Christmas Ballerinas

The final dress rehearsal was tonight, although half the China Dolls weren't actually dressed up.  The other team got to wear the costuming, but that was largely because they had to stay later.  Given the choice of an earlier bedtime, I think this was the wise choice.  Look at Madison in that end pose up there.  This is how the China Dolls close out their dance - they did really well tonight, and should be ready to go for tomorrow.  Madison is really have a great time with all of this!

Here's an interesting view from backstage.  Daddy was here tonight, and not at church.  One of us needed to be here with Madison, of course, while Mommy was scrambling to get costuming and props ready for the upcoming church play.  It's been a busy week, and it is going to get more busy before the weekend is over with.  There'll be lots of driving to and fro, and "plans within plans…"

Nana went to the doctor for an update today, and the good news is that she can come off her blood thinner.  That's fantastic news, really.  Daddy was planning a message for tonight, one centered around Woody, the cowboy from "Toy Story."  He made this big floor puzzle for all the kids to put together, and we brought along the doll to use as a prop.  The class turned out just fine, although again Daddy wasn't there - he was at Brenau.

It's just been a busy day, really.  Madison woke up later this morning due to the late night before.  Daddy dropped her off, and that's the last he saw of her until it was time to go to Brenau.  She had her enrichment class today, still working on her Christmas project another week.  She's loving that, and school in general.  Again, she had a choice to miss much more school than just an hour or so, but she couldn't bear to be away that long.  Tomorrow, she'll miss entirely.  There's no choice, as she's performing for kids of other schools, and really looking forward to it.  It's an unexcused absence, that is unless we come up with some medical reasoning behind it.  Yes, the doctor said that her unusual cough of late can be cured in only one way, with excessive practices for the Nutcracker.  Prescription:  two performances of the Nutcracker, twice a day until persistent cough goes away.

She does have a little cough.  It is persistent.  We've been giving her children's medication, and it hasn't been with a high fever or any other symptoms.  But she's coughing at night, that is until we get her more medication.  Hopefully things will settle down soon.  And hopefully Mommy and Daddy will get better too - it's just a change of seasons thing, I suspect.