He's not laughing now. The Polar Express is running straight ahead to the North Pole. No one gets off and no one gets on and you sure don't want to be the one to pull the emergency break with a trip to the Mall of America between now and Christmas. If I need anything I might as well walk from here, rather than try to find a parking spot.
Last night was the Deerwood fifth grade band concert. We shimmed it in between gymnastics, teaching and bedtime. I forgot about dinner. Mary ate a sandwich during the concert. It was very good--the concert that is. Susan Smith is the director and she pulls that miracle of starting all these kids on different instruments and forming an ensemble ready for a concert in three months. And she was smiling the whole time--the biggest miracle. One of my favorite moments was when she addressed the parents something like this: in two months you will be registering your kids for middle school. You will call me to see if they are good enough for middle school band: they are good enough. They are all good enough.
Thanks, Susan, for not setting limitations, even on the squeaky clarinets. We can't decide about our musical future based on a few months' study of an instrument. Especially in fifth grade. I was a french horn major at a prestigious music school and I didn't even start playing until 7th grade.
Another favorite moment was when Ellie's hair went flying up every time she played the crash cymbals.
Bravo kids!
After we got home and I got the kids to bed, the tears came. Those pre-holiday how the heck am I gonna get it all done tears. Called my mom and she cried too. When you start crying about one thing, sometimes you end up crying about everything. We'll miss my Dad and my Grandma this year. A table that was set for ten not too long ago will be set for five this year. My sister and her husband are going to Texas for Christmas. Paul has family there. This will be the first Christmas of my life that my sister Susan will not be there. Ba hum bug.
As usual, a good night's sleep cures almost all panic. Tomorrow is the Christmas recital here and I am pretty much ready except the food, programs, and cleaning the house. (See, I am in better humor today)
I am still sad about Susan, and I am still sad that on Sunday, I will not be able to see everything the kids are doing. Mary has a gymnastics event that I really want to see, and Calvin is playing his first handbell performance before the pageant. The pageant. . . is the straw that broke the camels back this year. Calvin is excited to be Herod. Dan and Sara C. are doing an awesome job directing it, but I should have known better. I can't be in two places at once and I volunteered to help cue the kids' narrations. So I will stay as late as possible at the gym and rush to the church in time to help, but I'll miss the handbells.
This morning on the way to school Mary asked when we were going to have a normal weekend, just us home to play. Even when you are going to the North Pole sometimes the train ride is too long. Hang in there Mary they are serving hot chocolate soon. Enjoy the ride.
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