Fall concert

The kid's school has one music concert a year. It is in November (which is nice, they do some Christmas stuff too) and it is very well done. I have to say I really miss the band that they had at Heritage. It is really surprising to me that band is not offered here at a school that is bigger than Heritage. Alas, I don't really know if any of our kids would want to be in it anyway! It makes me a bit sad because I enjoyed playing the clarinet in band during high school a lot. Besides the exposure to music and the discipline of learning to play an instrument, there were lots of fun band trips, both marching band and concert band. Oh well, God clearly has other plans!

This is the entire grade school from preschool to 5th grade. Some of the middle schoolers also participate. They do have a praise band with guitars and drums that a few of the kids participate in and that looks like fun. The thing I will probably remember the most about this particular concert was the extreme difficulty in finding the children something to wear. We have gotten away from buying them lots of clothes lately, they simply don't need as many when they wear school uniforms. By the way, the public schools here have school uniforms for the grade schools too, so our kids don't find it too weird at all. They are all very similar, polos and khaki pants/shorts/skirts. ANYWAY, I spent several hours the night before the concert (Paul was out of town at a Dave Ramsey Financial Counseling training class for the week) digging through the kids clothes desperately searching for some dark pants and white shirts that still fit them. Shorts were not allowed, and it seemed every pair of pants I pulled out had shrunk several inches from the last time they were worn and fit perfectly fine. Shirt sleeves seemed to have had the same problem. It was extremely frustrating. THEN, they also had to have dark shoes. Riley the monster child has grown SO much that he is wearing a men's size 10 shoe (heaven help me, he's only in 4th grade!) and has no dress shoes that fit him, just sandals. Alayna, also sprouting, had no black shoes, just brown, but no brown skirt or pants, just black. Aaag, I had to dress her in a black skirt and brown shoes. At that point, I didn't even care. I kept saying to JoDee (who always stays with me when Paul leaves town), "These people at the school who make these dress code rules have no idea what they are doing to families!!" I vaguely remembered last year thinking to myself that I was going to keep an eye out for dark pants and white shirts that are stylish so my kids didn't look hodge podged again....so much for that idea...hodge podge it was! Thank God Gabriel wasn't involved in the show and actually went on a youth fall retreat for the weekend! I am pretty sure I would have pulled out my hair if I had to find him something to wear also. Whew, I apparently needed to get that off my chest!

This is Holden with some new friends. These twin boys are new to VCS this year, but Holden made friends with them quickly and wanted a picture with them. He was pretty fascinated with how alike they look (they are identical) and thought it was fun that he had a twin for a mom and twins for friends.

I forgot to dig out and charge the camcorder, so I filmed a few clips from the concert. Here is one of the Kindergarten/1st grade songs. Enjoy!

I have to admit that the concerts here are so different than at home. I remember being so moved by the singing at the concerts at Heritage in our home church's sanctuary. I think it was because it was smaller and my own kids were easy to see and each had a special part. Now, at such a big school, they just seem lost in the crowd, somehow less special. I was a bit emotional that night, nostalgic and also missing my husband probably played a part. I hate to admit how much we still miss Heritage and our time there, the families, and especially the teachers. Don't get me wrong, we are VERY happy at our new school, but I think there is a special place in our hearts for Heritage that can never be replaced!