ZimWex Family Blog

I Used to Dance Around The Living Room...*

Just another day in the family room...

There is something about watching the unbridled joy, the utter lack of self-consciousness**, and the complete artistic devotion to her dance that I hope never fully goes away...***

Love this girl.

AZ

*Can't resist a showtune title

**and sometimes lack of dance skillz

***Although, if it NEVER goes away, she may end up dancing a bit like Elaine on Seinfeld...

A lullaby

No one will be surprised that my kids get to hear a lot of lullabies.

Sometimes more than they want probably.*

They are also clever enough to know it is the best way to keep me in the room with them.**

But how sweet to walk into the room the other night and find what Ruby had written:

Pretty sweet.

So, extra points if you can read her "invented spelling".

Extra, EXTRA points if you can identify the existing lullaby that inspired this!
AZ 

*"I know, you're tired, but Mommy hasn't finished the whole score of Wicked yet. Just one more?"

**Second only to actually giving me a shred of information about their day, which is not at all a normal occurrence.

 

Yes, even I have my limits

Um, just how many times can one listen to the Legally Blonde soundtrack?  Those of you who know me well know that I have a nearly unending capacity to listen to musical theatre.* However, what is going on at my house is not cool.  

The children were treated to a matinee performance of Legally Blonde: the Musical last weekend as the lead here in London is one of the actresses in Tanya's film**.  So it was a huge treat with a visit to the dressing room, etc etc.  So of course immediately upon returning home they asked to buy the soundtrack and I, being weak in this way, immediately said yes.

Now that very same soundtrack has been played in our house more than 20 times in the past four days. This is not an exaggeration, but the God's honest truth.  And it is not very good.  It is not very*** bad, but it does not bear this much listening.  

The funniest bit is that their favorite song is a song whose chorus is "Is he Gay or European?".  To be sure, a funny song, and while parts of it are surely above their level of comprehension****, they certainly get the basic joke.  Its so bizarre and random and slightly age appropriate, but I long ago accepted the fact that my general prudishness and protectiveness with my children vanishes in the face of musical theatre, which seems to trump all.

The worst part of this entire situation is that the songs really stick in your head.   A lot. So, yes, now I walk down the street humming bits of it to myself, and then being horrified that I am doing so!  A conundrum to be sure.

Sure, this too will pass.  For the meantime, I am resigned to it.  In fact, maybe I will switch the CD over to it right now....

AZ

 

*Yes, as I am typing this "Title of Show" is playing.

**Now that I am in London,  I don't say movie anymore, its only film.

***fun with italics!

****"In France, depending on the time of day, they go either way", for example.

Book #39: A Brief History of King Arthur

Yawn.

Yes, I am trying to educate myself so that I can teach these kids something.

And next week we are doing King Arthur.

But yawn, yawn, yawn.  

Think we will just watch "Camelot" and call it a day.

AZ

Oh my goodness.

Oh my goodness.

The musical theater bug has hit.

Ella has just finished her two week intensive musical theater camp (at Little Red), and she. was. in. heaven.  Everyday she came home to teach us a new improv game, show us a dance move, or belt out "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile".  (Yes, the play was Annie. Yes, I was reliving my childhood).*

The play was good and went off without a hitch.  She felt proud of herself and has proclaimed that she is definitely doing the camp again next summer.  

 

For me, the entire thing was an exercise in, well, nostalgia, but more importantly the beginning of acting like I cared much less than I did.    I mean, come on, she was in a musical theater production, the defining musical theater production of our generation, and she was playing a totally memorable part, the "oh my goodness" referred to by my title,  and she was loving it.  Somehow, I grasped that it was important to play cool**, not belt out Annie tunes all day, or ask her to run lines just one more time!  Kind of a powerful thing when your kid starts to love something that you also love.  And hard to resist!  But, I promise, I was no Mama Rose.  

I did, however, have a blast watching her!

Brava, Ella.

