1st day of 2nd grade!

Gee whiz - didn't I just post pictures of Eliza Grace on the first day of FIRST GRADE??

Well, here we are again...the start of another year round school year. The four week break was nice but now we are back at it and counting down the next nine weeks until we track out again and head to Kiawah!

Here is my lovely little lady in her new dress from Lands End. I love their clothes, especially when they are 50% off with free shipping!

Fabulous 4th

We celebrated Independence Day with the Dusek clan with hours by the pool, yummy food and fireworks.

Will was really in the spirit!

The Four Musketeers: Jacob(7), Eliza Grace(7), Isaac(4), Will(3)

His Father's son...in 2 very distinct ways

Despite the fact that he pretty much looks exactly like
his father, below is evidence that solidifies beyond a shadow of a doubt that Will is most definitely Scott's son.

#1. A love of Rush ( in this case, the band...not the talk show host). Will is working toward his Geddy Lee status (yes, I know Geddy mostly plays the Bass but this is close enough).

#2. They dance alike:

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Will crossed a big hurdle this week! He took the plunge and now he can swim under water like a big kid.

We are so proud of him and he is very proud of himself. See for yourself!

PS- I LOVE that you can hear Eliza Grace in the
background cheering her brother on!

After the Hop

Here are a few pics of Eliza Grace before, during and after her recital.

Waiting to begin the "Kiss the Girl" production number.

Oh, my, those beautiful blue eyes!

After nearly 3 hours of recital performances, Scott, Grandmommy & I were all ready to go home. Eliza Grace, however, was still revved up and apparently channeling her inner "Karate Kid," a movie I know she has never even seen!

Let's Go To The Hop!

Well, another year of tap dancing has come to a close. As usual, around March, Eliza Grace (and I!) became fairly tired of the weekly classes and she was fine not doing dance next year. We had pretty much decided that she would do a year-round swim/stroke school on a weekly basis instead.

But oh, the lure of those dang costumes! Once she tried on her costume, the visions of being on the stage, under the lights, with a full house applauding her - well, she was a goner. I am currently looking up the schedule for next year's classes.

Her tap class this year only had six girls so they had a lot more one on one attention than they normally would. Good thing for Eliza Grace :)

Their routine was adorable. The show theme was the Little Mermaid. They were "frogs" and did their dance to the song "Let's Go To The Hop."

Below are two little video snippets. The whole thing would take way too long to upload so I broke it out into my two most favorite parts. I wish I had been dead center of the stage because her finishing pose and smile is just so incredibly adorable!!

In case you cannot tell, Eliza Grace is the second from the left. I recorded this during the dress rehearsal because video recordings are "strictly forbidden" during the live performance (which means you are forced to purchase the DVD they record for a mere $40 a pop!)

So here she is, my little frog, tapping her way to the hop!

Family of Wolves...

I forgot to post these pics from our trip to the Great Wolf Lodge three weeks ago. Those giant wolf statues were just begging to be climbed. 

The Daniel Family (plus somehow my kiddos wiggled their way into their family photo)

Us (duh!)

Will, pretending to be a wolf pup

Eliza Grace, apparently not concerned about being eaten.

Nana and my puddin's

Real Men....

Scene:
Hughes kitchen, dinner time. Will, squealing with delight, scrambles into his chair.

I had to stop him after 2 and a half slices because
I was a little nervous about potential gastric issues.
Last time we had quiche I did not monitor his intake,
and there was some serious gaseous backlash!

Spidey saves the day...well at least he tries!

Let's face it, Eliza Grace is a performer. Lately she is into creating "shows" that I am both required to attend and record.

There are costumes involved. There are rehearsals.
She is serious about her craft.

Themes often revolve around her many stuffed  animals.

Will is typically cast in a supporting role. But, alas, he does not take direction well. Did I mention that Eliza Grace is the writer and director, too? A triple threat!

Neighborhood friends sometimes guest star. One time the entire thing was done as an opera. That one was a wee bit painful.

Lately she is branching out into serious drama. We have villians, victims and heros.

In the video below, Will actually has the staring role.
You will note that he plays the lead with understated
grace and raw emotion.

I have included the dialogue below because I did not
want you to miss a word!

