I am all aglow from the events of the last week.
And not just because of the heat wave which engulfs us and is sending the kids home early today (the temperature in the classrooms is up over 100F, definitely no learning going on.)
No, I'm a very proud mom after a weekend of the school play, a horse show, and the sixth-grade award ceremony.
"It's Showtime!"
And best yet, all the grandparents and their uncle Goo were here to celebrate all of these with us.
The play, oh the play. The kids--all the kids--were marvelous in Madagascar Jr., a musical retelling of the popular animated movie. Bud played "Rico," the kung-fu fighting, sushi-loving penguin. I loved watching him perform, from his slides onto the middle of the stage, his quick kung-fu moves, to his singing "Sea Shanty." I really liked how he waddled and moved his head around like a real penguin. For me, he just lit up the stage.
Sis was a police officer, appearing mostly in the first few scenes and then the end, looking intimidating in her navy blue (real) police officer shirt and hat. She does stern well and was believable with that walkie-talkie. But oh, we had a shock to see her in eyeliner and blush. She became a teenager right in front of us. Kinda surprising. But it all totally worked in the part. And she didn't have to dance (which she does not like to do on stage.)
I was the snack coordinator again, meaning I oversaw the procurement and distribution of water and snacks to the cast during all three shows. It's a bit of organizational work, but not much compared to people in charge of costumes, props, choreography, etc. And we get to go backstage, which other parents not working do not. I saw the show twice, checking the cafeteria before and after, and during intermission, and then worked the cafeteria snacks on Saturday. It was pretty hot the last two performances, but we had enough water and watermelon, which is their favorite. Mama, Gommie, and Pop also helped us out--fetching coolers and ice, helping bring in snacks.
After the show on Friday, we all headed to a local diner with much of the cast, loudly celebrating while wolfing down dinner. Everyone was exhilarated and exhausted. Saturday night, it was me, Mama, Gommie and our Beloved Babysitter and her boyfriend. So special that they came! She brought the kiddos flowers and then we all went to a diner together afterwards. We love to see her and were interested to finally meet her chef boyfriend.
After Sunday's show, there was a cast party after the last performance. The kids signed each other's t-shirts and posters between a chicken dinner and cake. They also got the cast cards that audience members could leave for them. We all wrote cards for Sis and Bud, and I also wrote cards to all my Girl Scouts and a few of the other cast members. I just wanted them to know how much I really enjoyed the show and all their hard work. It was a nice little party, after an amazing weekend. And I couldn't be prouder.
Ride 'em, Horse Girl
In the midst of all that, Sis had a horse show on Saturday which we did not want to miss. Even tired, she loves to ride "her" horse, Murphy. So, Gommie, Pop, Mama, and I spent a hot day in the field watching those beautiful beasts and their composed riders. Sis got a first place for jumping (because she made her diagonals correctly) and three third places for Walk-Trot-Canter equitation and pleasure (her dear Murphy was being a bit stubborn.) I can't really tell what makes for a good ride; I just like watching. Gommie was especially interested in how the whole horse show worked--the different events, the different commands ("the class is closed," "riders reverse at the wall," posting vs. half-seat, pleasure vs equitation--I understand it all, just barely.) But we were all a bit relieved to get out of the heat after her events were over. Still, I love watching her ride. Almost as much as she loves horses!
Though, the kids did manage to go swimming with Gommie and Pop after eating some SmashBurgers! And then it was off to the next performance . . . .
And the Award Goes to . . . .
It was a very hot night in the school auditorium, where I had been since Thursday (for the final dress rehearsal, I chaperoned with Gommie), but we were all happy to gather in our hot-weather finest for the celebration of the kids leaving elementary school. I guess you could call it graduation or commencement, but they don't. Sis wore her dress pants and white gauzy shirt, Bud was in a light blue Oxford--basic dress up clothes for them both (like for chorus or orchestra.) We took a lot of pictures, in many combinations, getting a few great ones with grandparents and many of their school friends. We didn't quite know what to expect from the ceremony, didn't really know what awards there were. It started with a basic presentation of certificates for their involvement in the play, chorus, art, orchestra, etc., all of which were just passed out in an envelope. We did know about the Presidential Awards, which the kids hoped to earn--the Gold award was for a 3.5 GPA and over 60 on various STAR tests. I thought they qualified, but we didn't know until they were both called--the second set of twins to earn the Presidential Gold Award that night (the other set, in their class, also has two moms!) They just beamed with pride and I was sniffly. (I laughed that we should switch their last names so they could be called earlier in the round up!) Then the Character Education Awards. Someone had told Sis they thought she should get one--and she did! Wow! And then Bud won a prestigious Citizenship Award named after a local detective, that came with $100 (all the kids oohed and aahed)! (He got it with another young lady, one of our friends and a former Girl Scout.) Wow again! So proud of them--academics and character!!! Proud of all of our kids, especially their gifted-and-talented classmates and my Girl Scouts (current and former.) It really was fun to celebrate them. Which we did with more cake in the cafeteria, more pictures all over, and then a trip to the local ice cream shop with a bunch of their classmates. I got a hot fudge sundae because I was proud of Mama and me, too. Ma had even said we were good parents, which was a wonderful first. My folks say it a lot, but it means so much each time; I was really glad that my dad made the trip, which was a last-minute decision. And I'm glad they were all able to be with us, surrounding the kiddos with love and support during this exciting time.
