2010 recap
To sum up 2010 I am tempted to say, "I had a baby in December of 2009" and leave it at that. Because, really, a whole lot of this year was devoted to the care of feeding of that baby and his older brother.
That said, here is a run down of the year:
Dance
I choreographed one new dance, which was really two dances, as it was a combination tap and jazz dance. It was some sort of postpartum mania which moved me to do this ~two months before a show. It's a great dance though, and the debut of tap with the Fly Girls.
I started another dance, a lyrical/contemporary piece, which I am really excited about.
I excavated a couple of other of my older dances.
Performed a handful of times, including our big show this past July, "Go Big or Go Home", where I performed six pieces, three of which were mine.
Taught a number of folks in a number of classes and took one master tap class which was awesome but kicked my ass and everyone else's as well.
Activism
In June I attended the NOLOSE conference and presented two workshops there. I had a great time and was happy with what I accomplished with my workshops. I still want to write up and post more about my "What about the Children? Fat Panic and Kids" panel here.
I know I did at least one interview for a student movie/documentary (I think) and I sadly cannot remember if I did any other media this year.
I started the process to be photographed by an fine art photographer, which may not sound like activism, but it kind of is. She is shooting a number of the Fly Girls. It sounds promising.
Health
Had a few illnesses, including a bad stomach virus and one bout of food poisoning. Postpartum uterine injury which sucks and has impacted my dancing and general mobility. Stress fracture in foot (which I have been dancing on for over a year because it was misdiagnosed) and weird nerve thing down left side of lower body. Teeth mostly OK, eyes doing OK, skin OK...onward.
Kids doing well health-wise. L. got croup in June which was scary and required an ER visit and S. had handful of colds and stomach bugs. ptor had a number of sinus things which sucked.
Employment
ptor started working again in April after sixteen months of unemployment. This was and remains a very good thing.
Random
I joined the executive board of S.'s preschool. It is a whole hell of a lot of work.
We started looking for a new place to live but kind of dropped it for the holidays. Need to pick it up again.
S. finished the three year old class at his school in June, went to summer school there, and entered the pre-K class there this past September. He is loving it and is starting to make friends which is great to see.
S. turned four this year and L. turned one. They are amazing.
I have cooked a lot and have expanded even more the type and variety of foods we eat. I have perfected my own banana-peanut butter-chocolate chip muffin recipe and have baked many other things. Not much time to fuss with yeasted breads this year, but hopefully soon we will get there.
I was really getting back into yoga, doing it while S. was at school and L. napped, but the stress fracture is forcing me to put that on hold for a while.
I got a new camera, a Canon Rebel, and have a very nice 50mm macro lens for it and a decent telephoto lens for it. I am working on my photography as I can in my mostly non-existent spare time.
Where we went and what we did
Due to the newborn situation and ptor working a job where he doesn't get vacation time, we didn't take any big trips this year. However, we've done a lot as a family and even more just me and the kids. Most all Saturdays were spent in Berkeley with me at rehearsal and ptor and the kids hanging out with catzen, then we all would have lunch and hang out together. S. had school three days a week through July and since September has been going four afternoons a week. In addition to that are trips to the library and park, as well as music and swim classes for both kids. There were bike rides and walks and lots of cooking and baking.
For bigger outings, here is what our year looked like by month, according to my photo files:
January
Children's Discovery Museum, visit from my sister and her family, and Ardenwood Farm.
February
Visit from ptor's brother, Ardenwood Farm, and a classmate's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.
March
Coyote Hills and a couple of trips to Ardenwood Farm.
April
Happy Hollow Zoo, Easter at Ardenwood Farm with my family, and the Children's Discovery Museum.
May
Coyote Hills, Ardenwood Farm, class field trip to Sulfur Creek Nature Center, Oakland Zoo, and Maker Faire.