[Scene: Spider Man running around in circles - literally - to help damsel in distress (and lets just skip the fact that she is apparently tied to a bed post, with a jump rope and a silk scarf - okthanksbyebyenow) ]

Damsel in distress: Help! Help! Help! Help!

(Spider Man checks the rope and the damsel)

Damsel in distress: Are you actually Spider Man?

Spider Man: Yeah

Damsel in distress: Great. Can you help me? The Joker accidentally got me instead of Batman because it was Halloween and I dressed up as Batman. (ok, so apparently this chick knows more than one super hero).

Spider Man: (trying hard to untie the rope) Grrr-ugh! Hey, maybe I can do it with my hand! (Spider Man takes off his gloves)

Damsel in distress: Great

Spider Man: Now my hand is not disappeared any more (Sidebar: Will thought his hands had disappeared when he put on the gloves)

Damsel in distress: (said at the same time as the dialogue above) Now will you untie it already?

Spider Man: It's hard to do this.

[End Scene]

Yes, that's right, Will, it is hard being a super hero.
But you can be mine any day!b

The Lodge

Last week, while Nana (Scott's mom) was in town for a visit, we headed up to Williamsburg, VA to catch up with Scott's sister and family who were in the area on vacation.

Of course we spent a couple of days at the Great Wolf Lodge and had a blast.

And now for the pile of videos!

Heading down to the water park:

Will climbing up the cargo net to access a water slide:

Will coming down all by himself:

Eliza Grace solo on the yellow Alberta Falls slide:

Eliza Grace & cousin Eric coming down Alberta Falls:

And this is how Will chills out (yes, one of his nicknames is "tag lova"):

Ok, I have tortured you enough with video
for one post.

But coming soon...Spider Man saves Eliza Grace...

Flippin' Out

So my company just bought another company...
for like the 110th time.

But this time I personally benefit! And so I immediately ordered my Hot Pink Flip video camera (with my 30% quarterly discount!)

I am sure you all are thrilled to know that I will be uploading all kinds of video on my blog going forward because the Flip just makes it so darn easy!

Eliza Grace decided she should be in my first video post - a shocking surprise, I know :)

Expect many more videos to come. I might even start video blogging.
vblogging?
vlogging?
Whatever...you get the point!

Now really...

...is she not just the cutest thing you have ever seen??

Eliza Grace Hughes, May 2009, age 7 (and a half...almost!)

Clarity

Well, after the melodrama of my last post I have, thankfully, been able to gain a bit
of clarity.

Since this is a public forum and I really had no idea anyone read my blog - (until people starting writing me with wonderful words of encouragement - you know who you are and I love you for it!!) I will not go into detail lest it come back to bite me....but....I had a little "discussion" with someone at work and well, we both
came to the conclusion that perhaps this job was not for me.

Well. Big. Sigh. Of. Relief.

It is cathartic to speak out loud a truth of which you are reluctant to admit. Not fun, fairly emotional,
but good for the heart and soul.

I am not someone who likes to give up. The idea of being a failure at something, becoming a behind the scenes, non-productive person in any endeavor ("do you want to be a curtain puller all your life?")
was drilled into me very early on as not an option. Now, I have failed at plenty of things, many times. But it still takes a lot for me to admit that something is not my "fit" and that I am not doing what I set out to do well.

That perhaps I do not have the skill set, talent, desire, bent...whatever you want to call it...to perform well in
something that I have chosen to do is tough to swallow and frankly it galls me.

But alas, sometimes it is what it is. I know I have limitations. Lots and lots of areas in which I do not excel ( and if you want to know some, I am sure Scott will be happy to elaborate!)

But come on...I did not interview for a job as an accountant or a landscaper or a physician. The title is
Communications Manager. I mean really, wouldn't those of you who know me reasonably well hear that title and think, "oh that sounds like Jacque?"

Yep, I thought that too.

So here is the rub. The title sounds like fluff. But the truth is that this job is the furthest thing from fluff I have ever done. And there is big a part of me that thinks that is ludicrous.

I mean come on, I am not saving lives here...not curing some disease....nor can I even claim that I am
making the world better somehow for all of my efforts.

I put together PowerPoint presentations.

I produce a weekly newsletter.

I write emails to share with 6,000 people under someone else's name.

