June happenings part two

Maddy second from the right

Maddy has been taking dance classes at the city Rec Center since February and they held the recital at Taylorsville High School this month. She took classes a few years ago but when it came to the recital day, she was sick and so this was our first experience. Though Maddy's class is held at the Rec Center, it is just a satellite of Becky's School of Dance in Kearns. All the various classes have at least one number to perform as well as the competative team had several numbers. I found it enjoyable, sometimes painful, mostly cute. Scott on the other hand would have rather eaten beets! Well, maybe that's too drastic but I think they might be up there together in terms of painful things. I promised him that the moment that Maddy's number was over he could leave. Ironically, her's was second to last and after about an hour and a half of performances. So, he sat ans sweated and was uncomfortable the whole time but he stayed. He's a good dad.

Maddy's group of 6-8 year old girls performed to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". I was pretty impressed with my girl. She wasn't the best dancer by far, but she held her own.

Third from the right

 

In order to keep the kids entertained back stage until their turn they had games and coloring and princesses. Maddy is still so enamored of princesses.

Maddy made a little  house for fairies ("Feres Welcum") and to her surprise the next morning when she came out as we were on our way to day care she noticed she had some visitors "Mom, what is that doll?" She ran down and found some friends in her house. Turns out that when I had posted the top picture of her fairy house on day one, mommy came over during the day and brought the dolls. We didn't notice them that night and they were still there perfectly in place the next morning where we found them. Clever Maddy did recognize that they were grandma scooter-rides dolls. I tried to convince her that they must have heard about her fairy house and come over . . . too smart for that but she was enthralled and ever so pleased. Clever Mommy!

For Father's Day, we girls and hubbys living in Utah took  Mom and dad to Texas Roadhouse and then visited in the backyard under the new pergola.

Now that Maddy is 6 I try to bring her to one play each season. This year it, obviously, was The Little Mermaid.The only bad thing about bringing her is that I spend half of the time on the big numbers glancing over at her to see if she is smiling and enjoying herself. In this case it was more of open mouth amazement than smiles - but I was pretty amazed with this production as well.

We (Sarah, Katie, Mom and I) discussed why we were emotional about this show and decided because it was the Disney movie that started all the good ones (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast) that we knew so well as kids. I do admit that in the play in one part of "Part of Your World" I found myself with my breath caught and my eyes a little teary.

It was a fantastic show, every actor was fabulous (well, King Triton had a weird speaking voice) and the singing was great. The big numbers like "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" had so much going on that it was hard to decide what to look at. The use of the stage was imaginative and the costuming was so colorful and beautiful. Loved it!

My only complaint was that after the show Maddy wouldn't take a picture with Sebastian and Flounder. I understand her not wanting to be around Flotsam and Jetsom but Sebastian and Flounder??!! I should have just taken one myself I guess because I would have liked to have their picture for my memory book. Maddy of course cares about the princesses. So, we have all the important characters at least. Ariel taught Maddy how to hold her hand out "just so" in true princess fashion.

XANGO Employee bowling day at Jack and Jill Lanes in Lehi. It was 70s themed and if we do another 70s theme, I'll find me a poodle skirt to wear. Never have had need to own a poodle skirt before. I always bowl terribly until everyone leaves and we've cleaned up and then I bowl a few more frames and then the strikes and spares just come. I guess I do not bowl well under pressure. If you were going to ask me to join your bowling team you should probably move on to someone else.

some June happenings

Maddy graduated in May but then the first week of June she had a one-on-one testing with her teacher Mrs. Cook. It was fun to watch them interact together as compared to back in August when we did the same thing before Kindergarten started. 

It was also fun to see the ways Mrs. Cook asked Maddy about things and concepts that I wouldn't have thought to ask. For example, she had a small bear toy and she held it around Maddy's body and asked questions to test her knowledge of above, next, behind, in front. Our teachers do a wonderful job and we sure like Mrs. Cook.   

Maddy dressed up for something (for the life of me I can't remember why) with her hair up in a bun and matching shoes and she looked simply lovely so I had to fashion our own photo shoot to capture her loveliness.

I love to see her creativity. We had family coming over this Sunday afternoon and she wanted to create a store for them to shop at. She had little items in the shoe cubby that they could buy and made a computer from her pencil box.

When I was little I used to make computers and things from toy briefcases and just seeing her come up with that on her own made me remember my childhood. Kids are so creative it's amazing.

(She clearly loves this summer dress)
One day when driving home from out and about, Scott looked back at his daughter and then shook his head. He knew from the sunglasses, side-ponytail, (which she did all on her own) and expression that he had a lot of energy and personality to look forward to in her growing up years.

XC Photo Shoot

There have been several surprises about being a "C-Suite" executive. After 21 months in the position I still feel that I just go to work and do my job and try hard, and nothing truly has changed. Of course, there are harder decisions to make and there are more people to manage, and there are way more meetings, but all in all, I still just go and do my best and that is that. 

