We all know the story of Alice in Wonderland...delightfull young girl falls down a rabbit hole and meets all kinds of outlandish and nonsensical creatures and characters.  A few would include the Caterpillar, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit and of course who could forget the Red Queen..."Off with their Heads!"

I was lucky enough to be cast as the Dormouse in Albany's ACT Theatre version of this marvelous play.  There is a huge cast and crew of about 30 that have been working on lines, costumes, sets, lighting and more.  It has been a great experience since I hadn't been on stage in what I would call "many moons". 

 Alice, The Cook, Frog Footman & March Hare

I went into the auditions as any "green" actor would.  No script, no plan, just winging it by the seat of my pants.  I had no particular part in mind...just something fun to start out with.  I was surprised at the huge turnout..about 60-70 for just 18 parts.  It was fun to get on stage again.  It was even better to do something that people only knew me for me and not as the kids mom or my husbands wife.  I was just "me"!  I got called back for 2nd auditions the following night and by the next morning I knew I got a part. 

 Mock Turtle, White Rabbit, Alice & The Duchess

I have to admit my part isn't large...and that was ok with me and my busy schedule, especially my first time out.  But I have to admit I LOVE my character.  The dormouse is the sleepy little creature that the Mad Hatter and March Hare find in the teapot at their Tea Party.  In this rendition the mouse is also in other scenes as well.  At first I wasn't sure how to play the character...until I saw my youngest daughter acting silly one day with an adorable little voice.  I have since mimicked her voice and created a funny little 4 year old mouse who doesn't like to work but loves to be center stage.  In fact, I even get to have a temper tantrum or 2!  All I had to do was look back at my early mom days to help with that... :)

 Yep...that's me! 

I am really glad I stepped out and tried my hand at acting again.  It has been a lot of fun.  I have met a lot of new people and learned a lot of new things...I even got a new recipe from our cast potluck that all 3 of my kids loved...(wasn't that lucky).

I encourage all you moms to try something that you have putting on the back burner..something that is just for you!  It has made me feel good about myself that I have accomplished this and gives my kids a mom they can be really proud of.  (Besides, how many concerts and plays of theirs have we sat through..I figure turnabout is fair play!)

Alice In Wonderland opens this Friday. Tickets are still available, but they're going fast. If interested, contact Sid Stevens Jewelers ((541) 967-8140, 140 SW 1st Avenue, Albany) or Rice's Pharmacy ((541) 752-7760, 910 NW Kings Blvd. , Corvallis). Performances are the 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 19th,23r...d, 24th, and 25th of this month.

For more info on this and other productions:  http://albanycivic.org/10-11-alice-in-wonderland.html

Hope to see you there! :) 

Melissa 

Ok, the cat is out of the bag....our next cover MOM Is going to be Amy Roloff, Oregon native and star of TLC's Little People, Big World.

If you had the opportunity to ask Amy any question, what would it be? We might just select your question to ask her! Leave it in the comments here, and stay tuned for our behind the scenes look at the interview and photoshoot with Amy!

Our house is for sale and we decided to paint it. Of course we've wanted to paint the Toxic Blue house since we moved in, but waited to actually do it when we're ready to move out. Don't wait... paint your house now. It's worth it!

We received multiple bids and decided to go with Robby Dennis of Albany College Pro Painters. They did a great job!

We also used a fun online program to mock up multiple color choices. Here are some that we did, and some the kids did. I hope you can tel who's is who's!

Before Blue

Really Red

Go Green

Mello Yellow

Princess Purple

Which did we choose? Check it out at www.tinyurl.com/housecolor

This month's Ta-da! featuring Abdu is brought to you by The Little Gym of Corvallis. 

  The Little Gym's Alicia recently sat down and talked with Abdu's mom about his experience. Here's what she had to say:

Alicia: What's Abdu's favorite thing about The Little Gym?

Nada: I would have to say the bars, he loves playing on the bars.

Alicia: What's your favorite thing about The Little Gym program?

Nada: My favorite thing is the social interaction he gets with the kids. It's such a laid back and fun atmosphere for him because he doesn't have any cousins his age so it's a really good place for him. It allows him to be around kids his age in a fun environment. 

