Show Choir Videos...so I can always find them

Joel's video from the Grand Ole Opry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubAVHqkL2yE Anna's video from Cedar Rapids Kennedy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSyl3EGYi4M

Wordle understands me!

 

Especially at the beginning, I often used "audio" as my first guess on Wordle....somehow the NYT knew!!! (Plus as an audiologist I really like this!)

Meals for the Heartland

 The kids and I went (with our church's Youth Ministry) to help package "Taco-Mac" at Meals for the Heartland.  Ken, ever the Siemen's employee, indicated, "I bet we could help them automate that system."  I don't think that is the point!  (but maybe it is true)  This way all their packing is free and I am sure it wouldn't be if they had to have someone run fancy equipment!

Concert Choir....rounding out the concert extravaganza we have been living the last 10 days

 This was from Anna's Pop Concert.  Her concert choir has been a little challenged due to staffing issues.  (They hired someone only to find out in August that they were in a contract they couldn't get out of and during the school year, the second teacher was fired!!)  Anyway, this young director (Matthew's age I think) came in November and saved the day after finishing her degree in music education.  (Replacing 2 staff with the help of a long term sub.)  It was wonderful at the end of the concert they gave the director flowers and thanked her for everything she did

The school has since hired 2 new people for the fall (one has already started), so they are on the right track.  Unfortunately, Anna's year had much attrition, especially for the boys+show choir.  (The boys did their own songs, no photo!)  Show choir was especially awful for last years 8th graders due to Covid.  Their practices were shortened and cancelled and they never got to perform.  Luckily next years 9th grade class is HUGE and they seem to be holding onto most of the members. (hope hope, especially their 36+ show choir boys....show choir always needs boys!  Anna's class has less than 10 boys in 9th grade show choir, which stinks for the girls, who need boys to balance out their groups.)

Anna is in the top row, 2nd from the right!

Spring shows .... 4 of them

 Ken and I went to the first concert (which was the only one to include the 8th grade group) because Anna plays in the band for the 8th grade show choir.  She is the 2nd person on the left of the girl in blue.  The Remix girls had to wear their dresses, but Anna is in black, so she doesn't stand out as they normally wear black in the band!

We also went to the last concert:  Senior Show!  (So  good - because they show the senior's video from when they were in the 8th grade and then they sing their 8th grade ballad) (So bad because everyone is soppy sentimental going on and on and on and on thanking the directors and helpers and being all sad because show choir is over.  This is when my family decided that I am not as sentimental as I sometimes might appear.  I am very sentimental for things related to my family, just not this kind of thing.  Plus save your tears drama queens and kings!)

I was able to finally get better pictures of Joel's show because they used more lights than they did at dress rehearsal, when I initially tried to get photos.

This one cracks me up because everyone is so happy at the end....they saved their town.... except the one girl down front who looks like she lost her dog.  (and this was day one of spring show and Joel's group still has Nationals in 2 weeks....things aren't even over for this group!)

Here is the group singing their 8th grade ballad.  Joel is in the way back, middle.

Whew....long season that started in early August!  

The week of all the concerts: part one!

Anna's flute group performed before the High School band concert.  (mostly because one student's mother accidently went the wrong room at Perry Band Olympics and Mrs. Hook wanted to comfort the flutist by making this special time for her mother to hear the group.)  A couple of the "real high school" ensembles performed on stage during the concert.  (I say "real" because Anna is still at Northview where 8th and 9th graders learn.)

My camera skills were sub-par at the concert.  Anna is the faceless flute circled in yellow below (I added since you couldn't know it was her otherwise!)

Obviously this one won't make the album!  The concert was really fantastic though.  We got to hear all of the bands.  There are some amazing musicians!

 

The redoing of the senior boards

 Joel is having a group party with 2 friends for graduation.  So in many ways I am at the mercy of the "group".  But this isn't about me, so it is fine.  It was decided that each boy should have 2 poster boards with photos.  (of of his friend's moms wanted MANY boards (and a video) and one mom wanted one board (and no video)...so 2 boards was their compromise...they will have to duke it out about the video...I don't care!!!)

Of course I had an Eagle Scout board, Cross Country board and Show Choir board.   So apart they came and here is the first of the 2 party boards (minus one "Spring Show" photo).  It wasn't too hard because I swished the show choir board pictures onto one section, removed about 2/3 of the cross country pictures and added baseball, soccer and basketball.  Scout pictures will go on the other board that has family, friends and church activities.  Its completion had to be paused as I need to print a handful of pictures and we are dog sitting this weekend.  (the board was on the floor this week as I worked on it)  It won't be too hard to finish.

Eventually it will have to be dismantled and the photos placed in his album...I haven't dismantled Carolyn's boards yet, so it may be awhile.