Sad to say, I have gotten used to the size of my office and it doesn't feel "huge" like it did when I used to be the tax director and someone else sat in the CFO chair. The novelty has worn off driving to my reserved parking spot in the basement and now it's simply part of my routine. Even saying "I'm the CFO" is a little easier after 21 months. I do still tell non-work people like my hair dresser and neighbors when they ask what I do that I run the finance group for a company in Lehi. Just feels too pretentious to say "Well, I'm the CFO of a multi-million dollar, multi-national company!" (And, there, now I've just said it and it does seem pretentious but it's in my blog, which hardly anybody reads and it's just for my journal some day so who cares right?).

So, the surprises. The first came when they told me that I didn't have any PTO. Well, that's actually backwards, I didn't have to track my PTO because I had unlimited PTO. That said, I think companies do this because they want you to feel special but they know full well that the executives probably take less time off than their staff who actually have PTO hours to track. That has certainly been the case for me this past year and a half.

The most recent surprise that comes with the job was The Executive Headshot! They wanted a new head shot for me. I did my hair and makeup and went to Target and had some studio pictures taken and used it for Linked In and the UACPA websites. Good enough right? Nope, when you get The Executive Headshot they bring in a makeup artist and a hair stylist and plan your wardrobe and accessories!

Yoko, Leslie and I as well as the other members of the Executive Committee (XC) had individual head shots and then we took some group shots ourselves just for fun. I still have yet to see my head shot (hope it doesn't look dorky) but we had some fun pictures that we took ourselves.

I desperately wanted to have something to do that evening since I was all made up but unfortunately, that night we had all the time in the world and no place to go. Since my false eyelashes were still on and my lipstick lovely, and my hair all curled up, Maddy and I took some pictures together.

The three girls on the executive committee, Yoko, Leslie and I, have become known around the office as the Power Puff Girls. We are VP of Marketing, President and General Counsel, and CFO. Nice representation of highly positioned women for a smallish Lehi company. Feminists would be proud! We work well together and have come up with many really creative solutions (Yoko a marketer yes, but a lawyer and an accountant creative? I know. Surprisingly creative) and we truly enjoy each others company. I'm lucky.

One wonderful thing about these ladies is that they have elementary school aged girls. We often find ourselves in the same position when there is a holiday that closes schools and day cares but in which we find ourselves obligated to come to the office. So, Maddy had made friends with their girls and we bring them to the office together and they color and watch movies and play games while we attempt to get work done.

I work with the XC folks day in and day out and am so grateful to them because they help me do my job. They are truly my family and they make my life easier and enjoyable. I did the Spartan with (most of) these friends and when it comes to needing someone to vent to, or to share exciting news with, it's these guys. I know that my situation is not normal and I am extremely lucky to have work friends that are so great. I think it's fairly obvious from the amount of pictures we took that TJ, Patrick, Dave, Leslie, Yoko and I get along well and are a group of people who don't take ourselves too seriously!

And now, a bunch of pictures so skip over them if you are totally not interested!

I'm not sure why all the outtakes include me. Seems I'm the only silly one I guess.

(whew! I know you are bored right? Sorry about that. Nobody wants to see so much of someone's work life.)

other May happenings

The traditional Sally Bytheway Chorale spring concert at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square and the traditional Soprano group photo.

Dinner at Cody and Hayley's house and fun with baby cousin Harper.

The next door neighbors have a daughter who is a few months younger than Maddy. She and Ruby have become fast friends. They both go to Miss Swendy's Day School so Scott and Ruby's mom came up with a deal where on alternating Wednesdays we take home both kids and give the other couple a night off. The picture below was sent one night when they had taken the girls bowling.

I dropped Maddy off at school one morning and it hit me how grown up she is. She walked up to the school with her backpack, wearing her dress and wedge heel sandals and I felt the enormity of the month . . . May is graduate from Kindergarten month. It has gone so very quickly.

Maddy's first and last days of Kindergarten.

The day where Maddy did my makeup and nails. Scott kept looking at me next to him on the couch and being shocked over and over again at the eyebrows. He finally made me go and scrub them off. Frankly, I didn't think she did too horrible of a job. She's come a long way.

There was more singing. A recording session at De Azevedo Studios. First the whole recording group, then the Millennium crew who have been singing together 15 years, then Lex and the Dalton girls.

Maddy desperately wanted to do a lemonade stand. It was late in the evening, early in the season and she pushed so hard that I decided to teach her a lesson - letting her do it and she wouldn't make any money because who wants lemonade (well Apple juice) at 8:30 at night in May?! She picked the 5 cent price - I suggested a quarter. She managed to rake in $5.21 from three customers. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was a brilliant marketer, setting the price low so they would take pity on her and pay her more. I suspect if she had my price posted they would have paid the quarter and went on their way. Brilliant.

 A pose from the silly girl at the park.

And a beautiful picture of lovely niece Rebekah who is now in London serving at the Hyde Park Chapel. What lovely girls we Daltons make.