And the pressure is just plain crazy enormous.

I cannot stand it.

That is another thing I have learned. I need to own something. I need to call it mine from start to finish. I do not want to have to create a document, and then have to send it to 5 other people so they can shred it and add their comments and make me revise it fifty-eleven dozen times.

Now that does not mean that I do not like to seek input or review - because I do - I value the input and
want to do a good job. But in the end I want it to be my work.

Good or bad, I want to own it and not do it for someone else.

What a revelation.

And let me tell you, I have the utmost respect and admiration for my peers who do this job and do it well. Because they are so very good at what they do. They are so creative, proactive, strategic and effective.

Of course they all have years and years more experience in the role than I do. They are all well-done and I am barely past rare in the experience category.

I am at the point where I know enough to know what I don't know. And that is not a very enviable place to be. Because all I can see is what I do not know.

And what I do know is that if working 70+ hours a week still does not hit the mark, then something is not right.

What a learning experience this has been for me in so many ways. I let what I thought a job would be - and the lure of what I thought I could do well with little effort - guide me to a really poor decision.

Leave it to me to make that jackass move in the worst economy, with the most limited job opportunities in the past 50 years.

Oh, well. This too shall pass. And I will look back and laugh at all the angst. Well probably not.

But, of course, how can I complain. I mean really.

There are so many wonderful things in my life that I cannot thank God enough for. My health and that of my
family. A wonderful home and community. An active and loving church family and wonderful friends
to keep me going.

Oh and I cannot forget the fact that tonight Scott made the best ever bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon I think I have ever eaten in my entire life.

Ok, y'all, seriously? I could have rolled around on the plate it was that good.

Enough said. Life is good.

Onward with a smile to the Memorial Day weekend...with BBQ pork butt, swimming, and the Indy 500!

Balancing Act

I hit the wall last week.

I finally had to admit to myself and to Scott that
my life is completely out of balance.

And just in case you were wondering:

stress eating of high fat comfort food
+
no discernible exercise
=
rapid weight gain

My dream job has spiraled into just this side of a nightmare and I can
see no relief in sight.

70 hour plus frantically paced work weeks are the norm.

My body is suffering, my mind is suffering, my soul is suffering.

Worst of all, my family is suffering.

My kids sense the stress and frustration oozing out of my every
pore and their response and emotional mirroring of my behavior is
at all once infuriating and creating massive guilt.

Scott gets to tag along for the emotional roller coaster rides and you
know he enjoys every minute of that.
So I am just going public with this information in hopes that I
start making the changes, put the boundaries back in place
and strive to once again focus on the real priorities in life.

Pray for me. Wish me luck. Forward local therapist recommendations :)

The Get Away

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse

Scott and I took off - sans kids - for three nights and nearly four whole days earlier this week. Back in January when I was planning this little jaunt, I was really pushing for a trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Well, thank goodness we did not go that route (Swine flu and all that!)

We had a nice time in the OBX (Outer Banks, NC). It was the first time either of us had ever been. I KNOW! I have lived here nearly all of my life and had never been to that part of the NC coast.

Anyhoo, we kept it fairly low key, saw the Wright Brothers Memorial, climbed a lighthouse and took lots of pictures of a couple others. We had a fabulous meal in Manteo, NC and stood on the very ground where the first colony from England lived before they mysteriously vanished...over 420 years ago!

We stayed one night in a lovely B&B and generally relaxed and slept peacefully through the nights. We did not bother timing ourselves as to how long it would take us to mention the children...I think we made it out of the city limits this time!

Great big thanks, hugs and kisses to Grandmommy for holding down the fort, shuttling to and from the bus stop and day care and loving on her Grandbabies while we were gone.

Enjoy the pics! (click on them to make them bigger)

Looking down from the 217th step at the top of the
Currituck Lighthouse

Orville (or is it Wilbur?) Wright lying on his glider

Bodie Island lighthouse

The grounds of the first English settlement in the new world. Interesting...but not much to look at :)

Replica of the Queen Elizabeth II from the 15oo's

Roanoke Marshes lighthouse, Manteo, NC

Azaleas all around the White Doe B&B

I figured out the self-timer on my camera...finally!

The deck where we had a 4 course breakfast at the B&B.