And so now, they'll be home early because of the heat. Gommie and Pop are off to who-knows-where, but we'll see them later. The kids are essentially done with class--tomorrow is their 6th-grade picnic and then they have two half-days (hope the heat dismissal doesn't change that.) Then they really are done! Middle Schoolers!
It's all bittersweet. I love their teachers and the supportive environment of the school. They've had good times here and grown and learned so much. I have, too. But just as we moved from home to preschool, preschool to half-day kindergarten, half-day to full day, the small elementary school to the upper grades at the larger elementary school, we'll all be okay moving to middle school. And I think, after a bit, we'll all be good, thanks to the love and support of family and community.
Showing posts with label school play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school play. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Proud Mommy
The kiddos are in the school musical! With speaking parts! The show is Madagascar Jr. And Bud is one of the penguins, Rico, who eats a lot and does martial arts. Sound familiar? Sis is Police Officer #1, which also makes some sense. (She is a bus safety patrol, after all.) We're excited for them and so proud that they auditioned--acapella in front of 4 adults in the big auditorium and then again at callbacks for Bud. Not easy. It'll be a lot of work from now til June, but they enjoy singing and being with their friends. Besides, it's their last year at the school, their last musical. Which makes it doubly special. Here we go . . . .
-=-=-=-=-=-
On a side note: Some kids who had larger parts before were very mad about the casting this year, going to the extent of stating that some who got parts don't have talent. Talk about sour grapes. A few are even threatening to quit already. So we had to talk to Sis and Bud about attitude, good sportsmanship (so to speak), jealousy, and not to let it spoil their experiences.
-=-=-=-=-=-
On a side note: Some kids who had larger parts before were very mad about the casting this year, going to the extent of stating that some who got parts don't have talent. Talk about sour grapes. A few are even threatening to quit already. So we had to talk to Sis and Bud about attitude, good sportsmanship (so to speak), jealousy, and not to let it spoil their experiences.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Music All Around
Between my vocal practices, the kids trying out for the school musical, and piano lessons, there is a lot of music in the house these days.
Every morning, I do my vocal exercises from the Natural Singer workshop with Claude Stein at Kripalu. While I remember most of the techniques, I did sign up for the online lessons; I receive a new video or audio file each week for a year. So there are a lot of "mmmm" and "ahh" and "nyawn" around here. And more actual singing, too. (Learn more about Stein and his workshops here.) I haven't been to the musical Taize service recently, but I love the singing meditations we do.
Auditions for the school musical were last week. Both kids tried out; neither wanted us to hear their practice song. I was even helping out at auditions but didn't really hear them. Sis sang Cohen's "Hallelujah," which they'd sung at the marvelous school music concert a few weeks ago. Bud did "My Shot" from Hamilton. The director said we should YouTube it and send it to Miranda, which was kind to say. But Bud does remember a lot of lyrics and performs with gusto. And both kids will be in the musical, though Sis just wants a background part. Bud goes for callbacks today; he'd like something a little more. And he moves well. We'll see. A little speaking part would thrill him. From here, we have about four months of weekly rehearsals. So, lots of music, lots of the time.
Bud and I still take piano, though Sis decided not to this year. He's been playing "Memory" from Cats and "Winter Wind" by the Piano Guys, a long, lovely, and complicated piece. I think the Cats song brings out his melancholy about dear Mo and Mr. P, who died a year ago. He plays, is reflective for a bit, and then perks right up. I'm practicing "The Entertainer" and it's coming along slowly; I'm also trying to put my favorite "Finlandia" into memory--that goes even more slowly, though I've been playing it for two years.
