Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Something Fun

With no school Monday Scott and I decided to do something fun with the girls.

We have been so serious lately.

Well, maybe not lately.  Maybe always.

As educators we take school very, very seriously.

And viola seriously.

And our faith life seriously.

And lately we've had a few house disasters:  our basement/lovely playroom flooded and was gutted because the hot water heater exploded.

So the hot water heater got replaced and we all had to take showers at the tennis club one night.

New carpet has been ordered for the basement but we'll have to wait 2 weeks.  Meanwhile everything is piled high down there and I can't find anything.

Our AC broke and we had to replace that.  It was a big big job with holes cut in ceilings and lots of workers in our house for 3 whole days mucking everything up.  (but now our AC is up and running again)

We threw a big birthday party for Abigail's friends and our family.

So lots of serious decisions and serious life around here lately.

When Scott said yesterday, lets go kayaking I said, let's go!!!

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Anna soaked me every time she paddled.

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Abigail was beaming the entire time!

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And so was her daddy.

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Such a pretty little Connecticut town.

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We saw lots of mamas and babies.

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and decided we need to have more family fun more often!

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Monday, May 28, 2018

Magnificent

Magnificent

There are no words adequate to describe the feelings that swelled up in my heart last night. (written last Friday) It was the most wonderful, magnificent evening.  There are no words but I will sure try.  Because I don't want to forget how I felt last night.  Not ever.  And I know that although with each passing year my memory of it will continue to stay sweet, it will fade, just some.  The feelings will fill with new ones; new memories to try to hold on to.  But this on, I want to have it forever.  So I will try. 

Last night I sat at the Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut.  Our Superintendent of Schools spoke brilliantly of how when he has to speak about the budget some people say that "kids don't need this or that" , and that "we should get back to the basics of education".

Our powerful Superintendent said no.  The children of our town need special.  That we should demand special.  That "sitting here in such a magnificent theater in our capital city is not the basics.  It is beyond special."  The mural painted on the ceiling we were under is the largest mural in the United States.  That is special.  He went on to name all of the world famous people that have performed right there on that stage.  All I heard was Judy Garland.  On and one he listed, and then he said, "and now your child".  Goosebumps.

Our town values arts and are known nationally for music education.  It felt very special to hear those words.  Magnificent really.  Because I know that children who have more than "basics" in education can see themselves as more.  They rise to more.  They meet more.  Not just in music of course but in all academic areas.  And in life.

Oh it was a powerful start to a magnificent evening.

I want to remember how they honored a retire High School choral teacher and how out of hundreds of children they choose my Abigail to present flowers to her.  I almost missed it but someone turned around and said, "that's Abigail presenting the flowers!"  Such a sweet, sweet moment.

And then the orchestra, the magnificent orchestra played.  They represent the best of the 11 elementary schools in our town.  They auditioned and rehearsed weekly since January.  They were magnificent.  The sound filled the enormous famous theater.  And I couldn't believe that my little daughter was up there.  Magnificent.

I want to remember forever how an orchestra made up of fifth graders played "Sleeping Beauty Waltz" as if they were the Phil Harmonic Orchestra.  Magnificent.

And then the choir and then the band.  Each amazing.  And magnificent.

The finale was all of the children: choir, orchestra and band performing The Star Spangled Banner.  Beyond magnificent.

My face hurt from smiling so much that night.

I'm so grateful for this blank page that holds my thoughts and my photos so I can try to remember forever what magnificent felt like and sound like.

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We got there early, really early so I could take photos before the doors opened.

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Her features, still looking so little to me here.

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Moments before she entered the stage door.

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I have a photo of Anna about to walk in this very door four years ago.

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A middle school in town performed in the Bushnell lobby.  They were wonderful.

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Thrilling

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Scott was able to take a bunch of photos of her from where he was sitting.  This was the finale.

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And somehow she saw Anna and her face lit up!

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Her Grandmas came (and the lighting was horrible)

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And her grandpa was there too!

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And then the most wonder thing happened. I was walking on cloud nine going to school the next day; still so lit up about the evening (although not enough sleep) and this happened:

A fifth grade teacher (in my school that doesn't know Abigail) said, "I saw your daughter last night. When she played she looked like an angel. I sat right in front of her.

And another teacher and another and another from my school was there with (somehow) amazing seats right in front of Abigail. They all saw her play the entire evening. And even though I brought my fancy camera with special lenses, the phone pictures they took are my favorite. Because they are of a magnificent little girl.

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Thank you for letting go on and on telling this story. One I didn't want to end. And one I known I never want to forget!


Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Tomorrow is a VERY special evening

Tomorrow I get to be this mama again.

It's Abigail's turn.

She's worked hard since her audition in December. (Well actually she's worked hard since she was 5)

Remember this post back here?  Well it all comes down to tomorrow night.

But this is HER night and we are so very excited for our baby girl.

Last Friday I took a personal day off and spent the day with Abigail since it was her birthday and her Inter Elementary Tour Day.  {After all of those months of rehearsing they travel to 4 out of the 11 elementary schools in our town to play their pieces.  It's sort of like one day long dress rehearsal for the Bushnell that will happen tomorrow night.

We started our day together with french toast.

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And this is exactly how my girl at just woke up and just turned 11 looks like.

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Here we are at the first school for the tour day.

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After their second school I met all of the kids at a park so that I could bring her an ice-cream (allergy safe) treat since all of the other kids were getting ice cream.

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They all had a picnic.

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At a beautiful park.

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I loved being with my girl on this special day and on her birthday. What a gift!

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Scott met us at the last school on the tour and we took our girl home together. Such a special, special day.


So tomorrow I'm going to race outta my classroom home to curl hair and put on my pearls and heals.  It's one big fancy night!