Pink Blossoms

The pink blossoms on the trees are back, and that signals the hope that warmer weather might just stick around this time, although that seems somewhat optimistic even the roller coaster ride that winter typically brings our way.  Nevertheless, the temperature has been absolutely gorgeous outside, so much so that at night I've been out there sitting on the front porch reading, and even doing a bit of work from time to time.  

It's been a good day today, a productive day for us.  Maddie was at school like always of course.  She's been painting her fish fabric creation and that's coming along well.  We'll share a picture of that soon enough.  She's been doing ELA homework and studying for calculus as well, just sort of riding out the rest of the senior year here.  

We did have taekwondo tonight, a shorter night as always.  But Maddie's doing well in class, and will be having another testing I think next week, inching closer to that third degree black belt.  She's on pace to earn that in December, by the looks of things, so that will be a special testing.  I won't miss that.

No time to watch anything tonight.  Maddie had homework, so Mom and I were sort of watching the news on and off while making plans for some future events.  One of those future events:  the Harlem Globetrotters.  Okay, so this has been a pipe dream of mine for quite some time now, so I'm pretty excited about going with Maddie and Mom, and during our basketball series too.  

We read tonight, and we prayed too.  I'm going to close this day out with a basketball-themed skit that I wrote up for this weekend.  We have this elaborate Cinderella costume, so I thought it might be fun to do something like this for KidPak.  I'll post that here below as I close up this post:

KidPak Adventures:  Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk Cinderella

PROPS:
1.  Basketball Tickets (3)

2.  Big Cheese 

3.  Basketballs (2)

 
CUE TRACK:  1 Animated Dream (end at 0:36)

CUE SLIDE:  SLAM DUNK

HOST:            You may have heard the story of a Cinderella team

where an unheard-of squad has a season that’s a dream?

 

HOST:            Watch this story here and you will soon see

How the words “Cinderella Team” they soon came to be!

CUE SLIDE:  CASTLE BASKETBALL COURT

HOST:            Once upon a time, there was a king and his court

                        And this story involves someone who is a little… short

 

NERDO enters in a mouse onesie.

 

NERDO:         I can’t believe you’re making me do this.

 

HOST:            This is Gus-Gus, and yes, he’s a mouse

                        He does not live in the castle.  He lives in this house

NERDO:         I don’t want to be a mouse!

HOST:            Now hold on there, you cute little fella!

                        For in walked Anastasia, and yes, there’s Dribble-ella

 
CUE TRACK:  2 The Chicken

EMMA and DAWN enter.  DAWN is holding a cheese.  EMMA holds a basketball.

HOST:            They were rather rude, in fact, both of these

                        Look what they did to this mouse and that cheese

 

EMMA:          (sing-songy) Do you want some cheese little mousie?

 

NERDO:         Actually, yeah.

 

DAWN:          Too bad!  It’s all for us!  

DAWN and EMMA laugh maniacally.

NERDO:         We could share.  I could get a knife and I can …cut the cheese!

 

CUE SOUND EFFECT:  RUDE NOISE

NERDO:         Alley-oops!

DAWN:          (pointing at NERDO) That was out of bounds!

HOST:             Dribblella said with a growl!

EMMA:          You need to be tossed out for such a bad foul!

 

NERDO:         Fine!  I didn’t want to be in this skit anyway!

NERDO marches off towards STAGE RIGHT.

HOST:            The mouse travelled off.  Towards the door he did peel.

                        But then he faked and turned.  And he made a steal!

NERDO takes CHEESE from DAWN and EMMA, who start to follow him.

NERDO:         Don’t come any closer!

 

EMMA and DAWN:  Why not?

 

CUE SOUND EFFECT:  RUDE NOISE

EMMA and DAWN back away, horrified.

HOST:            These two backed off quickly, afraid from the gassing.

 

NERDO:         Yep.  I hold the league record for that kind of passing!

NERDO laughs as he exits STAGE RIGHT.

EMMA and DAWN begin bouncing basketball and passing it between them.

