The Easter holidays have felt quite crazy juggling work, rehearsals, dance festivals and trips out. It’s been so busy that I didn’t manage to get my Friday Focus post out last week, so I’m catching up on that this week.
Holy Week is always a busy time for me as I’m involved in coordinating services at our church as well as organising the Passion play for the Good Friday Walk of Witness. In previous years, our Passion play has just focused on Jesus’s crucifixion which we perform on a stage at the end of the walk, but this year we started the story with Jesus’s arrest in the garden of Gethsemane at the first stop on the walk and then continued with the story, doing scenes at each stop, finishing with the crucifixion scene on the stage at the end. It worked well, but it was a lot more complicated to organise. Sophie also had the first of three dance festivals that week so it was fun trying to juggle that with everything else I needed to do to prepare for the Passion play plus the services at church on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Somehow it all got done!
This week Sophie has had two more dance festivals. Some of her dances have clashed so we’ve had to decide which ones she wanted to do at each festival and thankfully we only had one day of having to try and fit both festivals in on the same day.
Sophie also had her first rehearsal for the show that she’ll be performing in over the summer. Back in January, she successfully auditioned for a role in a professional musical theatre show. This week the cast list was announced so we’ve finally been able to share the news with our family and friends. It’s going to be a busy summer ahead with rehearsals and performances but it’s an amazing opportunity for her and we’re so thrilled for her.
I’ve been very thankful that my husband has been able to work from home so Thomas has been able to have time with Daddy while Sophie and I have been busy with rehearsals and festivals. I’m also thankful that we have also been able to manage some nice afternoons out and some time for Jessica in amongst all the busyness too. Next week will be eight years since she died. Emotionally, it’s been pretty crazy over the Easter break too with intense grief-bursts, although the busyness has also been a good distraction too. Sophie and Thomas will be back at school on the anniversary next week and I think it will be good for me to have a quiet day to be able to focus on Jessica.
What I’ve been grateful for over the last couple of weeks:
- Day 86 – I am grateful for that the orchids on my windowsill are blooming again.
- Day 87 – I am grateful for space to spin, jump, climb and reregulate.
- Day 88 – I am grateful for a great start to the first festival of the Easter break with a second place medal for Sophie in her musical theatre solo.
- Day 89 – I am grateful for Thomas’s imagination and the wonderful comics and stories he creates.
- Day 90 – I am grateful that Thomas had a fun day with Daddy while Sophie and I were at the dance festival.
- Day 91 – I am grateful for a lovely afternoon doing an Easter trail at Bekonscot.
- Day 92 – I am grateful for an adjudicator’s choice medal for Sophie for holding her own with older girls in the senior tap group dance which also placed 1st today. Well done girls!
- Day 93 – I am grateful for being able to join in with more of this year’s walk of witness with the Passion play taking part at the stations along the way instead of just at the final station.
- Day 94 – I am grateful for a lovely afternoon at Bucks Goat Centre.
- Day 95 – I am grateful for Easter eggs.
- Day 96 – I am grateful for a quiet day at home.
- Day 97 – I am grateful for finally being able to share some exciting news about Sophie’s next show.
- Day 98 – I am grateful for a 3rd place for Sophie and her duet partner in their musical theatre duet.
- Day 99 – I am grateful for managing to get Sophie from one festival to another in time for her musical theatre section.
Other things that have made me smile over the last couple of weeks:
- Sophie’s April Fool’s pranks. She put googly eyes on various things in Thomas’s room and made ‘brownies’ for Daddy (brown E’s cut from felt).
- Thomas sharing a poem giving a glimpse into his world for World Autism Awareness Day.
- Spending an afternoon with my mum.
- Sophie’s beautiful new tap costume.
Joining in with Raisie Bay for Word of the Week.
Also joining in with #Project365: