With a Bang

So I actually went out to my office last week to find something sewing related and came across this empty diary book.  Leon had wanted a journal, so I gave it to him.   APPARENTLY it wasn't the kind he'd asked me for and had a melt down..  His dad talked to him about being grateful and he later came into my room where I was sewing and showed me what he'd written in it so far.

I luv you.

I luv your food.

I luv the boox.

I luv the resturons that u take me to.

I leuv estre with you.

I luv crismis with you.

I luv the toys that you get me.

I luv woching Benji with you.

I luv goin to the library.

I luv go to the pork.

You are forgiven!

And that last word is "park" not "pork".

On Friday night, Meri and Briar came over for a fitting for Briar.  I made notes of the changes I needed to make and then we played Catan for a while.  He's starting to warm up to us.

On Saturday, Robb and I were going to drive separate cars, but the mini-van wouldn't start.  

Mental note to NOT leave the adapter plugged in...

We put the 4 baskets of sodden clothes in it anyway (our dryer is still on the fritz until the parts come) and headed off to Meri's solo/ensemble competition about 40 minutes away.  

Isn't the valley pretty? There is a ski place at the bottom where they manufacture their own snow when there isn't enough normally.  What silly people...  I want spring!!!

Meri had left already before 6 that day so we met up to catch her solo performance around 9ish.  We watched the group just before her and when she started singing, her voice was so much stronger and much more on tune than they were.  She blew me away.  If you're on FB, Robb posted the video there.  Let me know  if you want to hear it and I'll download it and send you a Youtube link.

After her song, Robb headed home to take the sodden clothes to the laundromat, leaving me at this strange high school for the entire day.  Luckily I had brought my laptop and was able to complete the photo slideshow that we'll have running at Meri's graduation party.  

Meri and I got a LOT of visiting in and we planned out even more of her grad party.  I asked to borrow mannequins from my sewing friends online and got 7 or so promised to loan us.  We're planning on displaying her high school costumes and prom dresses.  That LONG wrap around porch will be good for SOMETHING!  It'll be a walk down memory lane... 

Guess I should clean it...

We even went through all my label addresses and cleaned it up just for her party.  So it looks like maybe less than 100 paper invites will be sent, but on FB, Meri  created an "event" for the party and she invited over 300 and I invited over 100.  So far we have almost 70 going to come.  

Yay!  It'll be fun.  AND the busiest 2 months and 2 hours of my year.

Meri accidentally dropped her sweatshirt between the bleachers in the gym and the wall.  Too far down to get it and no way to get behind to grab it... So she asked a friend if she could borrow something from his trombone case to get it out.  She worked on fishing it out and suddenly looked up with horror on her face.  She'd dropped the trombone stick!

So she lay on her side reaching and reaching, FINALLY getting her hands on the stick and then fished the sweatshirt out from that angle.  Her friend still does not know what had transpired.  

And probably never will.

Meri did a duet with "formerly known as Gaston".  Meri's friend has renewed my faith in Gaston's humanity.  They didn't sing a SONG from Beauty and the Beast, but another song.  SO nice!

Then later, Chamber Choir 

and Chamber Women.  

I did record them.  Hopefully I can put them on Youtube later today.

Robb got back around this time, JUST missing Meri and Grant's duet.

Then at the end of the day, Meri's Octet sang.  It was weird to see all the kids staring at Meri throughout the entire song.  I mentioned that to Meri and she told me that she was the leader.

That makes sense...

Robb waited by the exit for Meri and I to get our things and check for the final scores.  He overheard a choir director from another school talking with the parents of his students.  

The parent was saying, "I thought our school was doing fantastic, but then along came effing XXXXX school!..." 

Meri attends effing XXXXX school!

LOL!

Needless to say, Meri's school cleaned up on the highest scores in most of the centers.

What a fantastic way to end your high school careers!

They got this.