HOST:            Well, he’s gone.  So what’s up with these two?

                        Why are they practicing?  What will they do?

 

EMMA:          If we keep playing well, we’ve got a good chance!

 

DAWN:          We’ll be playing basketball, at the Big Dance!

 

HOST:            Ah, the Big Dance!  It’s the King’s Tournament, y’all!

                        They’re both training hard, they’re going to the Ball!

EMMA and DAWN:  Yeah!

HOST:            They had their tickets.  They were tops in their bracket

                        When suddenly they heard a noisy big racket

                        
CUE TRACK:  3 A CAPELLA CINDERELLA

DAWN and EMMA look around wondering where music is coming from.

HOST:            For that’s when they heard a song in …a cappella

                        Oh yes, here she comes.  Why it’s …Cinderella!

CINDERELLA enters STAGE RIGHT with a ticket

 

CINDERELLA:          Woot!  Woot!

FADE OUT

HOST:            It was Cinderella.  I think you know her name

                        She’s got MVP skills.  This sister’s got game!

CINDERELLA:          Hey there!  Can I play?

 

HOST:            Her sisters were angered! 

 

EMMA:          We don’t like you Cinder-ellie!

CUE TRACK:  4 KLEIST BLACKMAILS JOY 

HOST:            They didn’t want her playing.  Because they were… jelly!

CINDERELLA:          But we could be a dream team, and then we can win!

HOST:             But they did something wicked.  Oh yes, quite a sin. 

 

EMMA and DAWN take CINDERELLA’s ticket, and rip it up dramatically.

 

HOST:            They took her ticket, and then ripped it to shreds

                        And then laughed as they left.  And then they both said:

 

EMMA and DAWN:  “Bippety-boppety boo-yah!”

 

EMMA and DAWN do a high-five, a peace sign to audience as they laugh and swagger out STAGE RIGHT.

 

HOST:            Her step-sisters  were jealous, and acted real bad

Cinderella was hurt, and she sat there quite sad.

CINDERELLA picks up basketball on ground at STAGE LEFT.

HOST:            She picked up a ball laying there on the ground

                        And thought after this, just how could she rebound?

 

CINDERELLA:          My ticket is gone.  My life is a mess!

 

HOST:            And then someone entered.  Do you know?  Wanna guess?

 

Let audience answer.

 

NERDO enters STAGE RIGHT, and STAYS AT STAGE LEFT

 

NERDO:         Why are you so blue?

 

CINDERELLA:          Cinderella wears a blue dress.  It’s kind of my thing.  

 

NERDO:         No, you big goofball.  Why are you sad?

HOST:            Cinderella went on to explain and determine

                        The situation she was in, to this smelly vermin

 

NERDO:         Hey!  That really hurt!

 

HOST:            But then he went on to suggest something scary

                        He said, “Why not call in the Basketball Fairy?”

NERDO:         Why not call in the Basketball Fairy?

CINDERELLA:          The Basketball Fairy?  How do I call her?

 

NERDO:         You have to say the magic words.

 

CINDERELLA:          What are they? 

NERDO:         (super aggressive, almost angry)  Hey, Basketball Fairy!  Get out here!

 

CINDERELLA:          Okay, here goes.  KidPak, can you help me?  On the count of three… one… two… three…

CAST gets audience screaming too.

ALL:               Hey, Basketball Fairy!  Get out here!

CUE TRACK:  5 BASKETBALL FAIRY

 

MEGAN enters CENTER STAGE (when “Basketball Fairy” is heard in track), dressed as a giant basketball, in one hand a wand and in the other hand some confetti.

MEGAN struts across the stage in ridiculous basketball costume, taking a bow, waving at random people in audience, spinning around from time to time, and then settling between NERDO and CINDERELLA.

CUE TRACK:  6 SPIN IT REAL GOOD-2

HOST:            And that’s when the Basketball Fairy appeared

She looked at the mouse, and she said…

 

MEGAN:        You look weird!

 

NERDO:         You think I look weird?  You’re a giant basketball!

