Bloom Where You're Planted: Pickle Chiffon Pie

Do y’all want to hear something dumb?

I stress over blogging!

Isn’t that so dumb?! Besides the usual hangin with my kids and my fam, sleeping, and unfortunately eating, blogging is my go to hobby. And yet I stress over it. I stress because I want to make sure I document all the good stuff and even the bad. So when time passes and things start to pile up to document, I stress. But it’s only because I love this blog and what it is creating for my girls and I to go back and read throughout our lives. Eventhough I document a TON, I know I’m missing SO much that I want to remember. Like how Riley refuses to drink her orange juice or milk when it comes out of a gallon that is almost empty. Or how sometimes when Riley cries Keagan dramatically pretends to toot because she knows it will make Riley laugh. I mean seriously, that’s some great material!!

Well no blog post has made me stress as much as this one has! I have needed to document Keagan’s very first musical “Pickle Chiffon Pie” since her last show a week and a half ago. But it was just such a big and amazing experience for my Keags that I haven’t been able to think of the words to document it, and I still can’t. But it must be done, so here it goes.

Keagan basically came out of my tummy singing, dancing and being dramatic. That girl has got some charisma and she can shine in a spotlight! And although she thinks dance classes are boring, she’s got rhythm, is flexible and can get her groove on! I would like to take credit for that one and say she got it from her momma! But her beautiful voice definitely wasn’t from me, because the girl can sing two octaves and has a naturally pretty voice, very unlike her momma! She has been interested in possibly doing a show choir or a musical for a while but nothing seemed to fit our schedule or our budget so it never worked out. Until we heard about DPAC Texas, which is a non profit theater troop that just started here in January. It was started by the most incredible director, Shea Costa who grew up in this program and then ran it in Colorado before moving here. She is a member of our church and when I heard about her program everything about it was the right fit for us and to put it over the edge it was also the right fit for Keagan’s absolute bestie Avery!

So in January Keagan and Avery tried out and started rehearsals every Wednesday and some Saturdays. Before and after every rehearsal my Keagan could be found grining ear to ear she was so happy! DPAC stands for Discovering Potential thru Artistic Creativity and the program, Mrs Shea and her assistant Mrs Rachel did just that for both Keagan and Avery, and I’m pretty sure everyone in the cast! Over the course of the 4 and a half months Keagan grew so much, made some wonderful friendships with a bunch of kids ages 5-17, had a ridiculous amount of fun, and got to be a part of a fantastic show!

The actual show was on the evening of May 10th, 11th and 12th with a matinee also on the 12th. The tech week leading up to performances was pretty intense and had some late nights but all their hard work paid off once opening night came. The DPAC original is based off a children’s book by the same name and is about a king trying to find a prince to marry his daughter so that the queen will go back to making his Pickle Chiffon Pie.

Riley and I attended all 4 shows! It just felt wrong to not be there if my baby was performing! And each show was a little different so that was fun! I had figured Riley would get sick of going but she absolutely loved it! And by the 3rd show she knew when her sister was about to go on and got very excited. Keagan and Avery were often side by side in the show, and very happy to be! Those two cute girls were so amazing and fun to watch! They were both a towns person, a mouse, a dimdoozle, a frog, and a snoozle. Keagan’s speaking part was as a snoozle and she said “Hey what are you doing with our mom?!” And “The older the snoozle gets, the less the talk. Isn’t it the same where you come from?” She spoke loud and clear, she danced wonderfully and energetically even with facials and she sang great! Several people commented that she truly shined on stage and I was just SO happy to see her SO happy up there!

I got to help backstage Saturday night while Riley was thrilled to thankfully sit with the Carey’s. It was so fun to see these kids of all ages work together, help one another and have a blast! We also got to hang out with so many families we know but never see who also had kids in the show. And SO many of our friends and family came to see the show which was absolutely incredible of them!! The French’s, Nana, Lisa and Todd, the Allred’s, the activity day girls from church, Coach, the Hoff’s, the Leckies, Chantel, Kaylee and Lauren Krenek, Lisa and Carley Kelley, Marisol and Franchesa, Meghan, Helen and Phoebe, LeeAnn and Sydney Barnes, Mrs Merrbach and her daughter Fallon, and Dede and Audrey came! What an incredible and supportive village we have!! And they all enjoyed a really cute and funny show!

Before each show the cast and directors would circle together, hold hands and go from whispering “I’m fired up, your fired up, yeah!” And got louder and louder til they screamed in excitement and then had a great pep talk from Mrs Shea. Keagan wanted to remember that part! And after the very last show we had a big cast party while we tore down everything with lots of dancing, loud music, and of course singing. She definitely wanted to remember that part too! She was it’s dancing with this great group of kids who just created something awesome together, and I got to hang out with my other mommy friends like Tina, Jill, Rebecca, Tasha, etc. At one point during the party, although way past her bed time, Riley was in the middle of a teenage circle dancing on stage while they chanted her name! We all had so much fun! In fact, From beginning to end the whole experience was just fun, fun, fun. And at the age of 9, I’m pretty sure Keagan has found “her thing!” And she has found people to help her, teach her, and support her in doing it! What a massive blessing!

Actually everything about “Pickle Chiffon Pie” was a blessing and we all can’t wait for her to start rehearsing “Elf Junior” in the fall! Keagan will just have to dance and sing around the house for us until she can get back at it! And maybe I will do a better job of documenting the next show, or the many more to come!

Ok get ready for a massive amount of pictures!

The best cast ever!