Saturday, June 8, 2019

Matilda the Musical Review @RoseTheaterCo

We all needed a break. It was fun to step out of our daily routine to go to The Rose Theater.

The show we saw was called Matilda the Musical. I'm sure many of you have seen the movie. The musical is just as fun! 



The boys just keep getting taller, and taller in comparison to their show poster.


Let's Start the Show:

The show runs from June 7-30.

It's 2 hours + intermission. During intermission they serve cookies and a drink.

It's for all ages. I really think it is for all ages. At times I feel like my boys are too old, for some of the shows at The Rose Theater. This held all our attention. The boys liked the movie, so I knew they'd enjoy the musical. Travis was the only one that hasn't seen the movie. He got into the musical as soon as the principal entered the stage. The principal is a man playing a female. He was so funny!


Matilda is an exceptional child with an extraordinary imagination who learns to claim her destiny. A brilliant girl born into a…less brilliant family, Matilda gets sent away to school at the terrible Crunchem Hall, which is led by the mean former hammer-throwing champion Miss Trunchbull. Armed with good friends and a mentor named Miss Honey, Matilda starts a revolution to help herself and others “change their story.”



Time Magazine’s “Best Show of the Year”. Tony® Award winner. Featuring the hit songs “Naughty” and “When I Grow Up”. Filled with high-energy dance numbers and showcasing Omaha’s most talented youth, Matilda is a joyous spectacle that will inspire the whole family!


Cast:

We liked all the actors that played in Matilda. Our favorites were the stars though.

Matilda – Maddie Smith
Amanda – Meghan Essner
Lavender – Eva Cohen
Alice – Chase Robinson
Hortensia – Summer Hurtienne
Eric – Artie Shaw
Bruce – Jonas Caruso
Nigel – Judson Cloudt
Tommy – Carter Pflug
Big Kids- Lillian Cohen, Olivia Hess, Chisom Anyaegbunam, Kaylee Lempke, Chuck Sams*, Elliot Kerkhofs, John Kinney Miss HoneY – Melissa King
Trunchbull – Joey Galda
Mrs. Phelps – Brissa Lopez
Mr. Wormwood – Zach Kloppenborg
Mrs. Wormwood – Sarah Gibson
Rudolpho/Dad 1 – Fran X. Adrianto
Escapologist/Dad 2/Big Kid – Danny Enriquez
Sergei/Dad 3/Big Kid – Earl Spears
Michael Wormwood/Dad 4 – Jonathan Algeroy
Doctor/Big Kid/Henchman – Ben Adams
Acrobat/Mom 2/Big Kid – Kendra Ball
Henchman/Big Kid – Katie Aguilar




Artistic and Production Credits:

I love looking at the set. This one had books, and really cool lighting throughout the show.

Director – Matt Gutschick
Music Director – Jerry Brabec
Choreographer – Sue Gillespie Booton
Scenic Designer – Tim McMath
Lighting & Sound Designer – Craig S. Moxon
Projection Designer – Brittany Merenda
Costume Designer – Sherri Geerdes
Hair & Makeup Designer – Erin Bragg
Production Stage Manager – Lisa Krabbenhoft
Director of Production – Erin M. Solemsaas
Technical Director – Greg Rishoi
Props Mistress – Devon Denn-Young
Scenic Charge Artist – Savannah Savick
Master Carpenter – Jackson Curtright
Associate Lighting Designer – Elton Bradley
Sound Engineer – Christy Hernandez
Scenic Apprentice – Austin Watson
Assistant Stage Manager – Grace Luis
Followspot Operator – Molly Zabawa
Fly Rail Operator – Zach Ackerman
Run Crew – Jesse Groff, Al Kroeten, Nathan Scott
Stitchers – Sherri Geerdes, Erin Bragg, Audio Helkiuk, Jill Maenner



Orchestra:

There was live music that is front and beneath the stage.

Conductor/Keyboard III – Jerry Brabec
Trumpet I – Tim Houston
Trumpet II – Deb Bouffard
Trombone – Paul Niebalski
Reed I – Scott Vicroy
Reed II – Mark Benson
Cello – Christina Allred
Guitar – Ben Eisenberger
Bass – Tom Miller
Keyboard I – Jared Kmiecik
Keyboard II – Amy Nunamaker
Percussion – Michael Pollock


The End of the Show:

They had a question and answer session. I liked that one of the main stars was there to answer questions. Then there was an autograph signing as well.

I'm really glad we were able to go! I enjoyed it, so much!


Disclaimer: I got tickets from The Rose Theater to help write this review. The Rose Theater did not tell me what to write. All opinions are my own. 

Friday, June 7, 2019

Random Tid Bits

  1. Somehow I managed to not get a summer school class!

  2. I'm kind of excited. One co-worker, which I named Mrs. Clean Freak moved on. She seriously drove me batty. She was so picky about folders not being in the classroom. Folders don't belong in a classroom? Seriously! I had my moments of totally liking her too. It's just that it was hard having multiple bosses giving me things to do. Most of the time they didn't know each other was giving me things to do. Life has been happier with her gone.