AZ

*Including the fact that the above-featured costume was worn by me throughout my long affair with Annie, in which I did "orphan" songs in approximately 63 talent shows.  Made with Love (and preserved for 30 years in the attic) by Mom.

**Okay, not cool, just a teeny-tiny bit cooler than I felt.

7 things I learned this Memorial Day Weekend.

1.  I am not all that good at Capture the Flag.

2.  The Georgica Pond is like an amusement park when it is cut to run into the ocean.

3. If you need to walk a long way on the beach, it is easier to dance your way there.  Particularly if you incorporate a few arabesques.  And sing "Tonight" from West Side Story.

4.  We have been doing things backwards for ten years.  In shocking reversal, all seven children (including our house guests) made the grownups lunch while we swam in the pool.  They made menus, prepared (yummy) food, and served us. *

5.  All sandwiches are better with Pepperoncini.

6.  My children's concept of a Haunted House is a little bit off and involves more assault and swordfighting than fear.

7.  The dumb cheerleader on Glee doesn't have a single line in the first six episodes.**

Happy Memorial Day to all!

*And billed us.

** We had to get our good friends J & A caught up on what they had missed on Glee so far.  And of course we had to watch with them, silly!

A few things to be grateful for this weekend.

1.  A visit from good friends.  

2.  Bacon, Sausage, and Tomato Pizza from Sam's .

3.  A bike ride to the beach.*

4.  Tree Swings.

 

5. Daffodils

 

6. Black Cherry Icecream from Bay Burger.

7. Sudden interest in Into The Woods on part of Ella.  Subsequent request for "Mommy to sing as many of the songs as possible" while driving in the car.  Hah.

8.  Two days. Two Yoga Classes .

9.  A discovery of a new Kate DiCamillo book, The Magician's Elephant , to read out loud at bedtime.

10.  Ruby singing along every word to "Sweet Baby James" at bedtime.  Particularly adorable on "thinkin' about women and glasses of beer".

Hope you found things to be grateful for in your weekends!
AZ

*Albeit one in which we were woefully underdressed and poor Violet was shivering with cold, having eschewed the suggested sweatshirt.

Oh. My. God.

I am kvelling.  I have died and gone to Musical Theater Heaven.

Why? I will tell you why.  Tonight was the NY Philharmonic Concert celebrating Steven Sondheim's 80th Birthday. Wow. Wow. Wow.  

What follows is for the die-hard musical theater fan only.

And here goes....the setlist*:

Something's Coming (West Side Story):  sung in one of the best interpretations I have ever heard by the glorious Alexander Gemignani.

We're Gonna Be Alright (Do I Hear a Waltz?): Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley (who are married in real life).  Cute song...I had never heard before.

Laugh(Hot Spot): Victoria Clark was divinely funny in a song I wish I had had when I was auditioning. Very funny.

Johanna (Sweeney Todd):  For this one they brought in an opera singer..Nathan Gunn.  Means nothing to me, but apparently he is a big one.  And sang beautifully.

You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See us Through (Follies):  Perky quartet from the youngsters...Bobby Steggart, Laura Osnes (surprisingly good given her reality TV start), Matt Cavenaugh, and Jenn Colella.

Too Many Mornings (Follies):  Audra McDonald and Nathan Gunn.  Gorgeous.

The Road you Didn't Take (Follies):  John McMartin reprised his original role.  

It Takes Two(Into The Woods):  Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason!!! Wowzer.  Okay, this is where I cried.  Not because it is such a tear jerker song...but for some reason these two were so accessible, and adorable and funny.  And because it was one of the first shows I saw on Broadway in 1988.  And that seems like a very long time (and a lifetime) ago.

?From Merrily We Roll Along: Okay, so I don't know the name of this song.  But Jim Walton, who I also don't know, and who was in the original Broadway cast, sang very well at the piano.

Finishing the Hat(Sunday in the Park with George): Now they started bringing out the big guns. Mandy Patinkin on Finishing the Hat. Sounded just as good as he did 26 years ago.

