Oireachtas 2009

Abby danced at the Mid-America Irish Dance Championship (aka, Oireachtas) today. She danced her treble jig and slip jig both very well (both her current Akron instructor and her previous Chicago instructor said she did very well). Unfortunately she did not "recall" (top 50% of girls recall to dance a final set dance), and only 1 of her 3 other friends did -- contratulations Anne! The results haven't been posted yet but we are curious to see how she ranked among the 166 thirteen-year old girls that competed this year. The difficult part of Oireachtas is that it is by age group (not experience level) and many of the girls competing are championship caliber girls for their age. Anyway, we are still very proud of Abby and hope that she practices even harder for next year's competition. Here are a few video highlights (not actual dances, however, since video-taping is prohibited).

Hockey Practice

This morning Andrew's Uncle Rick took him to hockey practice. This was pretty cool since Uncle Rick is a huge hockey fan and played hockey when he was a kid.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009 Thanksgiving at the Hollywood Four household (with lots of Otts and McEuens on hand as well). Traditions held true once again: Too much good food, Lions lose, Black Friday shopping, Lake Frogerick Christmas Tree raised, Loogie's Spa and another "Chloe Show" (highlights from the latter contained below).

Oirechtas Pep Rally

This afternoon we attended the O'Hare School of Irish Dance pep rally for Oireachtas. This is a short, fun rally for the girls as they prepare for their big regional competition next weekend.

Abby Tennis Practice

Here are some highlights from one of Abby's recent tennis practice sessions.

Poker Fest #20

Here are three highlight segments from Poker Fest #20 this past weekend. It was the best tournament ever!

Abby Irish Dance Coaching

Here is a videos of Abby practicing for the upcoming Mid America Oireachtas competition. The voice in the background is Eileen her dancing coach.

Hollywood Four Newsroom (part 1)

Reporting from the Hollywood Four Newsroom studios, here is Abby and Andrew with a special report and highlights on the Hollywood Four vacation at Disney World in Orlando, Florida -- Part 1 of 2.

Hollywood Four Newsroom (part 2)

Reporting from the Hollywood Four Newsroom studios, here is Abby and Andrew with a special report and highlights on the Hollywood Four vacation at Disney World in Orlando, Florida -- Part 2 of 2.

Disney World Pictures

On Friday, October 30 we packed up for a short vacation at Disney World in Orlando, FL (yes, the kids agreed to give up Halloween this year). The weather was wonderful (mostly 80's all trip). We returned home Wednesday, November 4. Here are some picture highlights from our trip. We also have some video footage that will be presented by Abby and Andrew as a Hollywood Four Newsroom update in the next few days. It sure was fun dreamin' all day ...