    I found out that my favorite Admission Rep is taking over as the lead. I'm not super close to her. I just have a great vibe off her. She's much more open to new innovative ideas than the last one. Fingers crossed that she'll do great! 

  3. I'm the first to admit when I've been a dumb ass. Earlier this week I was in fact a dumb ass. I heard that if you soaked strawberries in a little vinegar + water they last longer. I did that. They all tasted like vinegar. Don't do what I did. I make a strawberry crisp for work + one for Travis' work. The rest went in the freezer for smoothies. Not to worry too much though. Travis went out the next night and picked a whole new big bowl of strawberries. Here I was thinking they wouldn't do well this year with all the rain. Our backyard is kind of hilly though. 



  4. I don't know if you remember when I posted about Mica having brown splotches on his skin? It started out where he had spots on his arm, then it was on his neck. It looks like it could be dirt. When I messaged the doctor's office they wanted the boys to come in for check-ups because it had been awhile. Right away I brought it up to the nurse when I took the boys in. She took note of it. Then the doctor came in, and I forgot all about the brown splotches. Then not one, but both boys fainted when their fingers were pricked, so the brown splotches were really off my mind.


    I sent a follow up email. I am supposed to let them know if it gets darker, or spreads more. It's called Cafe au lait Spots. It can just be birth marks, or darkening of the skin. What they worry about is how it can be associated with Neurofibromatosis. I think I'd be more worried if Isaak had these marks. Another sign of possible Neurofibromatosis is a birthmark on the spine, which Isaak has. Luckily Neurofibromatosis is not in our genetics. Although I know people with it. It's something to watch, but since I've taken the photo of Mica's skin his spots haven't gotten darker, in fact they've lightened a bit. 


  5. A past student had a 4 month old pass away last year from SIDS. I was heartbroken for her. This week she got in a car accident. Her van rolled onto her hand degloving many of her fingers. They rushed her into surgery to get her hand stitched up with her skin. Thankfully she has skin they could use. Now she's worried about working, physical therapy, not having a vehicle to drive. Her life is kind of a downward spiral. She has 2 other kids at home. Positive vibes are sent her way! Do you know someone that seemed to just always have unfortunate things happen to them?

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

WW: Summer Challenge #recipe

I challenged both my boys ages 11 and almost 14 to research a recipe, go shopping for the ingredients and to make the recipe.

Isaak was up first (he's the youngest). I thought it would be great to work with him on his recipe, since Mica was away at camp. He chose to make Szechuan Shrimp. It's nothing we've made, so I was glad he picked something new. He wrote down the ingredients, and we were off to the store to get what we needed.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sherry
2 red bell peppers, cut into slices
1 1/4 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp, shelled
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 sliced scallions
1/2 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil


Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, ketchup, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sherry. Heat a large frying pan over moderately high heat until hot. Add the bell peppers and stir-fry until starting to blacken, about 5 min. Remove.




2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, about 10 min.


3. Toss the shrimp with the remaining 2 tablespoons sherry and the cornstarch. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in the frying pan over high heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until just done, 3 to 4 min. Remove the shrimp and add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Reduce the heat and add the charred bell peppers, garlic, ginger, the chopped scallions, and the red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.






4. Increase the heat to high. Add the broth mixture and boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and sliced scallions and just heat through. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top. Serve the shrimp with the rice.



Time to Eat!

Isaak learned a lot! He now knows to look over a recipe before he dives in. He needed help along the way. 

He said, "Mom now I know why you get annoyed when I try and talk to you, while you are making a meal. It's also very satisfying to know I made this meal!" 

It was his idea, for me to document the process. He even would stop stirring and would say, "Ok Mom take a picture." 

He decided to pair this meal up with raw cabbage and pineapple. He likes raw cabbage better than cooked. 





Do you have any summer challenges?

Post ANY post you want comment love on! It doesn't have to be wordless or wordful. I like rules sometimes, but they are meant to be broken. Link up a post! 

First Camp - Mini Health Sciences Camp

Mica's at his first camp this week. It's through school, but mostly at Creighton University and one day at Bergan Mercy Hospital. 

Creighton University's Ceiling is amazing!

The best thing about this camp is that it's free! Because he got into The Health Care Academy in middle school, he has to participate in the Mini Health Sciences Camp. I'm not saying that in a negative way. I'm glad.

The worst thing lately is that we realized before camp yesterday that Mica grew so much in the last month, that his shorts are too short and tight. It's like I need to go buy him a whole new wardrobe on his bottom half. I'm not kidding. I got him all new shorts right before Easter. He's as tall as the clock now. I have trouble touching the top of the clock.


Camp Schedule:

Monday:

They started out with a debriefing. A panel of different students were up front giving advice on high school and college life. That included how to get in. 

They dissected sheep eyes. Crazy! Mica doesn't like to touch raw meat in the kitchen. I would have loved to of been a fly on that wall. 