Move On(Sunday in the Park with George):  Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin.  Nuff said.

Pretty Women(Sweeney Todd): Here things got cute and Michael Cerveris (the most recent Sweeney) did this as a duet with George Hearn (the previous one). 

Have a Little Priest (Sweeney Todd):  As a trio with Patti Lupone, Michael Cerveris, and George Hearn.  Very funny.

INTERMISSION!  In which I scrambled to the bathroom and then thought to myself...oh no, this is going to be over soon...Let it last a little longer!

Ballet?(Reds):  Yes, they did a ballet.  I could have done without this, but it was pretty.

So Many People (Saturday Night):  My old audition song! I love, love, love this song and loved hearing it sung by the great Laura Benanti.

Beautiful Girls (Follies): David Hyde Pierce used this song to introduce the following women to the stage- they appeared dressed in red Diane von Furstenberg dresses and sat down on stage to stay a while:  Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy, Elaine Stritch. In the next part of the song, they sang one great song after another while watching each other, which was fascinating all around.**

The Ladies Who Lunch (Company):  by Patti! Oh for crying out loud, this was great. She sang this song with her usual crazy enunciation and timing.  She was fabulously brilliant.  The audience went crazy at the end, and Elaine Stritch went right to her feet to applaud.  

Losing My Mind(Follies): Marin Mazzie sang a very emotional version of this great song.

The Glamorous Life (A Little Night Music):  Okay, only when Audra McDonald sings it could this relatively boring song become a tour-de-force.  I practically wanted to cry.  She is unreal.

Leave You?(Follies): Donna Murphy was so dry and so withering in this song.  Perfect.

Not a Day Goes By (Merrily We Roll Along):  Bernadette Peters had tears in her eyes from the moment she stood up to sing this.  It was restrained, moving, great.  And, wow, she still has amazing arms!

I'm Still Here (Follies):  Who else but Elaine Stritch? At age 85, she can deliver a song like no one else.  The whole theater jumped to their feet at the end of the song.

Sunday (Sunday in the Park with George):  About 300 members of various Broadway companies*** came up on stage and also surrounded the audience.  Amazing harmonies.  

At long last, they brought Sondheim up on stage, sang Happy Birthday to him, and he gave a little speech.

And then. 

It was over.  And we all had to go back to our real lives.  

If you have made it to the end of this insane post, god bless you.

AZ

*yes, because I got a pen out and wrote it down on my program.  Cool, right?

**By the way, backstage had to be some kind of crazy diva-off, right?

***Even Mixed Company's Amy Justman, who walked right by me!

A quote.

From Violet (who has been listening A LOT to West Side Story in the past few weeks):

"Mommy, when I'm a jet, will I stay a jet?"*

AZ

*oh, how happy this makes me.

What I'm thankful for today.

1.  The ocean.

2.  The free on-demand children's networks.

3. The fact that I am not at an amusement park today.

4. My beautiful, funny, talented, generous wife.*

5.  The soundtrack of [title of show]  which I listened to no less than four times on the plane ride from JFK-LAX.

6. The breathing time I have acquired this year while Violet is at school in the mornings.

7.  No visits to the emergency room all year.**

8.  The Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno that my mother-in-law treated us to last night at NOBU.

9.  Wireless internet.

10.  The fact that none of my children's fingers have been amputated by any of the Maclarens  we have owned over the past ten years.

11.  The widespread introduction of Greek yogurt into American Grocery Stores/Starbuckses.

12.  Living just two blocks from Li-Lac Chocolates and being able to get those dark chocolate covered apricots at least once a day every once in a while.

13.  Time to read books like the beautiful Olive Kitteridge .

14. These folks.

So, what are you all thankful for?

AZ    

*Mushy, mushy, mushy,

**This is where T would say I am jinxing things. But the year is over, and I am thankful that we escaped this particular pitfall for at least 12 months.