June
End of year school activities (family dinner and school picnic), Sulfur Creek Nature Center, Tilden Park for Father's Day, Ardenwood Farm, Alameda County Fair, and trip to my parents' house for my dad's birthday and belated Father's day.
July
Fourth of July at Ardenwood Farm, Children's Discovery Museum (two trips), Alameda County Fair, Oakland Zoo, and another trip to Ardenwood.
August
Trip to my parents' house, Ardenwood Farm (two trips, one of which involved a program about worms for S.), Tech Museum, my sister and her family visited, Gilroy Gardens with my sister's family, Children's Museum, Members' Night at the Oakland Zoo, trip to my parents' house for S.'s birthday, and Coyote Hills.
September
Coyote Point Museum, Children's Museum, family reunion in Modesto, and Rail Fair at Ardenwood Farm.
October
Oakland Zoo, wedding in Santa Cruz, Children's Museum, class trip to pumpkin patch (complete with hay ride), Ardenwood Farm, Boo at the Zoo (Oakland Zoo), and S.'s first venture trick or treating with his school friends.
Novmeber
Ardenwood Farm (two trips), Coyote Hills, S.'s classmate's birthday party where he delivered the final blows to the pinata, and trip to my parents' for Thanksgiving.
December
Oakland Museum of California (to see Day of the Dead exhibit), trip to my parents' for my and L.'s birthdays, Zoo Lights (Oakland Zoo), Christmas in the Park in San Jose, Sulfur Creek Nature Center, and the Sunol Water Temple.
ptor had to work New Year's Eve so the kids and I went to a party at a classmate's house during the day (complete with balloon drop!) We had dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (S.'s favorite restaurant), then did some grocery shopping, and rang in the new year with S. and sparkling cider. He was *so* excited to drink the cider in a fancy champagne flute. After he went to bed ptor and I had sparkling wine with a snack of cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruit, and hung out and watched "200 Cigarettes" on TV. It was a nice night.
And now a couple of pictures for comparison purposes, last December and this December.
S.
December 30th, 2009
NYE 2010
Poor photo quality, but managed to capture a candid smile
L.
NYE 2009
Playing at park late December 2010
That said, here is a run down of the year:
Dance
I choreographed one new dance, which was really two dances, as it was a combination tap and jazz dance. It was some sort of postpartum mania which moved me to do this ~two months before a show. It's a great dance though, and the debut of tap with the Fly Girls.
I started another dance, a lyrical/contemporary piece, which I am really excited about.
I excavated a couple of other of my older dances.
Performed a handful of times, including our big show this past July, "Go Big or Go Home", where I performed six pieces, three of which were mine.
Taught a number of folks in a number of classes and took one master tap class which was awesome but kicked my ass and everyone else's as well.
Activism
In June I attended the NOLOSE conference and presented two workshops there. I had a great time and was happy with what I accomplished with my workshops. I still want to write up and post more about my "What about the Children? Fat Panic and Kids" panel here.
I know I did at least one interview for a student movie/documentary (I think) and I sadly cannot remember if I did any other media this year.
I started the process to be photographed by an fine art photographer, which may not sound like activism, but it kind of is. She is shooting a number of the Fly Girls. It sounds promising.
Health
Had a few illnesses, including a bad stomach virus and one bout of food poisoning. Postpartum uterine injury which sucks and has impacted my dancing and general mobility. Stress fracture in foot (which I have been dancing on for over a year because it was misdiagnosed) and weird nerve thing down left side of lower body. Teeth mostly OK, eyes doing OK, skin OK...onward.
Kids doing well health-wise. L. got croup in June which was scary and required an ER visit and S. had handful of colds and stomach bugs. ptor had a number of sinus things which sucked.
Employment
ptor started working again in April after sixteen months of unemployment. This was and remains a very good thing.
Random
I joined the executive board of S.'s preschool. It is a whole hell of a lot of work.
We started looking for a new place to live but kind of dropped it for the holidays. Need to pick it up again.
