Category:

Too, Too Much to Do

11/16/2022

Thanksgiving is just one week away! Surely, we will take pause to be grateful for our many blessings. But we, like so many others, may also think about all of the work hosting a big family dinner can be.

This year I am forced to remember that it is also my birthday. (I am getting too old!) But, gratefully, my children are taking good care of me. In fact, although my house is hosting the get-together, everyone has pledged to bring something so no one person has to slave in the kitchen. Now, that is something to cheer about! (We always seem to feed ourselves well!)

My mother was a hostess with the "mostess." She loved to entertain. So, it was not surprising that she invited her parents from Idaho and her brothers and sisters living nearby in Utah to come to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. So what if her baby was due in two weeks. That shouldn't pose a problem, should it?

She worked all day on Wednesday mopping floors and making up beds for guests. She baked pies and prepared everything she could for the big meal the day before. Then she got up early Thanksgiving morning to put the turkey in the oven to roast. Dinner was planned for 1:00 pm.

My grandparents drove through the night and arrived at 6:00 am, just when my mother's water broke. My mother just barely had time to give instructions about the dinner and kiss my 3 year old bother goodbye before my dad rushed her to the hospital. I made my entrance into the world at 9:00 am.

After all of the hustle and bustle of the morning, the hospital staff took baby me to the Nursery to let my mother rest. My mother was not interested in resting. She was worried about her beautiful Thanksgiving Feast. She trusted that her mother would tend to everything well, but my mother was upset that she wasn't going to be there to enjoy it! Then, at noon when the staff brought her a less than adequate plate of hospital food, she begged my Dad to go home and bring her back some of her own fabulous Thanksgiving Feast --- with pumpkin pie!

Yup! And I have never had regular birthday cake on my birthday since that beginning. I always have pumpkin pie with candles on top! (Or nowadays, no candles. I don't want the house to burn down!)

For those of you who think preparing for Thanksgiving is just too much work, here's a song for you. This is "Too, Too Much to Do" from "The Adventures of Dick Whittington."

The cook sings this as she is preparing for a grand meal in the house of Lord and Lady Fitzwarren. She is chewing out her kitchen staff, particularly the new guy who accidentally knocks over the fancy food display.

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Growing Your Skills

11/3/2022

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Years ago I was on a tour with the Tabernacle Choir to the Upper Midwest states. One day we had a chance to do a little site-seeing in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My sister and I decided to follow the "Happy Days" (a television sitcom from the 1970-80s) trail that took us to see many of the featured filming sites. We even got our pictures taken with the Fonz.

On the way, we stopped into this little bookshop to browse. On the wall I noticed a framed picture of some early artwork of Dr. Seuss. Clearly these sketches were of ideas for his early characters. They were very rough and not clearly developed. It looked like he was still working out his style and honing his cartooning skills.

At the time, I was writing and illustrating my first picture book. In those days I just used paper and pencils. I didn't know anything about how to do ink and pen illustrations or paint with watercolors, let alone use a computer to clean up paintings and design the layout for a book. I just knew I had to document some of our family stories for posterity. I took heart and gained some courage to go forward from looking at those early drawings by Dr. Seuss.

So, after years of attending workshops, watching YouTube training videos, acquiring some technology tools, and practicing a lot, I can actually see how my illustrating skills have grown. Can't say that my books are ready for the market, but I know that I have a few grandchildren fans. (And that's the most important thing because these are family stories after all!)

Writing songs for Children's Theater is much the same. After years and years of practice, you may be able to come up with some pretty good songs. Here's the first song I wrote for my very first show "Stone Soup."

And here's a song written when I had hit my stride. Enjoy "Over Yonder" an opener added several years later to the same show.

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Fifth Generation Soprano

6/9/2022

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On our hike up the canyon yesterday, I managed to sneak a short video of my granddaughter singing a bit from "Frozen II." She is still very young, only 2 1/2, and yet she has begun to sing actual songs on pitch. Granted, the three note motif from the siren voice in "Frozen II" is built on intervals that are judged easiest for young children to imitate. The starting pitch descends first down a half step and then down a minor third. However, my granddaughter even tries singing it in different modulations just like on the soundtrack. Pretty good for a toddler!