Alicia: You've been in the program since April and he's graduated from birds to beasts. How do you feel he's grown developmentally and physically?

Nada: He's grown a lot in that he is exploring at the gym and even exploring at home. He'll just run off and explore. Physically he's changed tremendously; his motor skills have developed greatly from coming here.

There are so many spectacular fireworks shows to enjoy this coming holiday. What a great way to celbrate Independence Day! How can you make it even better? Try wearing 3-D glasses and see what it does to the show.

I just got stung by a bee! I am proud to say that when I screamed like a girl, there were no curse words used. Really. I just felt a tap on my left index finger, then a burn, then it felt like a hammer smashed my finger. Wow, how can a little creature bring a (ahem) 150 pound woman to her knees.

But I am proud to report that my mom's tried and true wive's tale cure worked wonders. Take meat tenderizer powder and add a dab of water. Mix to create a paste and rub on the sting. The paste immediately takes the pain out of the sting. Wow, thanks mom!

MOM Magazine's Healthy MOM, Dr. Dickson, is brought to you by Samaritan Health Services.

Dr. Dickson wrote a very insightful article on postpartum depression in the June/July issue of the magazine. As a follow up to that article, she has provided the following questions to elicit information about postpartum depression:

• How are you feeling about being a new mother?
• How are you coping with the additional stress of a new baby?
• Are you able to sleep when the baby is sleeping?
• How is your appetite?
• Do you have enough energy to do the things you need to do for yourself, your baby, your work?
• Have you been feeling sad or depressed over the past week?
• Have you been feeling anxious, worried, or irritable over the past week?
• Have you been having difficulty concentrating or remembering things?
• Do you find yourself crying for no reason?
• Have you been having thoughts of hurting yourself? Anyone else?

If you wouldl like to talk to someone about how you are feeling postpartum, here is a list of local resources:

Local resources:

Babies First and CaCoon, here via Benton County Health Department,  (541)967-3888 x6910

Oregon WIC Program (Women-Infants-Children) (541)766-6835

WellMama Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Services, 24hr message line (800) 896-0410, info@WellMama.org - www.WellMama.org@ WellMama

Clinical psychology resident, Debra Carriere, Ph.D. (541) 754-0070

Your obstetrician or midwife should also be able to give some advise as to how to seek help as well as offer antidepressants if deemed necessary.

http://www.aap.org/sections/scan/practicingsafety/Modules/Parenting/Parenting.pdf

See the June/July 2010 Healthy MOM article here, or in your local MOM Magazine.

Planning the big family vacation? Travel MOM shares some great tips about taking to the air with the family. Check it out in the June/July 2010 issue of MOM Magazine! Download pdf of whole story here.

Travel MOM is brought to you by Eugene Airport.
Written by Donnita Cagle Bassinger.

We are so proud to announce the Cover MOM Makeover Winner for the Mid-Valley:
Linda Blaire

See her amazing story in MOM Magazine here.

I am ready for summer! This recipe just puts me in the summer mood. Come-on sunshine! Pineapple juice, limeade and club soda make a refreshing drink that goes beautifully with all kinds of summer fruit. And with strawberries in season right now, they make a perfect match.

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 4 cups cold water * 1 liter club soda, chilled
• Ice cubes
• Fresh strawberries (optional)
• Short (6-inch) wooden skewers
• Assorted fruits such as halved orange slices, halved lime slices, orange sections, raspberries, strawberries, sliced kiwifruit, and mint sprigs

Directions

In a large pitcher combine pineapple juice concentrate, limeade, and water. Chill for at least 30 minutes. To serve, transfer fruit juice mixture to pitchers; add club soda, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries.

Serve with Fruit Swizzle Sticks, if desired.
Makes 14 (6-ounce) servings.

Fruit Swizzle Sticks: On short (6-inch) wooden skewers, thread assorted fruits and mint sprigs. Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 24 hours ahead, prepare the juice mixture and chill well. Proceed as directed.

Sit back, soak up the sunshine sipping a sweet drink and enjoy summer.
Recipe from Daily Recipes, find more fun summer drinks here.