S. finished the three year old class at his school in June, went to summer school there, and entered the pre-K class there this past September. He is loving it and is starting to make friends which is great to see.
S. turned four this year and L. turned one. They are amazing.
I have cooked a lot and have expanded even more the type and variety of foods we eat. I have perfected my own banana-peanut butter-chocolate chip muffin recipe and have baked many other things. Not much time to fuss with yeasted breads this year, but hopefully soon we will get there.
I was really getting back into yoga, doing it while S. was at school and L. napped, but the stress fracture is forcing me to put that on hold for a while.
I got a new camera, a Canon Rebel, and have a very nice 50mm macro lens for it and a decent telephoto lens for it. I am working on my photography as I can in my mostly non-existent spare time.
Where we went and what we did
Due to the newborn situation and ptor working a job where he doesn't get vacation time, we didn't take any big trips this year. However, we've done a lot as a family and even more just me and the kids. Most all Saturdays were spent in Berkeley with me at rehearsal and ptor and the kids hanging out with catzen, then we all would have lunch and hang out together. S. had school three days a week through July and since September has been going four afternoons a week. In addition to that are trips to the library and park, as well as music and swim classes for both kids. There were bike rides and walks and lots of cooking and baking.
For bigger outings, here is what our year looked like by month, according to my photo files:
January
Children's Discovery Museum, visit from my sister and her family, and Ardenwood Farm.
February
Visit from ptor's brother, Ardenwood Farm, and a classmate's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.
March
Coyote Hills and a couple of trips to Ardenwood Farm.
April
Happy Hollow Zoo, Easter at Ardenwood Farm with my family, and the Children's Discovery Museum.
May
Coyote Hills, Ardenwood Farm, class field trip to Sulfur Creek Nature Center, Oakland Zoo, and Maker Faire.
June
End of year school activities (family dinner and school picnic), Sulfur Creek Nature Center, Tilden Park for Father's Day, Ardenwood Farm, Alameda County Fair, and trip to my parents' house for my dad's birthday and belated Father's day.
July
Fourth of July at Ardenwood Farm, Children's Discovery Museum (two trips), Alameda County Fair, Oakland Zoo, and another trip to Ardenwood.
August
Trip to my parents' house, Ardenwood Farm (two trips, one of which involved a program about worms for S.), Tech Museum, my sister and her family visited, Gilroy Gardens with my sister's family, Children's Museum, Members' Night at the Oakland Zoo, trip to my parents' house for S.'s birthday, and Coyote Hills.
September
Coyote Point Museum, Children's Museum, family reunion in Modesto, and Rail Fair at Ardenwood Farm.
October
Oakland Zoo, wedding in Santa Cruz, Children's Museum, class trip to pumpkin patch (complete with hay ride), Ardenwood Farm, Boo at the Zoo (Oakland Zoo), and S.'s first venture trick or treating with his school friends.
Novmeber
Ardenwood Farm (two trips), Coyote Hills, S.'s classmate's birthday party where he delivered the final blows to the pinata, and trip to my parents' for Thanksgiving.
December
Oakland Museum of California (to see Day of the Dead exhibit), trip to my parents' for my and L.'s birthdays, Zoo Lights (Oakland Zoo), Christmas in the Park in San Jose, Sulfur Creek Nature Center, and the Sunol Water Temple.
ptor had to work New Year's Eve so the kids and I went to a party at a classmate's house during the day (complete with balloon drop!) We had dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (S.'s favorite restaurant), then did some grocery shopping, and rang in the new year with S. and sparkling cider. He was *so* excited to drink the cider in a fancy champagne flute. After he went to bed ptor and I had sparkling wine with a snack of cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruit, and hung out and watched "200 Cigarettes" on TV. It was a nice night.
And now a couple of pictures for comparison purposes, last December and this December.
S.
December 30th, 2009
NYE 2010
Poor photo quality, but managed to capture a candid smile
L.
NYE 2009
Playing at park late December 2010