My daughter and I were musing yesterday about how this little girl marks the fifth generation of fine sopranos in our family. (We are only counting the mothers and grandmothers I have known personally.) So, starting with my mother's mother Lora (her operatic voice spanned 5 octaves) to my mother Carolyn (beautiful lyric soprano), myself Betsy (another lyric Soprano), my daughter Cami (also a huge vocal range), to her daughter Camilla (destined to sing soprano, too). That makes five generations of soprano voices.

Of course, that is only counting one direct line, and not even mentioning the many fine singers in her generation. (I have 25 grandchildren and they all sing well!) We have stories from our more ancient history of many fine singers and entire families of singers and musicians on down through the extended family lines. We are just happy to continue the tradition of SINGING and playing/composing music.

Camilla, or CJ as she is called, goes around the house singing her own soundtrack. She favors us with many songs from movies and a lot from "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." Because I am her Nursery Leader at Church, I am noticing that she is picking up more and more phrases and melodies from the Primary songs we teach her. She is sometimes the only child in Nursery, so we sing a lot.

It is clear that this toddler loves music and so does her 1 year old brother Peter. In Church he also has to have his own hymnbook open so that he can "sing" and wave his arms directing the music. Their mother started her conducting career at age 2 by sneaking onto stage when the extended family was singing a choir number. She stole the show while imitating the conducting of her great-great aunt Janie Thompson.

Toddlers should be allowed to show their developing talents!

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Toddler Tantrums and Truths

4/18/2022

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Living with toddlers can be so fun, though exhausting, and may sometimes point blame back directly at you!

My little 2 year old granddaughter loves to have Grandma's storybooks read to her. Nearly everyday, she insists that they be read to her. Sometimes she sits and "reads" them to herself. She particularly likes "Spin-Around Dresses and Click Shoes." Yesterday was Easter. Her "Grandmama" (not me, she calls me Grandma) sent her a beautiful new dress to wear for Easter.

The trouble was that she had only hot pink polka dotted Sunday shoes, and her mother thought she should have shoes to wear that matched her new dress. They went to the store and eventually found some shoes that would match her dress. But when Easter morning came, she adamantly demanded that she wear her pink polka-dotted "click shoes" to Church. She cried and fussed and flatly refused to wear the new shoes that matched the dress in favor of the hot pink polka-dotted shoes. After some major convincing, her mother finally convinced her to wear the new shoes. But they are not her true "click shoes."

Earlier this year, their family was visiting at Grandmama's house when another funny incident happened for which I am partly to blame. Another of my picture books Camilla likes is titled "Is This Cowboy Food ." One line happens at the end of the story when the whole trouble starts happening all over again. Well, Camilla was watching a marathon of "Mulan" movies. When the Huns started attacking in "Mulan II," Camilla shook her head, put her hand to her forehead and wailed, "It's happening again!"

I have to admit, it's nice having Camilla as my most loyal fan!

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You Had to Audition to Get Into This Family

4/12/2022

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Whenever my siblings and I complained about rehearsing or getting ready to do a show with my mother, she just said, "Singing is what we do." And then she added, "Don't you know you had to audition to get into this family?"

I think that was what her mother said to her when she was little, too. (My grandparents were excellent singers and were carrying on that singing tradition from generations before them!) My mother was the fifth child in a family of seven singing siblings. They grew up singing together for fun and to entertain others. Many became professional musicians, educators and entertainers.

My mother started training her children to sing practically from birth. She put me in my first show when I was just two weeks old. Anyway, all six of us learned to sing together in harmony from our very early ages. Her line was that when we were in heaven, we made sure to stand in the "singing talent" line. And then we had to go through an audition process before we got assigned to come to earth into our family. "Singing is what you were born to do." So, we did.

When my children came along, I knew what I had to do. My kids grew up knowing that they also had to audition to get into our family. We sang a lot as a family while they still lived at home. They all learned to hold their own parts and play different instruments. We enjoyed singing together.

Now, it is harder to gather from so many different places in order to sing together, but whenever we can, we still love singing together.

Megan and Melanie singing

My daughter Kathryn shared an experience she had with her kids from the other day. They had had a long day of Church meetings and choir practice and visiting other wards. Then, after a quick dinner, Mom and the older kids needed to go practice again for Stake Conference Choir. Kathryn needed their help because she was the choir director.

Eleven-year-old Megan started to complain and drag her feet, but her voice was needed in the Soprano section with her two older sisters and just a few older women. Kathryn said, "Singing is what we do in this family. Don't you remember you had to audition to even get to be in this family?"

