Woohoo! All three of my kiddos are now in the high school marching band! Together! How freaking cool is that? See, people think we’re crazy to have had our kids so close together, but, seriously! How neat is it that they all get to march together – for two years! I just love that!

And last Friday was our first official football game and the first time that Sammie marched on the field with the band. If I tell you that I didn’t dissolve into a MESS of tears and sobs in the bathroom – would you believe me?

Seriously – these kids are just amazing! I guess I never really thought about the level of difficulty of marching in a band. I’m so amazed and impressed – by all of them. It’s funny, you see them when they’re not marching – and they’re just goofy, silly, run-around, regular kids. But then you hear the director or the drum majors say ‘the thing’* and they all STOP! what they’re doing and holler “BLUE!” and stand at attention – and then it’s game time! And it’s ON! All business – it really just blows me away!

So the other night was our very first game and we’re not exactly totally ready yet. And even if we were ready, for the first few games, our director always has the band in their shorts and t-shirts because of the heat. But they didn’t get to do all of their songs yet. They’re almost there with them, but, not quite yet.

And a big, major prop was missing – the pirate ship! My husband, Mark – builder extraordinaire – built a pirate ship for them that is so amazingly cool! I can’t wait to see them incorporate it into the show! It has a ramp off of one side of it and at different times during the show, kids will stand on top of it and on the ramp. It’s gonna be so awesome. I think all it is lacking is the sail and the pirate flag – and those should be ready soon.

So now that I’ve blabbed and blabbed, would you like to see the image that sent me to the little girls’ room crying? I suppose I should let you in on that! Just follow me over here….

On the night of the first game, the director always has the band stop in the middle of the track right in front of the bleachers and play a tune or two. I’ve always gotten a pic of the kids at this ‘first night moment’ – it’s a great chance to get them while they’re sort of ‘in formation’ and actually playing, since it’s hard for me to get good individual shots while they’re on the field. Here is Sammie’s ‘first game’ pic:

My Sammie in the marching band!!!

Click to biggify!
I had to carefully circle Sammie so I didn’t draw on the other kids’ faces! I just love our band!!

And here is the image that really, really, really got me going – in the sobs department! Look:

All my monsters in the marching band!

Shawn – Sammie – Patrick
Click to biggify!

The only video that I got that night is most of (I think most of…) the first song, and then the camera said we were out of room and shut down on me. That’s okay, though, because – video will be more fun later when they’re all in costume (which they’re totally mad about, by the way! I’ll have to blog about that, too…) and the pirate ship is there. For now, here is what you get – a little taste:

Next time maybe one you sweet bloggy readers can meet me in the bathroom for a nice shoulder on which to cry…..

*I have no idea what ‘the thing’ is that they say – I just know the kids respond with “BLUE!” and they’re at attention like soldiers!