My man, D-man.
Today I’m one PROUD auntie! D-man has had it rough his whole life, and we, as his stepparents, stepgrandparents and stepauntie have done our best to love him through every little step of the way – all the babysteps forward, the leaps backward, the painful starting overs. We’ve triumphed with every success, and did our best to help him through the rough patches. Days like today remind us how very far we’ve come – no matter the length of the road still ahead.
This morning, I stayed after the pup’s swimming lesson (her triumph to come in next post *g*) to watch his lesson too. He’d asked me to stay, and he promised that he’d jump off the diving board on his very own if I was there to watch him. As the last two attempts involved the coaches tossing him in when he decided he couldn’t do it on his own, I knew this was a big step for him. And he wanted me to be there for it.
I would be the crazy Auntie Voice encouraging him and cheering him on – as yes, he took that very big leap of faith all on his own today:
All the kids were tired and a bit grumpy today, and when we arrived back at Auntie Ladybug’s house so that I could pick up the dog, there was a minor meltdown, and I stepped in to deal with D-man. You know how it is – sometimes kids just listen better when it’s not the parents doing the talking too, but another trusted adult and I knew Ladybug was nearing the end of her rope.
A few minutes afterwards, we had a very good talk, he and I, with quiet words and understandings and explanations as we picked apart what happened and how it could have been handled better. He decided to clean up his room a bit before heading outside, and I went back out to talk to his mama after getting a big hug from a teary-eyed boy.
I didn’t ask him to apologize to his mom for his part in the confrontation. I didn’t ask him to talk to her at all about what we’d discussed – we’d handled it, cleared the air, and it was done with as far as I was concerned. But my man D-man, after taking about five minutes to himself, came out ON HIS OWN and apologized to his mama for the melt down and his part in it. The apology was all his doing, 100%, and so today, we celebrate this babystep for what it is – a very big deal. I could not be prouder for him accepting the responsibility and taking the steps to repair the situation on his own.
Slow and steady wins the race, Mama Ladybug. He’ll get there, as long as we keep holding his hand through every leap of faith he takes.
SYTYCD – Week 4
Seriously, so many hits tonight, and even though the judges were harsher on some dances that I thought were great, overall tonight was one hell of a good program! The judges seemed a bit nitpicky tonight, and at one point Nigel got snippy with the audience telling them to “stop booing for heaven’s sake” because they were there to help the dancers improve. He seemed a bit extra testing tonight, except when he was joking about Mia Michaels choreographing their breakup in the absolutely best dance of the night! Mia Michaels is brilliant, seriously.
Dance styles:
Jessica and Will: Jive and Lyrical Jazz
Comfort and Thayne: Broadway and Smooth Waltz
Kourtni and Matt: Hip Hop and Mambo
Chelsea and Mark: Jazz and Foxtrot
Kerington and Twitch: Paso Doble and Contemporary
Katee and Joshuah: Contemporary and West Coast Swing
Courtney and Gev: Hip Hop and Broadway
After the cut, more of my favorites!
Possible Cast Names?
A poster over at Reality BBQ who has been right many times in the past couple of seasons has given Spammy his list of the houseguests! If he’s right on the money as he was last year and the year before (He gave the décor of the house days before the release, also told us of America’s Player and the pre-premiere eviction of Sharon/Jacob, among other things, all days before any information was officially released) then we have a mighty diverse group of people currently in sequester – especially age-wise. The age-range reported is 22-75!
Here’s what he said:
The casting is going to have a slightly conservative vs. liberal angle.
– A recently divorced Koren-American tomboy.
– A 35 year old gay rodeo cowboy who’s a bit prejudiced himself.
– A 25 year old who doesn’t consider himself a bartender.
– A 53 year old New Orleans socialite.
– A 31 year old who’s from a predominantly white neighborhood, she’s a black mother of 3 and an Obama supporter in Bush country. She has a pair of rare twins.
– The son of a Pentecostal preacher.
– A 24 year old teacher in an all boys Catholic school. He would move out of the country if Hillary were President.
– …and a few more. Thirteen in all. Don’t want to give you all the secrets!