Confused, Megan said, "Wait. What?"

Kathryn shook her head and muttered as they got into the van, "Where have you been all these years?"

Megan and Melanie have lovely voices, and here's the proof. "As the French Say" song from the play "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse."

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Friend or Just Entertainment?

4/5/2022

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We moved around a lot through my youth. I often felt like I never stayed in one place long enough to really bond with friends. But, I guess I had friends enough, at least I had plenty of invitations to birthday parties. We did the things other kids in that time did --- dancing to pop hits, building crazy ice cream concoctions, skating at the roller rink, swinging on the Tarzan rope over the canal, having sleep-over parties, etc.

What I remember most about going to sleep-over birthday parties is that my friends always asked me to sing them to sleep. I don't know if that was because I had a voice that would instantly put them to sleep or that they honestly liked how or what I sang. Guess I will never know for sure.

I remember the parents at the party house insisting that after a certain time, no more television or playing records would be allowed. They insisted we all go to sleep. So, I was elected to quietly sing to them. My repertoire at that time was fairly vast. I could sing Movie and Broadway tunes ad infinitum. And it felt like I indeed sang all night long. Every time I stopped, thinking the girls were all asleep, someone would pipe up and say, "No, don't stop." So on I sang from the scores of "My Fair Lady," "The Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins," "Funny Girl," almost any Rodgers and Hammerstein show or Disney show, and so on.

Providing the entertainment is something I was called on to do a lot in my life. One thing I've noticed through the years is that the entertainer doesn't actually get to mix with the audience. So, I think a lot of kids thought they knew me, but I didn't really get to know anybody.

Thank goodness I had built-in friends having a tight-knit family. They were my best friends then and still are. We sang as a family in our growing up years. And we still like singing together. And my kids sing with me and and with each other, as well.

If I had only had my sisters or daughters with me at those sleep-over parties, we could have sung in parts!

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The One True Outfit

3/12/2022

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Many toddlers go through this phase, I imagine. They latch onto one outfit that they want to wear day and night. Right now my granddaughter who lives with me has decided that the new dress her mother bought for her is her favorite. She wants to wear it all the time --- even to sleep in. We do not know how long this phase might last, but it may be for a long time.

Our middle son Matthew took this phase to new heights. He also had the one true outfit. His story became legend in our family. So much so that I decided to write a Children's Picture book about it.

His little friend had given him cowboy boots that he had grown out of. That started the whole thing. From then on Matthew not only wanted to wear the boots, hat, vest, bandana and rope he collected for his costume, but he also determined that his little yellow T-shirt and denim shorts were part of it, too. He came to all his meals with a scowl on his face and asked in a gruff voice, "Is this cowboy food?" Once we had explained that indeed whatever it was we were eating was true cowboy food, he would join us.

This went on for a year! Oh wait, you'll have to read the story to find out what happened next!

The music track you hear is from the Children's Musical "Stone Soup." Curiously, this fun show set in the Old West, also features cowboy food!

The ending credit music is from the musical "The Adventures of Dick Whittington" --- but wait, I may have given away too much!

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Where Are They Now?

3/5/2022

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Many people can still remember the television game show from the mid 1980s called "The Newlywed Game." On one show, a young couple was asked to say how they met. They both said that they played TREES in a Children's Theater production of "Peter Pan." That answer got them some curious looks and loud applause. Imagine my surprise to learn that the young husband and wife had actually met while performing in my little show! (P.S. They played other characters in that show, as well!)

Just read an article about the "Harry Potter" cast and what they look like now. It put me in a nostalgic mood. I then started to imagine my young performers and what they must look like now so many years later. Most of my first performers must be married with children of their own by now. They surely must have progressed in their many and varied careers. I know that a few have remained active in theater productions, but not many. Some seem to remember fondly being in my shows, though. It surprises me to randomly get a note of appreciation now and again.

Thank goodness for social media. Seeing these young people now posting with their families seems so surreal. It is definitely hard to recognize them! They look very different now than they did as kids. Guess they will live in my memory forever as 5-12 year olds!