It Was A Beautiful Easter Morning

Last Sunday's Easter morning was beautiful - perfect for celebrating God's most wonderful gift, the resurrection of Jesus, our Savior!

We celebrated with Heidi and Gretchen at church and then headed home to take some pictures -since for once we all looked pretty good!

Then, with picnic baskets packed, we headed
to the park. A perfectly lovely afternoon.

I cannot remember the last time (or possibly any time!) all four of us have been in a picture at the same time.

Eliza Grace's "sweet" pose

Being silly

Aunt Heidi & Cousin Gretchen looking beautiful

Cousin buddies!

Will refused to change out of his sweater vest that he had waited weeks to wear. Thus the British school boy look. All he needs is a beanie and a scarf!

The tire swing is always a big hit...

...as is the sand box.

A proper birthday celebration

Eliza Grace is an excellent example that humankind was not designed to be idle.

Despite the fact she was home with a fever (which lasted 4 days, what's up with that?!), she kept herself busy preparing for her Dad's birthday.

First she made him a kite out of construction paper and sticks (complete with curling ribbon tail). Then she made him a train engine out of an upside down

gift bag and more construction paper.

Then she decided that we should have a fancy table for dinner. So we pulled out the white linen table cloth and napkins and the rarely used china and nice silver.

While I was on a conference call, she created her version of place cards, which were paper napkins with each of our names written on them and then tied to our respective chairs.

But the best part, in my opinion, were the party hats she made. She took what she learned from

a show on the Disney channel that very morning and made party hats for Will, Scott and herself.

She ran out of time to make one for me, but really, Scott looked pretty ridiculous in his, so I was not the least bit upset!

Scott got to eat on the "blue plate special" plate, which in our house is reserved for someone celebrating something special!

Our hand made placecards

I told you he looked ridiculous!

She Gets It

Eliza Grace's first grade class has been studying and writing poetry. The other day she brought home a book of poetry written by her class.

Most of them were typical first grade fare:

poems and illustrations about balloons,

fat cats, flowers and trips to Disney.

I eagerly turned the pages looking for Eliza Grace's poem. And there it was.

So simple.

So clear.

And so lovely.

As parents we talk and lecture and pontificate

on how best to treat friends, strangers and even those who are unkind. And when our children are in our care, in our eye sight, within ear shot, we can easily monitor when they slip, reign them in and congratulate them when they make the right choice.

But when they are not in our care, when they are at school or camp, we wonder "do they get it?"

When I read Eliza Grace's poem I sighed with

pleasure because, at least for now, I could tell that she got it.

Lovin' on Lucy

Last weekend was one of those dreary, cold, rainy weekends where everyone goes a bit stir crazy.

The kids were bouncing off the walls and driving mom and dad bonkers.

But, it gave ample time for loving all over Lucy. Lucy, our 13 1/2 year old mutt extrodinaire, took it in stride.

So of course, I got out my camera to catch all the hugging and smooching.

Things started out calmly enough. Lucy is

practically asleep on her feet.

Then they started scratching her ears

Eliza Grace went for Lucy's cheek

So of course Will wanted in on the action

Then they both went in for the smooch - you

can barely see Lucy's nose in the middle

Then Will wanted just one more smooch....

...and Lucy licked his lips!

Where did February go?

Man...not really had time to keep up with the 'ol blog, have I? I guess I didn't have anything to share that was important enough to type. Or perhaps it was the sheer apathy and winter blues that consumes me this time of year. Frankly, I am impressed that I made it through February without a complete mental breakdown.

Stop snickering, Scott....that wasn't a breakdown...that was just a moment.

So what in the world went on with the Hughes in the last month? Well, to sum it up, it went like this:

work
life
Eliza Grace tap dance class
work
country going to heck in a hand basket
life
Jacque sinus infection
work
Eliza Grace tap dance class
life
Scott sinus infection
work
Will's ear tube/adenoid surgery
life

Yep, that's about 28 days worth. Exciting wasn't it?

I am feeling a bit more inspired these days and have some cute pics of the kiddies to post, so I am sure I will do better in March.

Plus, despite all of the fussing and fuming, Scott and I are finally nearing agreement on where to go on our no-kids tropical get away in April....can I get a SQUEE?!?!