Penguins

My life has been a little over-the-top busy lately.  I took on two extra classes at the school where I teach, which completely ate up my prep time.  I now stay later any day I can, just attempting to stay ahead of my next day's lessons.  Many days I don't get home until 6:00, which was hard enough before Oklahoma! rehearsals started.

My wonderful husband understands my need to occasionally get up on stage and earn some applause.  I haven't been on stage since I did Seussical the Musical in March of 2009, so he agreed to let me audition at the local Empress Theatre.  Since the beginning of March, I've had rehearsal every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening plus Saturday mornings.  Rehearsal starts at 6:30, which means Kirk has been responsible for making and cleaning up dinner plus taking care of the kids and putting them to bed.  To be honest, I've been feeling like a bit of a failure around the house.

So on Sunday when I ran in the door from church, quickly gathered my stuff for ward choir practice, and turned around to head straight out the door again, I took a moment to thank Kirk.  "Thanks, hon, for keeping this family going," I sighed.  "Why do you say that?" he asked.  "Because I'm never here.  I feel like I just bear the children and then leave.  Isn't it the penguins or something who are like that?  The females lay the eggs and then leave the dads to sit on them?"

"Yeah," Kirk said, "but the females go out and gather fish for three months and then come back."  He smiled his don't-take-this-next-part-too-seriously smile and finished with a wink, "At least they're doing something!"

Life is not slated to slow down anytime soon, either, because as soon as Oklahoma! opens, I'm going to be working as the music director for the upcoming DAC production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and then this summer I'm starting a new endeavor as the director of the Empress Theatre's new children's theatre program, EYT.

People often ask my how I do it, and the answer is so simple.  I married well.  Thanks, hon, for being far more than just a breadwinner in this family.