Grace is in a singing group at school and I took some videos about a week ago, when they were performing at the elementary school. We were watching them together recently, and she said this was her favorite song:
She’s the one in the long red velvet dress.
(grace as a gypsy)
I’ve been blogging about Grace since she was 7, and now here she is at 14, a freshman in High School and member of drama. She is thriving in her new activities (she is also in writing club, and a singing group) and most evenings she does not get home from school until 6-6:30pm.
As far as Drama goes, a friend signed her up for it as a surprise, and Grace was scared. But once she got involved and started practicing, she fell in love. She memorized lines all summer long, and has been practicing with the cast since school started.
We were able to see both productions this weekend. Friday night was “Babes in Toyland” and Saturday night was “The Secret Garden.” They were performed dinner theatre style; the audience got to watch the play while being served dinner by students from other musical departments. We were so proud of all of them.
BABES IN TOYLAND
The tables were decorated with little cards that said, “Come live our fairy tale. Open your mind and see. You may never return again. Hold onto the dream. Come with us, fly away. Don’t look back, fly away. Once you grow up and say farewell to the dream.” So I was pretty much already crying before the play began.
We were served baked chicken, french fries, and corn on the cob. Rich and I took Jacob with us, who ate far more than anyone else at table (he had come from football practice). At one point, he accidently threw his plastic fork. I’ve come to realize that kids of all ages do strange things, you can’t trust any of them in public. LOL (Rich would say the same about their mother)…….
Back to Grace.
Grace had several small parts, and it was fun to see her in the costumes.
There was a stage on both ends of the cafeteria.
(grace in blue dress, school girl; fourth from the left in front row) This was during the song that goes “This is much too hard for me, I can’t do the sum.”
(Grace as a spider, on far left)
(Grace as an adorable, hard working Elf)
(I had to mend the skirt, she ripped out a good four inches on both seams, during rehearsal.)
(Grace as a serious soldier, second from left).
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THE SECRET GARDEN
Grace was cast as Mrs. Medlock, a very stern housekeeper, with lots of lines and singing, too!
Rich and I took Ethan with us, and Grace’s church Youth Group leaders came; Seth and Jessica, along with two youth group teen boys, Ethan and Jimmy. We had a nice table full of friends to enjoy her performance, but the sentimentality was a little much for the boys at times.
The place cards didn’t help them: “There’s a Secret Garden within each of us. Here is a key to help you unlock the beauty within you. Thank you for coming to the show. We hope you leave with love in your heart.” This came complete with a lovely ribbon strung with a tiny key to take home. I thought it was absolutely precious, but the teen boys? You can imagine the fun they had with them as we waited for the play to begin.
I was thankful to be seated next to Jess, imagine being at a table full of boys/men during The Secret Garden. LOL
Anyway, back to Grace. She was brilliant!
(Grace as Mrs. Medlock, the mean lady!)
(discussing spoiled little Mary Lennox with maid)
(grace, right, holding flowers)
We got to the school half an hour early and still ended up at a table in the very back, I was using my zoom lens to take pictures. Grace had many, many lines and a few solos, too, complete with choreography. She never mentioned to us how big her part was, and I was just so thrilled for her.
She wore a whistle, and used it, too. Made me want to get one for my refereeing motherly moments. 🙂
Taking her bow, alone.
last bows, with group
at our table, eating a cookie; happy, tired, and relieved!
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What a feeling, to see a production through to the end, and experience the pride and joy of a job well done.
She has some time off for a few weeks, and then, in December she will audition for a part in “Singing in the Rain.”
The morning of Grace’s 14th birthday dawned bright, cold, and clear.
I gave her a gift before school, and made her a breakfast of fried eggs and homemade toasted bread.
We took a few pictures; she’s 14 now.
I gave her this sweatshirt, because she is a big Sherlock Holmes fan.
Grace loves nail polish and keeps her nails painted prettily.
Grace and her best friend, Jenna.
Grace colored with the little ones the other day; and copied out these verses. (( love ))
Scissors and yarn make a good quiet activity for a four year old. This kept him busy for about 15 minutes yesterday morning. He cut little pieces and practiced tying knots.
After seeing the birthday girl, David, and Caleb, off to school, the preschoolers and I got ready to go to a brunch. The brunch was held at Sandi’s house for all the core leaders in Community Bible Study. We each took a dish to share. The decorated table held chicken salad, zucchini muffins, Greek yogurt with berry sauce, pumpkin mousse served with ginger cookies and graham crackers, banana bread with chocolate chips, pumpkin muffins, and a fresh baked quiche. With coffee and tea, it was a delightful meal. We sat in the living room, chatted about the crazy things our kids have done, (which would come back to haunt me) and shared easy recipes. Paula wrote all the recipes down, we have plans to make up our own cookbook of 2-5 ingredient recipes. Seth and Sarah were supplied with toys and they had a great time exploring a place we had never visited before. Seth had the best time with the automatic water and ice on the door of the fridge and he drank a LOT of water. I left with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step, after getting to know the ladies better and sharing a good time.
One mile down the road Seth was absolutely desperate for a bathroom. Thankfully we came across a McDonald’s and we ran in, the three of us together and holding hands; he made it!
Grace requested tacos for her birthday meal and I had to stop at Big Y. By this time Seth needed another bathroom break and I took him down by the deli department to use the restroom.
On the way home from the store, Seth began sneezing and sneezing. Next, his nose began to bleed. It bled all the way home and I asked him, “Did you put something up there, Seth?”
“Only paper.”
“WHEN?”
“A long time ago.”
(I found out later that “a long time ago” only meant “half an hour ago” but at the time I was thinking the worse; infection, mold, etc.)
(but I guess half an hour is a long time to have something up the nose)
I got home and spent some time with a flashlight, peering up my son’s tiny nostril. There was nothing I could do.
I had him lay down and called the pediatrician.
To make a long story short (and, I might add, I was exhausted at this point=headache) I was advised to just go to the ER (we live near a small, quiet hospital that doesn’t get much action). Caroline came over to help me with the other children. Seth and I left for the ER where he was put right into a room. The doctors were so nice to him but Seth hated the HurriCaine (the name!) numbing spray that they put up his nose and accidently sprayed in his eye and face. We had to hold him down (he didn’t scream at all, just wriggled) as the doctor “went retrieving”.
Eventually, out came: a deli ticket from the grocery store.
It was the doctor’s idea to take pictures. He even told me to get in the picture while Seth tried on the cool flashlight helmet. You see my strained smile. He gave me the deli ticket to put in my scrapbook. (HOW did he know?LOL) Seth was given an orange popsicle, and a dancing Snoopy. Really, he was treated so kindly that I’m afraid he will want to go back soon.
After that two hour adventure, I got home in time to start dinner, say goodbye to Caroline and then load the kids back up to go get Grace from school.
OH, I also dropped the jar of special cheesy taco sauce out the back of the vehicle. I get to clean up cheese glass today!
We came home and ate tacos and had an ice cream cake.
Everyone loves this girl! Happy Birthday, Grace.
Today is another bright day, and I’m drinking a lot of chamomile tea to soothe my nerves.
Good to be Home 