Getting ready for Denver

..but first, before I go to Africa, I'm heading to Denver with my chorus to compete in Sweet Adelines International. I put off getting excited about it because I thought I'd be headed to Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan on election day, but now the trip is likely to be mostly through South Africa toward the end of November. So, my focus is back on Denver.

To save money, Drew, Rachel and I are sharing a room with my friend Julie and we're splitting the cost of the room. Tonight I joked that we should make Julie sleep in the hallway.

"The hallway is NOT a bed," Rachel said sternly. "You need to be nice to your chorus practice people."

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Rachel had a delightful conversation tonight with Tia Daniella, who had lovely things to say about Rachel's vocabulary and intonation, and she remarked that talking to Rachel was like having a conversation with a little adult. It's true, sometimes I forget that she's 4. Tia Daniella was very impressed that Rachel's chores were to set the table, clear her place and empty the garbages on Tuesday night. I, in turn, was very impressed that Valerie asks to be excused from the table, which Rachel rarely does.

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Saturday night was a watershed of sorts: We ALL WATCHED A MOVIE TOGETHER while eating pizza, and we ALL LIKED IT. It was "Barbie and the Magic Pegasus." I thought it was going to be a stupid Barbie movie but, man, it was so much more. Barbie played the role of Princess Anneke, who had to free her parents from the evil Wenlock's spell. Wenlock had also cast a spell on Anneke's sister, Brietta, and turned her into a Pegasus. Anyway, there were good lessons about persistence and not giving up hope, and even though the story included a commoner named Aidan, he and Anneke didn't get romantically involved until the last two minutes of the movie (and their presumed marriage happened offscreen). Best thing of all: the incidental music was Beethoven.

Rache huddled in our laps during the scary parts, but by the end she was in a sunny mood and said, "I forgot all the scary parts!" Tonight she wanted to watch the movie again, which we let her do after she had set the dinner table. I didn't mind; there were parts of it that reminded me of "Lord of the Rings." I generally dislike anything having to do with Barbie, but I think I'll have to make an exception this time.