Peter Pan, Jr.

The Eureka Middle School Drama Club just finished their production of Peter Pan, Jr., playing to a packed house over 2 nights.  This was the largest cast they have ever had for any of their drama club productions.  Both girls had a handful of friends from school that they shared the stage with, and they got to know some new friends throughout the process.

The cast of Peter Pan, Jr.

For this production, Staley was Peter Pan while Adelie was the Small Brave Girl.  Staley was the lead in the play and had so many lines and multiple solos/songs.  It was her biggest part she's ever had, and she rocked it!  Adelie had a few lines, but the brave girls were also featured dancers so she had a lot of dancing to do in this show.  Both girls were great!!

The girls had some friends also doing the show, so it was fun for them to get to be on stage with all their classmates, schoolmates, and friends.  Staley's friend, Josie, was Wendy and they had a few long scenes and a duet that they sang together.  Their friend Riley, who also does NTA, was Smee.

The girls had a good group of friends and family that came out to see the show.

Grandparents always come to support the kids.

Adelie's friend and Penguin partner, Naomi, came with her dad to watch.

A few of the girls' NTA friends came to watch them.

And Uncle Evan came with Liam, Caroline, and Lucy to join in the fun.

There were also a number of school friends and church friends and local families that we know who were in the audience, so the girls loved performing for lots of familiar faces.

Kelleen and Taylor have provided so many opportunities and helped the girls grow so much in their acting and singing skills.

I was so proud of my girls!  They were fantastic in their roles, and I loved watching them shine on the stage.

Creativity

I love that my kids are creative.  I love that they enjoy reading and writing and drawing and building and imagining and creating.  As they get older and the draw of video games and phones and screens gets stronger and free time gets scarce, I worry that they will start to lose some of that penchant for creativity.  We make a concerted effort in our house to limit screen time and encourage that down time...time to create.  And each time I get to see the fruits of my children's creativity, it makes me feel good.  (I don't always feel as good when I see the after-effects of their creativity all over the house that they don't necessarily feel compelled to clean up.)

Briggs is my kid who has the most free time to play creatively.  He is my builder.  He builds with Legos.  He builds with Magnatiles.  He builds with cardboard blocks and train tracks and race tracks and blankets.  He builds with snow and sand and sticks. He makes castles and race tracks and cities and forts.  But his creativity doesn't stop with building.  Briggs also loves to draw and write and use his imagination in play.  He makes costumes.  He fights dragons.  He makes books.  He sets up pet shops and theme parks and libraries and haunted houses.  He has a great mind and a great imagination, and I love to see that in action.

Magnatile and Lego creations abound in Briggs' room.

Adelie had a 'Keeper of the Lost Cities' party with some of her friends from school.  Briggs with some help from Adelie set up an entire "theme park" (Keeperland) in the basement with a variety of fun games and activities for the girls to enjoy.

Adelie will sometimes join in Briggs' creativity and fun with him, but she also branches off into her own creativity.  Adelie loves to write.  She continues to write novels and short stories and poems and plays.  She truly has a gift and thinks she might want to be an author when she gets older. She self-published her second book that now has its own long waiting list at the Eureka Public Library.  She is also learning how to crochet, loves making bead bracelets and Perler bead creations, and enjoys making up dances and tricks with Staley in the basement.  She and Briggs also enjoy making movies and videos.

This is Adelie's second novel.  Her creativity and imagination in her writing is truly a gift.  I love reading what she comes up with.

Adelie and Briggs will still play together, building and creating and imagining as a team.

With all of Staley's extra-curricular activities, she has the least amount of free time.  But when she does find that time, her creative outlets tend to be doing calligraphy (she has gotten really good!) and choreographing dances.  Her quiet time is often spent listening to an audiobook and doing calligraphy in her room or choreographing dances and learning new tricks with Adelie in the basement.  She has gotten really good at both.

Staley has improved as both a dancer and a choreographer.

Staley uses her calligraphy to make cards and gifts for people.

She made this for Briggs, and it is displayed proudly in his room.

As my kids get older and busier and pulled in a variety of directions, I hope that they continue to find ways to use their creativity.  It makes me happy to see them create and imagine and build and dance and write and draw.  And who knows.  Some day I may the mother to an architect and an author and a choreographer.  And then they'll thank me for turning off the screens and making them find their own fun...because that has turned into some amazing skills.