, dass mir fast die Tränen kamen, und ich mochte das nicht so gern. Aber es hat sehr schön ausgesehen, und diese Art Zopf hielt wirklich gut.
    Oh je, und diese Temperaturschwankungen sind wirklich grässlich! Bei uns hat der eisige Wind der letzten Tage aufgehört, heute war es wechselnd bewölkt aber angenehm warm. Eigentlich so, wie es um diese Zeit "sein sollte".
    Wünsche euch noch gute Balletvorbereitungen!

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    1. Danke, Sybille. Es ist lustig, was so ein Kleid und die richtige Haltung bewirken können! Gerade sitzt sie auf einem Baum in Jeans und guckt sich den Mond an (das macht sie manchmal abends). Wie zwei ganz verschiedene Persönlichkeiten.

      Lustig, Deine Frisurengeschichte! Französische Zöpfe können so schön aussehen. Meine kleine Schwester ist darin Meisterin, im Flechten dieser Frisur meine ich.

      Ja, heute Nacht gibt es Frost, aber nächste Woche soll es etwas wärmer werden.

      Danke für die Wünsche zu unseren Proben, die großen stehen übernächste Woche an, fast jeden Tag.

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  4. Danke, C. Flora hat auch ein lilafarbenes Kostüm und Veronika ein rosa-weißes, aber in all dem Trubel habe ich nur Charlotte wirklich fotografiert.

    Am Montag soll jemand anrufen, ob sie die Teile für eine neue Heizung endlich da haben. Irgendwie ist es schwierig, diese zu ersetzen, weil sich inzwischen die Richtlinien für Heizungen geändert haben und man noch mehr Belüftungen einbauen muß. Dafür braucht man aber Sonderteile, die erst bestellt werden müssen. Wie habt Ihr denn den Winter überlebt, mit dem Holzofen? Meine Oma hat immer von der Kälte im Krieg gesprochen. Wir sind ja eigentlich ganz verwöhnt und können das kaum nachvollziehen.

    Ja, heute Nacht soll es sogar frieren. Wir haben eine Nachtfrostwarnung.

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  5. I have missed you! Been working flat out in the sewing room. I have a local outlet for my bags and I need everything ready by the 2nd June.

    I cannot get over how grown up and beautiful Charlotte looks. Well done to you for sorting the hair problems!!

    San xx

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    1. I was wondering if you had gotten sick again :). Good you are selling locally. That makes things easy. Charlotte does look much more grown up, that is true, but deep inside she is much more a little girl than anything else :). Thanks for stopping by to say hi. Hope all is well otherwise.

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    2. It's very true with Chanda also . . looking so grown up but still being a little girl . . I think she looks more mature than either Korrina or Morgana at her age, but is still little at heart. Fourteen is still quite young. Well . . for some . . Korrina turned into a very typical teenager at fourteen. It really took me by surprise. I've been thankful that things have been more gentle for my younger two :)

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    3. Pip still weary of school, thank goodness she finished on Friday for a mid term break.

      Dave still working on the website, it is a slow progress as there are so many factors to incorporate but it is looking good.

      My bedtimes are crazy as I often do not finish work until 11pm most nights. We have Sara home next week and have an appointment with the florist re wedding bouquets and Dave has another trip to Edinburgh so I am working extra this week to compensate for a disrupted schedule next week!

      I am hoping that at some point things will slow down as I know I cannot keep up this relentless pace of flat out working.

      I am glad that Charlotte is still very much a little girl, over here the girls grow up far too quickly, in fact kids these days are lucky if they manage to have any childhood.

      Hoping to write a blog update soon.

      San xxxx

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    4. Dorina, maybe the first child is more the typical teenager? I am not sure with my children. Boys are different than girls in that respect. I think for parenting, this is the hardest age. You kind of see a new person emerge and you need to get to know that person all over again. Many typical puberty behavior I still see in my college students. I wonder how long that time lasts and if I was the same. I think you yourself don't see you the way other people see you.

      San, so nice Pip gets a break soon. Here the schools are almost over for the summer, just a few more weeks. Your bedtimes sound like mine. I hope Sara's visit and Dave's absence will not be too exhausting.

      Most girls going to school also have to become "little women" much too early. I know a girl who talked about her boyfriends when she was 5!! Now she is 11 or 12, I believe, and she is dating a boy. Isn't that crazy?

      Take it easy! And have a good weekend.

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