Here are all the names:
Renny
Dan
Steven
Michelle
Libra
The person most likely to be an early target: Jesse (Jessie?), 22.
Ollie
Jerry, 75, is the self-professed biggest Big Brother fan in the world. Everyone will love Jerry!
Memphis
Keesha, 29, blond bombshell who works at Hooters. Reminds us of Danielle D.
Angie
April
Brian
So – if that dude doesn’t consider himself a bartender, what DOES his consider himself? And 75? Holy cow. I do remember earlier during casting for BB10 that rumors about them looking for a Gay Cowboy through the Gay Rodeo Association were flying rampant, so that one certainly seems possible. He was said to be kind of a tool, a flirt who gets along with most, and wears wranglers and cowboy hats to work all the time.
The folks over at Reality BBQ are now searching Myspace for possible, and may have found Keesha and Dan. We’ll know in a few days for sure, of course, but it’s oddles of fun to speculate while we wait!
What do you think of the rundown of houseguests above? Will we all really love Jerry?! Either way, kudos to CornerOfficeX – and keep the info coming!
America, do you have talent?!
Sometimes during the audition process, I just can’t understand how some of these folks became so sure they have talent worth $1,000,000 – thus forcing us to sit through some of the worst auditions ever… I do not envy the judges, not even the Hoff!
Here’s a montage of tonight’s bombers:
Yup, there’s 8 minutes we’ll never get back again!
Some very interesting talents got through as well – like George the Giant and his gagworthy straw trick, and the sword swallower who almost punctures his stomach when Hoff buzzes him mid-swallow. Then there’s the the little kid with autism who made everyone tear up as he sang, though I fear him going to Vegas week!
More after the cut!
Read more…
Triple Threatedness
These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they do – so which hopeful Elle Woods ends at the bottom of the shoe? I know, I’m so PUNNY! Autumn returns to the house after escaping the dreaded cut, and the girls are shocked and not exactly thrilled to see she’s the only girl who returns. Autumn, however, is determined to prove herself worthy of the Ultimate Blonde Bombshell Role.
They head to the dance studio where they’re told of their next challenge, which is to be dance the “Shake your Junk” part of the song “Positive.” Autumn is worried because dance is the weak spot of her ‘triple threatedness’. They’re taught the routine, which they’ll have to learn both Elle’s part and multiple versions of the chorus, and then taken outside to work it out on cobblestone streets in 4 inch high pepto-colored go-go boots. Sounds like a broken ankle waiting to happen, huh? They all manage to bust a move, though, even with poor Emma spitting and sniffing and still trying to battle her bronchitis. Lauren is yelled at for her lack of effort, but Natalie shines and is the Stand Out Performer. As reward, she takes Rhiannon and go do yoga and tea with Kate Shindle, who plays Vivienne on Broadway.
That night, after their rehearsal time being cut short, they practice the routines over and over, until they discover a call sheet under the door. It has a difficult and very negative questionaire, and they’re instructed to answer things like ‘who’s the weakest dancer’ and ‘who should already have been sent home.’ and it sets off a round of girly dramatics that made me cringe and avert my eyes and count the minutes until I could watch Hell’s Kitchen. Autumn steps up, and decides they’re going to do it the “Elle way” if they were going to play that game and they all change the questions to have a positive spin and complement each other with tears and sniffles and snaps for everyone and I threw up in my mouth a little.
At the audition, Emma is really winded and it doesn’t look good, while Bailey shines then Autumn runs off to puke during her critique. Heh. Natalie is told she’s for sure going to be on the list and is safe for the week. Unsurprisingly, Autumn and Emma end up on the chopping block and have to head to the casting office. Emma is upset because she thinks she and Autumn are the two most talented girls there and others should go before them. They are applauded by the judges for performing while sick, but in the end, their concerns with Emma’s stamina is what sends her out the door as they give Autumn yet another chance. Emma is upset, but swears it won’t stop her from realizing her Broadway Dreams.
Huh. Looking the cast picture – at the rate we’re going, the winner might be pretty obvious, hm?
