My Gorgeous And Talented Musicians

It’s so nice to have all three of my kiddos at the same school again. It is the first time since we have lived here in Alabama. When we got here, Patrick went to seventh grade – at the high school, while Shawn and Sam went to the elementary school. Then the next two years, Pat and Shawn were both at the high school while Sam was the only one at the elementary school. Now they are back together and they will be for three years. And they are all in band. Next year, Sam will be in the marching (advanced) band with her brothers. That will be totally and completely amazing. Except for all of the crying I know that I’ll be doing. And all of the laughing at me the kids will be doing for the aforementioned crying. Creeps. I can’t help it that I love them so much and that I’m so proud of them I can’t even physically stand it sometimes. They could have just been horrible, rotten kids – but, no! They had to go and be wonderful, smart, and amazing kids – so the way I see it – it’s all their fault! They can just mock themselves. So there!

Shawn, Sammie, Patrick

Some of that crying happened on Monday night. Not too much, by my normal crying standards. I was rather proud of me. Heh. The kids all had their Christmas band concert. First the seventh grade band – or as they prefer to be called, the intermediate band, played. They played five songs and they blew me away! These kids, for one reason after another, did not get the amount of instruction or practice time they really needed last year. So I have been worried about them. (Not Sammie as I cannot get that girl to stop practicing! She’s like the boys with reading! LOL!) However – they were really, really good. I was seriously so impressed. Though I am not trained musically, I have been listening to kids play for almost five years now and I think they did a stellar job. And the fact that last year was pretty much a wash for them just makes it all that much more impressive!

Shawn, Sammie, Mr. G, Patrick

Then the high school choir sang and they were really pretty good. Granted, I come from a big city high school with multiple award-winning choirs – like, there was an a capella choir and there were several other choirs, too. So it wasn’t just one choir, is what I’m trying to say. But, I really did think they sounded pretty nice. I thought that since it’s a small school and a very small choir it might not be that great – but, it was very nice. The only problem I had with it was that the piano and flute, though pretty, were too loud over the kids’ voices. If they could fix that, they’d be even better. There was one girl who had a solo and her voice was so awesome!!

Lisa, Patrick, Shawn, Mark and Sammie in front

Then we had the high school band, or the marching band, or advanced – or whatever they are called at that level. (Get it together, Mom, wouldja?!) They played three songs and as usual, they completely BLEW. ME. AWAY. Love them, I just love them. Each and every single one of those little monkeys. And their director, too – he is so amazing. He is so funny, because, he gets so grumpy and acts like he wants to squash the kids like grapes, but, you know – I mean, you KNOW – he really loves them. I have never, ever, ever once heard a kid complain about him. That’s all kids do is complain about teachers!!!! And I’ve not heard one sour word about our band director. Not one. Not ever. These kids just love him. And he has done such wonders with them. He is very strict and very hard on them and they really learn so much from him, it’s just wonderful. He has all these sayings that he uses on the kids – some might have pissed me off in the past – but, knowing him like I do, it just makes me laugh. Some of them are just keeping the kids straight – I mean, they’re all meant to do that, it’s just that some of them are things I wouldn’t have wanted to hear out of a teacher’s mouth a few years ago.

There was a funny incidence with one of his sayings at the concert. One of the kids in the advanced band showed up late – very late. Mr. G was on stage introducing the advanced band, about to start the first song, and in she comes. She climbs up on the stage – tries to squeak past him, knocking music off stands as she went. And he just turns back to audience with ‘this look’. We all laughed. Then he says, “Those of you who’ve been here for a while know one thing I always tell the kids – ‘If you’re on time…’” And then he paused and looked at the audience and all of us parents replied, “You’re late!” It was so darn funny! I know that poor girl had to be so embarassed, but, it was just too funny! My kids are constantly reminding me of that one (as I have a slight tendency to be late sometimes – like maybe, a lot *snicker*) – “Mom, you know what Mr. G says, ‘If you’re on time, you’re late!’ Now come on, we’ve got to go!”

What is this crap with the kids raising the parents, anyway?! LOL!!

Here’s Patrick and SantaMark. And Goofy Mom at the reception!

And here’s Mom and Sammie. And a cool perspective Sammie and Patrick.

P. S. I know the group shots are kind of hard to see – I’ll be uploading them all to Flickr and when I get them all up, I’ll leave a link to the set here. If I’m super industrious, I’ll link all the pics to their corresponding Flickr pics, but, I wouldn’t count on it. Heh.