CINDERELLA:          Oh, Basketball Fairy!  I don’t know what to do.

MEGAN:                    Oh you have a gift, girl.  You know that it’s true.

HOST:                        She rolled up to Cinderella, and told her this gem:

MEGAN:                    Things will all work out fine, if you just trust in Him.

 

HOST:                        Then the Basketball Fairy, she waved her wand too

                                    As she said these special words

NERDO:                     Bippety-boppety boo?

 

MEGAN:                    No, that’s the fairy godmother.  My words are…
BOOM CHUG-A-LUGGA, LUGGA! BOOM!

 

MEGAN struggles in costume but eventually taps CINDERELLA on head with wand.

CINDERELLA:          Why thank you –

 

MEGAN:                    Hold it!  Not done yet.

 

MEGAN struggles and shifts and then uses other hand to toss confetti at CINDERELLA

 

MEGAN:                    There.

CINDERELLA:          Uh… thank you?

 

MEGAN:                    No problem.  (suddenly remembering) Oh yeah!  Hold on!

MEGAN waddles to STAGE RIGHT EXIT, grabs a ticket and the cheese.

HOST:                        But that wasn’t all, for her spirits were about to lift.

                                    The Basketball Fairy had given her this special gift!

 

MEGAN hands CINDERELLA a ticket and NERDO a cheese.

CUE TRACK:  7 PARTY PREPARATIONS

CINDERELLA:          A ticket to the Ball!

NERDO:                     And cheese!

 

MEGAN:                    (to audience) You all have a gift, so never give up.

                                    Your dreams will come true. (slight awkward pause) Yup.

CUE SLIDE: NICER CASTLE BASKETBALL COURT

MEGAN and CINDERELLA walk to STAGE RIGHT screen (where castle is), as NERDO stays at STAGE LEFT.

HOST:                        And so Cinderella made it to the Big Dance

                                    She just had to try, and she took that chance

EMMA and DAWN enter CENTER STAGE and go stand next to NERDO at STAGE LEFT.  They look shocked at CINDERELLA

HOST:                        Her sisters were at the palace, and saw her at this place

                                    They knew they had lost …to cut to the chase

EMMA and DAWN gasp at CINDERELLA

NERDO laughs in an exaggerated way.

EMMA:                      What are you laughing at?

NERDO:                     I thought he was going to say “to cut to the cheese!”

CUE SOUND EFFECT:  RUDE NOISE

EMMA and DAWN cry loudly, waving arms in front of their faces, and rushing off STAGE RIGHT

HOST:                        God is with you always.  He can help one and all.

 

MEGAN:                    You’ll be a champion.  You’ll have…a ball!
(gesturing at herself)  Ball?  See what I did there?

 

HOST:                        Yes.  And so, persevere!  You can win.  Show some spunk!

CINDERELLA:          And don’t you give up.  You can do a Slam Dunk!

CINDERELLA and MEGAN (celebrating):  Woot-woot! 

HOST:                        The End.

 

  

 

A CAPPELLA CINDERELLA

[verse 1]

She’s wearing a big hoop skirt
And mice help get her set

She jukes and jives, and makes a drive

And takes it to the net

[chorus]

Cinderella’s at the Big Dance

She’s going to the Ball

It’s her big shot, this is her chance 

to score and win it all!

 

[verse 2]
She practices with pumpkins

And she will take it to ya!

She’s made the show, just watch her go

with a bippety-boppity boo-yah!

[chorus]

[bridge]
Anastasia and Dribble-ella

And their coach Lady Tremaine

They try to block, and stop the clock

But they won’t win this game

 

[chorus]

Cinderella’s at the Big Dance

She jumps, and then takes flight

She slams and scores, and tries for more

Before it strikes midnight!

 

[verse 3]

Her fairy godmother is pumped

The Lizard coachmen too!
The only thing she’ll lose today

Is just that one glass shoe 

[chorus]

Cinderella’s at the Big Dance

Yeah, she’s going to the Ball

It’s her big shot, this is her chance 

to score and win it all!