A Tour of Creighton Campus

Tuesday:

Occupational Therapy 

Lab Work

Pharmacy Activity

Health Living

Wednesday:

Another Tour of a Different Area of the Campus

Physical Therapy 

Thursday:

A Tour of Bergan Mercy Hospital 

Friday:

Pharmacology Research and Tour

Healthy Living Again

Effects of Drugs of People

Swag:

He got a shirt, bag, and water bottle, for the camp. 

Trend:

Have you noticed a trend in the medical field, or coding where it's mostly girls? There are 10 girls in Mini Health Sciences Camp, and only 4 or 5 boys. 

I noticed that being a teacher for web, where there's coding there's way more girls than boys. It didn't used to be that way. A lot of places are pushing coding for girls, and not pushing coding for boys at all. Just something I observed. 

5 steps to getting yourself onto the path to fitness

Summer is fast approaching and with it comes the usual mad rush to shed some pounds in order to look good on that beach vacation. Desperate attempts to exercise, crash diets and even starvation are the lengths that people will go to in a last-ditch effort for that summer holiday.

That makes it the perfect time of year to think about sustainable, long-term exercise that lasts all year round rather than just when you’re planning on jetting off to warmer climates for a couple of weeks.

By making an effort to become fitter, you’ll be able to look good on a beach no matter what time of year it is. You’ll also be improving your health, extending your life expectancy, and becoming an all-round happier person.

The thought of getting fit can seem daunting at first, but the payoff is worth it. To get you started, here are the steps you need to take to get yourself onto the path to fitness.

Have the right attitude

You might think that getting fit requires the muscles and moving parts of the body to be working at their strongest, but it is actually the brain, which is the critical component. Your mind can be the difference between succeeding and failing at your goal.

Like any significant changes, getting fit takes time, and success may not come straight away. Despite the inevitable setbacks that will happen, such as when you don’t lose as much weight as you expected you would, you need to maintain a positive attitude. Believe you can do it and chances are you will - the most important thing is never to give up.


Take part in physical activity

The best way to improve your fitness levels is to take part in strenuous physical activity. The good news is that there is such a variety that there is going to be something out there to suit everyone, no matter what their budget or time restraints may be.

Take Parkrun, for example. This free event takes place every Saturday and is a timed and organized 5k run around a park. All that you need to take part is a set of trainers and a Parkrun barcode, which you can print from the internet for free and which gives you your time at the end. Anyone can take part, and it’s a great way to get you into running.

If running isn’t your thing, then you could join a gym. Or if the idea of working out in front of other people scares you as it does large numbers of Americans, then why not pay for some gym equipment for your home?

There are two positives to this approach. One is that you can then exercise in the comfort of your own home, no matter what the weather is doing nor what time it is. The second is that if you’ve paid to install gym equipment, chances are you’ll want to get your money’s worth and so you will feel duty-bound to use it.

Secondhand gym equipment can be bought for a fairly reasonable price. If you want to kit your home out with brand new equipment but can’t afford it, then why not take out a loan from Bonsai Finance to pay for it? You can read this for more information on the services they offer.

Play sports

While the likes of running and going to the gym are the most effective ways to get fit; you can also take up sports as a means of improving your fitness levels. Playing tennis or squash against your friends will get your heart pumping, and the competitiveness will spur you on to push yourself harder than you might if you were just exercising alone.

You could even join a sports club to meet likeminded people. Not only will signing up for the local soccer or track team improve your fitness levels, but you’ll also be opening yourself up to a whole new social circle of individuals who all share your passion for sport and getting fit. That can only be a good thing in terms of keeping you on track to achieve your goals.

Keep a fitness diary

The best way to convince your mind that your new fitness regime is taking effect is to keep a fitness diary in which you record virtually everything that you do that pertains to your physical wellbeing.

Write down how much exercise you did and how long for each day. If you ran 3k or swam 20 lengths at the local pool, make a note of it. Then, when you look back through in a week’s time after running 5k or swimming 25 lengths, you’ve got tangible evidence of improvement.

There are all kinds of fitness apps available now, which allow you to input your exercise for that day or even track your run by GPS. Apps like Strava which attracts a million new users every 40 days even allow your friends to give you ‘kudos’ for the exercise you’ve done, encouraging you to do more and allowing them to share in the excitement of your progress.

Start eating right

Exercise will only get you so far – it has to go hand in hand with healthy eating as well if you want to truly increase your fitness levels. After all, there is little point burning lots of calories only to spend the next two days living off fast food. Switch to wholegrain foods, replace unhealthy snacks like potato chips and candy with fruit and vegetables, and drink lots of water – up to 2 liters a day.

That may not sound like much fun, but there is good news; because of all the exercise you’ll be doing, you need to eat lean foods as well to keep your protein levels topped up. That’s lean meat, eggs and at least one meal a week which consists of fresh seafood. The point is, you can still have a tasty diet even when you are trying to get fit.

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com