November is already over? It was by far the busiest month of my year. I had the fall play to prepare for (which debuted November 2) and birthdays for both children--which of course means two birthday parties. Norah had her first friends party at the bowling alley, and Levi's first birthday was celebrated with a monster theme (so fun!) at the fire station. My little one year old amazes me every day. He is starting to communicate effectively now, even though most of his "words" sound like EE! He is running everywhere and into everything. Being a mom is by far the most amazing thing I've ever done. I can't wait to do it again. Zach says I can wait, so maybe in a couple of years Levi will become a big brother. For now, we're working really hard at establishing a functioning budget/savings system, making improvements to the house so we can move to something larger eventually, and preparing for our third anniversary trip with friends who share similar wedding dates. We're thinking Puerto Rico or the Dominican; any recommendations? Our life has been a little less wild lately but no less sweet.
As far as my first foray into theater is concerned, my cast's production of "Les Miserables" was nothing short of a triumph. My students dazzled me with their dedication and hard work; I threw a complicated, challenging script at them and gave them one month from table read to opening night. Critics told me I was crazy, that a month wasn't even close to enough time, that I was bound to drive myself to an ulcer and an on-stage failure. I felt confident making my rehearsal schedule given the opening night date, but their lack of faith pushed me that much harder to prove them wrong. My students responded to my expectations and then surpassed them. That's what I love about teaching--I'm surprised every day, and I'm learning as much from them as they are from me. Opening night was a bit rocky as far as nerves and memory, but I couldn't have been prouder. The second performance featured a skipped scene in Act I, which gave my students a chance to ad lib and recover seamlessly, and a nearly flawless Act II. Our time crunch forced us all to buckle down and focus; we had no time to rest or get sloppy. Watching my cast perform their pre-show ritual (probably a top secret theater thing I shouldn't repeat for fear of cursed shows in the future) I got that warm, tingly feeling of connection. Students from all walks of life came together as a family of miserable ones, and it was beautiful. My mentor recommended walking away from the experience for a bit and "letting the dust settle" before I decided whether I'd direct again, but I really didn't need that time. Sitting in the back of the audience, watching them perform, I knew I wanted to do this again. I grew as a teacher and a person, and I couldn't be prouder.
This month I've got the countdown to Christmas break happening. I'm excited for Levi to really experience his first Christmas (last year he was basically a lump), and Norah is loving her Elf on the Shelf, Flyer. She is learning to read and is recognizing new words every day. That's a wonder to watch. A couple of my lifelong best friends are returning to the midwest this month, too, so we have amazing wine-filled rendezvous planned. I have also decided to move NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which is November) to January. Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, I am cranking out a 50,000+ word novel before February. I've sketched out my main character and a rough idea of the plot, but I'm mostly letting it ripen in my brain until year's end. Then, it's buckle down time. I kind of love the idea that it doesn't have to be good. I just have to force it out in 31 days. I've been wanting to write a novel since I was a teen, and I've realized that there will never be a good time to tackle something like this. January encouragement will be wholly welcomed. I also intend on getting back to blogging more regularly, so if you've missed me dearly, fret not. Mama Wild is back!
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