Sis has been focused on her violin, which she plays in her room. As I mentioned, there was a concert a few weeks back, both choral and strings. Sis is in the first violin group and Bud is one of the only cellos, both in the advanced (5th & 6th grades) orchestra. They both plan to continue playing in junior high but are not sure if they will still be serious in high school. See, only one high school in town has strings, so their interest becomes more broadly important. Well, if we even still have public schools by then, with public-school enemy #1, DeVos, as Secretary of Education.
And we all like listening to music on our Sonos, a digital device which handles our music library. I can call up any song we own while seated on the couch and choose where in the house to play it and how loud, creating my own playlists. It's fantastic! Hamilton has long been in the queue, sometimes current pop songs. And I have been listening to the medieval chants of Hildegard von Bingen. No doubt we'll put Sunset Boulevard into rotation soon. We have tickets to see Glenn Close in a few weeks.
Then, who knows what, but you can bet there will still be song here.
Every morning, I do my vocal exercises from the Natural Singer workshop with Claude Stein at Kripalu. While I remember most of the techniques, I did sign up for the online lessons; I receive a new video or audio file each week for a year. So there are a lot of "mmmm" and "ahh" and "nyawn" around here. And more actual singing, too. (Learn more about Stein and his workshops here.) I haven't been to the musical Taize service recently, but I love the singing meditations we do.
Auditions for the school musical were last week. Both kids tried out; neither wanted us to hear their practice song. I was even helping out at auditions but didn't really hear them. Sis sang Cohen's "Hallelujah," which they'd sung at the marvelous school music concert a few weeks ago. Bud did "My Shot" from Hamilton. The director said we should YouTube it and send it to Miranda, which was kind to say. But Bud does remember a lot of lyrics and performs with gusto. And both kids will be in the musical, though Sis just wants a background part. Bud goes for callbacks today; he'd like something a little more. And he moves well. We'll see. A little speaking part would thrill him. From here, we have about four months of weekly rehearsals. So, lots of music, lots of the time.
Bud and I still take piano, though Sis decided not to this year. He's been playing "Memory" from Cats and "Winter Wind" by the Piano Guys, a long, lovely, and complicated piece. I think the Cats song brings out his melancholy about dear Mo and Mr. P, who died a year ago. He plays, is reflective for a bit, and then perks right up. I'm practicing "The Entertainer" and it's coming along slowly; I'm also trying to put my favorite "Finlandia" into memory--that goes even more slowly, though I've been playing it for two years.
Sis has been focused on her violin, which she plays in her room. As I mentioned, there was a concert a few weeks back, both choral and strings. Sis is in the first violin group and Bud is one of the only cellos, both in the advanced (5th & 6th grades) orchestra. They both plan to continue playing in junior high but are not sure if they will still be serious in high school. See, only one high school in town has strings, so their interest becomes more broadly important. Well, if we even still have public schools by then, with public-school enemy #1, DeVos, as Secretary of Education.
And we all like listening to music on our Sonos, a digital device which handles our music library. I can call up any song we own while seated on the couch and choose where in the house to play it and how loud, creating my own playlists. It's fantastic! Hamilton has long been in the queue, sometimes current pop songs. And I have been listening to the medieval chants of Hildegard von Bingen. No doubt we'll put Sunset Boulevard into rotation soon. We have tickets to see Glenn Close in a few weeks.
Then, who knows what, but you can bet there will still be song here.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
The Show Went On
I can't even put the wonderful experience of the weekend into words. The kids' elementary school musical was phenomenal!
Well, for an elementary school production. But I'm a proud mommy and I thought it was marvelous.
Way back in January, they had been nervous about auditioning for the show, even though everyone gets a part. Still, standing up and singing in front of people is very intimidating. But they did it and both got into the ensemble. Bud had a callback and had hoped for a small speaking part. Instead, he became one of the dancers.
For months they practiced every week. Hours. The last week, they rehearsed until 8 pm on Tuesday, 6 pm on Wednesday, and 9:15 on Thursday. And behind the scenes, many parents were busy. I stepped in to coordinate the healthy snacks for the performers during the show (the last person left no notes and, of course, I wasn't involved last year so it was a steep learning curve all the way through the weekend.) Mama served as a backstage runner/stage door manager so someone else could see the show on Saturday. I bought make up, found the right shoes, filled out forms to buy t-shirts and DVDs, and designed our congratulatory ads for the program. We did a lot of driving back and forth. Other parents spent everyday at the rehearsals and nights making sets and costumes and props. So much hard work by so many dedicated and enthusiastic people.
We were all atwitter on Friday for the hour or so between their arriving home on the bus and their needing to be back at school. It was a long wait for all of us. Finally we got the kids freshly showered and deodorized (imagine 80+ sweaty kids without deodorant under hot lights with no air conditioning in rooms together.) I got the snacks and paper goods into the car. Off we went.
