They say children cost a lot of money, about $250,000 each or some such, but what they dont talk about is the time!

One of my daughters recently did a Bugsy Malone stage show at school,  I encourage them to join in things like this as its great for personal growth and self esteem, anmd often cheap entertainment! However any parent whos done it knows there is a lot of commitment also from the parents to get them to practices on time, making sure they have costumes etc.

Currently my second daughter who is in a cheerleading show. Now this isnt your normal cheerleading, we live in Cambridge which is a smallish town of 16,000 people. Once dance teacher does pretty much all dance classes. From Hip Hop to Ballet, Tap dance, and of course the cheerleading. So as a result the Cheerleading is more of a dance style than traditional, however the kids like it and enjoy it so im happy enough.

On saturday they are doing a Dance show, it includes the entire dance school. This means a good couple hundred children, some of which are in multiple dance classes and costumes. Logistical nightmare for most but the lady who runs the dance class is fantastic, and everyone pitches in. A side effect however is the time spent  practicing making sure each group has their part down pat.

Anyway, I digress, what I wanted to do was give you an idea on the schedule we’ve been keeping the last week.

Thursday:

7am wake up

7:10 Im up and dressed

7:20 Im putting vegs in slow cooker for dinner

7:30 Throw ingrediants into breadmaker for Foccacia bread dough

7:40 Making sure kids have medication, reading school notices, checking schedule

8:00 Leaving the house

8:30 kids all dropped at school and we have 30mins spare for breakfast. Hit the cafe to have a break as well

9-13 Working at http://rimuhosting.com

13:00 Lunch

14:45 Leave to pickup kids from school

15:20 got kids, waiting at bus stop for mother coming into town on a bus (that was late!)

15:45 Arrive home, roll bread dough out and put it in the oven.

16:00 finish dressing daughter for dress rehearsal, cover her hair in enough product to hold it in place for hours

16:30 Get bread out of oven, dish up soup and bread for kids

16:45 Leave for dress rehearsal late. Left other kids with mum at home and another bread mix in the machine and intructions for mum to cook it.

8:30 Left dress rehearsal earlyish as our part was done, got home, had my dinner and other load of bread

9:30 caught up on emails and anything urgent, planned next day

Friday – Plans for today

7am: awake

7:20 got up slower today, woke at 2am and couldnt get back to sleep till 5am – too much stress?

7:30 Got chicken out of freezer, tossed it in oven tray with potatos and program the oven to have it cooked by 3:30pm

7:45 Head out to the supermarket to do shopping, run outta milk, marg, tea, bread, sanitory pads, and pretty much everything

8:15 get back from shopping, take kids to school

8:40 arrive at work and type up this post

9:00 work till lunch

12:00 Lunch break i need to , buy bras that dont show in costume for daughter, birthday present (her birthday is sunday), pay bills, ring sons doctor and have lunch

1:00 work again

2:45 Head out to pickup kids

3:30 get home, cook veg to go with roast, slice up roast whilst they cook

4:00 feed kids, get daughter dressed and made up again, add more product to her hair

5:00 be at rehearsal again

8:ish finish and come home, shower daughter

Saturday: I get the morning free to sleep in! then show is on at 2pm and 7pm and we have to go to Hamilton somewhere this day

Sunday: Clear out rumpus and get food out for birthday party, deal with 10 squeeling girls and feed them for a birthday party lasting 4 hours

Monday: Im doing as little as possible! Its my birthday! 36 and ill be feeling every year of it i reckon

Boom clap, boom de clap de clap
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
Try it with me, here we go

Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
(Whoa oh oh)
(That’s right!)
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
(Whoa oh oh)
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap

1, 2, 3!
Everybody come on, off your seats
I’m gonna tell you about a beat
That’s gonna make you move your feet

I’ll give the BBQ
Show and tell you how to move
If you’re 5 or 82
This is something you can do

Pop it, lock it, polka dot it
Country fivin’, hip hop hip
Put your arms in the sky, move side to side
Jump to the left, stick it, glide

Zig zag ‘cross the floor
Shuffle in diagonal
When the drum hits hands on your hips
One-footed 180 twist

And then a zig zag, step, slide
Lean in left, clap three times
Shake it out, head to toe

Throw it all together, that’s how we roll
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

We get to four, five, six
And you’re feelin’ busted
But it’s not time to quit
Practice makes you perfect

Pop it, lock it, polka dot it
Country fivin’, hip hop hip
Put your arms in the sky, move side to side
Jump to the left, stick it, glide

Zig zag ‘cross the floor
Shuffle in diagonal
When the drum hits hands on your hips
One-footed 180 twist

And then a zig zag, step, slide
Lean in left, clap three times
Shake it out, head to toe
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

Boom de clap de clap, boom boom clap
Come on, here we go!
Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap
Boom boom clap, boom de clap

Pop it, lock it, polka dot it
Country fivin’, hip hop hip
Put your arms in the sky, move side to side
Jump to the left, stick it, glide

Zig zag ‘cross the floor
Shuffle in diagonal
When the drum hits hands on your hips
One-footed 180 twist

And then a zig zag, step, slide
Lean in left, clap three times
Shake it out, head to toe
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Do the hoedown
(Throwdown!)
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

Boom dap clap, b-boom de clap clap clap
Boom dap clap, b-boom de clap clap
Boom de clap, boom de clap de clap
Throw it all together, that’s how we roll

And as for the dance, heres the HOWTO/Video