Facebook Comments:
Kamberlynne Washburn
So much fondness!
Katri Jeffery Lein
We had so much fun doing the plays at the church!!
Joyce Knight Lohr
I remember them well.
Dawn Haole
My firstborn was too young to be in your shows when our paths crossed. She hung out with us at Narnia rehearsals. The first year that she was a Sunbeam , you were introducing a new song from the brand new children's songbook to Primary. Innately aware of timing and pitch, she asked if she should sing what you sang or what Sister Alexander played. ONE note was different. One short note. I don't recall the answer to that question. She later minored in music and now serves in music callings in her ward. When needed, she arranges music to suit the voices available to her.
Sarah Crowley Chaston
Dawn Haole and I still remember tiny bits of these rehearsals. Specifically a lady in grey sweats singing the song (I don't know the title, just the lyrics) "Now the real adventure starts. A journey that will truly test the best that's in our hearts . . ." Don't know why that song in particular is still stuck in my head in its entirety 30ish years later.
Lynn Marie Rinker Stallard
Justin is a missionary. Richard graduates in a few months and Sara starts high school next year. Life is moving a little too fast for me!

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A Time Out for Carolyn

12/28/2021

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Early in 2021, my daughter Carolyn called and suggested an idea for a new picture book. Every Christmas since 2016 I have created a picture book based on one of our funny family stories. The first one featured our middle son. The reaction from the siblings was, "Mom, there are seven of us. We each expect our own storybook."
I was true to their expectations for the first few years...
2016 - Is This Cowboy Food? featuring Matthew
2017 - Who Will Be My Friend? featuring Katelyn
2018 - Too Many Sisters featuring Michael
Then, it got harder for me to come up with ideas. So I started combining two kids into the same story.
2019 - The Wonderful, Marvelous, Magic Bunkbed - Cami and Mitchell
2020 - Spin Around Dresses and Click Shoes - Kathryn and Carolyn
Evidently, combining stories was nice, but did not fulfill the request.

Carolyn age 3

Carolyn actually suggested that I create a picture book using the story I often told about her when she was 3. I knew immediately the story she meant, and I started stammering "B...b...but no one would believe it!" "Sure they will," Carolyn said encouragingly. "And this time, I think you should create this picture book without words."
"B...b...but...I....I. can't possibly..."
"You can do it."

Well, I toiled over this story for many months. I even track tested it with some of my friends. I didn't think I was a clever enough artist to tell the story adequately without words. And the early testing bore that out. So, by the time I took it to be printed, I still wasn't convinced that the art carried the plot well enough. But I got a few copies printed anyway. Then, I stewed over this questionable decision while away on a 2-week trip. When I got back home I knew I had to redo the whole thing, but this time with words. Not a lot of words, but hopefully the right words. By then I had just a couple of weeks before Christmas!

Camilla Joy age 2

The very best compliment I got after the families had all opened their copies of the picture book was from my youngest granddaughter. Her mommy told me that she insisted they read "Time Out for Carolyn" at bedtime. Then she wanted to read it by herself 2-year-old style. She especially liked the Author page where I placed a picture of myself. She pointed and said "Gramma" over and over again. My grandmother heart is melting.

Camilla Joy reading "Time Out for Carolyn" to go to sleep

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The Sweetest Things

8/21/2021

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The sweetest thing happened yesterday. Little 4-year-old Avery, who was not actually in our little play, sang and danced the Chicken Family's song for me. She knew the actions and the dance moves, and stayed pretty close to all of the words and the tune. Her impromptu performance tickled my Grandma heart.

She had been to Camp because her mother was helping me, but she never really did any actual rehearsing. But after we dressed her in a cute little yellow costume with feathers around the hemline we couldn't keep her off the stage! She ended up following the little chicks around for the entire performance. Thank goodness her big sister (also a Chick) kept track of her and made sure she stayed in the right areas at least.

Our play, "The Tale of Chicken Licken" turned out so well. I have actually been getting some sweet Thank You notes from some of the cast members. They said how much fun they had during Camp and how much they miss coming. One girl even sent me a drawing she made of all of the cast members. It is so good I have it stuck up on my refrigerator.

We like to have extra activities during Camp for variety and provide time for the director to work with small groups. My daughter made sure the children had cute coloring pages and drawing activities. One of the older boys helped supervise the coloring group. It turns out that he was quite an artist. The project was to learn how to draw a fox, a chicken, a duck, a goose and a turkey. These are characters in our play. His demonstration drawing is also on my fridge. So glad the older kids were willing to help with the younger kids. What a terrific group of young thespians!