After getting them where they need to be and setting up the snacks in the cafeteria, Mama and I took our seats for the first show. So excited for them, so nervous for them.
And they both shined! Lit up the stage! What can I say? I only watched them. Sis was in a flowery dress with a pink bow on her head. Being shorter than almost everyone else, she looked about five years old. Sweet and cute. She doesn't like dresses, being "sweet" or "cute, though she likes pink but not bows. We told her she was a great actress to pull off the role! Bud started in a dark suit with a cap, then removed the jacket to show his suspenders and hiked his pants like knickers (with this handy little elastic thing.) Later, he'd put on a band uniform. And he danced and danced with great expression and joy. Of course, I got all teary.
We saw them perform twice--Friday and Sunday--and spent Saturday helping backstage. The kids got into costume, then went into hair and make up, and then waited in the cafeteria for their various cues. They ate fresh fruit and veggies, had lots of water, and talked relatively quietly with their friends. Sis played UNO and read. Bud ate lots of fruit.
After each show, we went out, mainly to a late supper at a local place. Just like real Broadway stars! They told stories with their friends, wolfed down fries and shakes, sang songs together, gave one another back rubs, and signed each other's special shirts. The adults sat, ate, and marveled at the kids' energy. Bud especially talked and talked about the whole thing; I wish I could remember everything he enthused about. (If I do, I'll insert it here.)
And then it ended much more suddenly than it all began. Three days, three performance, the end of the show and the weekend. But we all made a lifetime of great memories and, I think, awakened a little bit of the performing bug in each of them.
I'm glad they have one more year in elementary school so they can do it all again.
Well, for an elementary school production. But I'm a proud mommy and I thought it was marvelous.
Way back in January, they had been nervous about auditioning for the show, even though everyone gets a part. Still, standing up and singing in front of people is very intimidating. But they did it and both got into the ensemble. Bud had a callback and had hoped for a small speaking part. Instead, he became one of the dancers.
For months they practiced every week. Hours. The last week, they rehearsed until 8 pm on Tuesday, 6 pm on Wednesday, and 9:15 on Thursday. And behind the scenes, many parents were busy. I stepped in to coordinate the healthy snacks for the performers during the show (the last person left no notes and, of course, I wasn't involved last year so it was a steep learning curve all the way through the weekend.) Mama served as a backstage runner/stage door manager so someone else could see the show on Saturday. I bought make up, found the right shoes, filled out forms to buy t-shirts and DVDs, and designed our congratulatory ads for the program. We did a lot of driving back and forth. Other parents spent everyday at the rehearsals and nights making sets and costumes and props. So much hard work by so many dedicated and enthusiastic people.
We were all atwitter on Friday for the hour or so between their arriving home on the bus and their needing to be back at school. It was a long wait for all of us. Finally we got the kids freshly showered and deodorized (imagine 80+ sweaty kids without deodorant under hot lights with no air conditioning in rooms together.) I got the snacks and paper goods into the car. Off we went.
After getting them where they need to be and setting up the snacks in the cafeteria, Mama and I took our seats for the first show. So excited for them, so nervous for them.
And they both shined! Lit up the stage! What can I say? I only watched them. Sis was in a flowery dress with a pink bow on her head. Being shorter than almost everyone else, she looked about five years old. Sweet and cute. She doesn't like dresses, being "sweet" or "cute, though she likes pink but not bows. We told her she was a great actress to pull off the role! Bud started in a dark suit with a cap, then removed the jacket to show his suspenders and hiked his pants like knickers (with this handy little elastic thing.) Later, he'd put on a band uniform. And he danced and danced with great expression and joy. Of course, I got all teary.
We saw them perform twice--Friday and Sunday--and spent Saturday helping backstage. The kids got into costume, then went into hair and make up, and then waited in the cafeteria for their various cues. They ate fresh fruit and veggies, had lots of water, and talked relatively quietly with their friends. Sis played UNO and read. Bud ate lots of fruit.
After each show, we went out, mainly to a late supper at a local place. Just like real Broadway stars! They told stories with their friends, wolfed down fries and shakes, sang songs together, gave one another back rubs, and signed each other's special shirts. The adults sat, ate, and marveled at the kids' energy. Bud especially talked and talked about the whole thing; I wish I could remember everything he enthused about. (If I do, I'll insert it here.)
And then it ended much more suddenly than it all began. Three days, three performance, the end of the show and the weekend. But we all made a lifetime of great memories and, I think, awakened a little bit of the performing bug in each of them.
I'm glad they have one more year in elementary school so they can do it all again.
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