Winter Concert

My kid is in the front row, sixth one from the left
Yesterday I attended the “winter concert” at my daughter’s school.  I wasn't sure why they didn't just call it a holiday concert, since there was a lot of Christmas-ing going on.  There wasn't even a token Hanukkah or Kwanzaa song this year.  This is only my second year having a child in school, but I learned last year that the seating at these concerts can be pretty cut-throat.  You've got grandmas saving three rows of chairs for people who may or may not show up. You've got dads knocking you over to get a photo of their kid. Anyway, I've learned to get their early.  There were two performances: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  I made plans to attend the a.m. show, with P attending the p.m. show (and taking the kid home from there).  I got there 1/2-hour early and still had to sit halfway back in the gymnasium. However, my kid is short and I knew she'd be in the front row (making it easier for me to spot her and vice versa).

The 4K kids went first.  Adorable, as expected.  Then it was time for the Kindergarten classes (two classes combined).  As predicted, my petite lass was in the front row.  I pulled out my camera and did some sort of awkward stand-crouch thing and snapped a photo. The kids sang a song about gingerbread men and another one called "Christmas Makes Me Sing."  For the record, she did not find it all amusing when her dad and I filled in alternate lyrics while she was practicing the song at home.  "Christmas makes me poop my pants" was particularly unappreciated.

After the songs were over, the Kindergarteners were unloaded from the risers and instructed to sit on the floor in front of the stage.  Then all of the subsequent classes performed.  A few parents left after their kid's class performed, but I felt like it was only fair to sit through the whole thing.  After all of the classes had finished, the entire student body embarked on a grand finale - a song about peace that I didn't recognize.  They couldn't fit all of the kids on stage, so some of the classes were led down the aisles.  This is how my little buttercup came to be situated right next to me. 

Now, when she was up on the stage, she looked perfect.  It was dress-up day in honor of the winter concert. She was wearing a black taffeta skirt (perfect for twirling), a red glittery sweater, and a shirt under that.  A velvet headband and black shoes (faux patent leather) rounded out the ensemble.  However, when she appeared by my side for the finale, she had morphed into a homeless street urchin. Sweater? Unbuttoned.  Shirt? Untucked. Skirt? Twisted at some odd angle and pushed down onto her hips.  The piece de resistance was her hair.  Apparently she had taken off the headband and attempted to put it back on, thereby creating some weird sort of hair tumor that now bulged off the side of her head.  Since she was so close to me, I quickly tried to re-assemble her.

Her teacher came over at about that time and informed me that A keeps bringing chapstick to school and attempting to share it with the other kids.  Mrs. L had to throw them away, which I understand completely. I guess it never occurred to me to tell my daughter: "If it goes in or on your mouth, don't share it."  I mean, there are so many things in life that you just know, that it's easy to forget that common sense does need a bit of time to develop.

Anyway, the concert was a hoot and I can hardly wait for the spring version. Onward and upward.

Comments

The Lovely One said…
Bug had two Christmas concerts this year (one for school and one for ballet), and my parents arrived a full hour early for both shows, just so they could make sure they got good seats. I know what you mean about those crazy grandparents!
December 17, 2010 at 10:13 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's been a minute, but let's talk about my b*o*o*b*s

Image
I'm in the sixth grade. I'm sitting on the floor at my friend Sharon's house. Rachel is there, too. My well-meaning friends turn to me and gently let me know that I "really don't need to bother wearing a bra." They aren't wrong. I'm wearing one, but the situation doesn't particularly warrant it.  Two years later, I found myself sporting a C cup. My mom, a talented seamstress, made me a dress at about that time. It was a slim-fitting column dress with a matching jacket, as I recall. The white fabric had large polka dots; we jokingly called it the Wonder Bread dress. My mom took my measurements. 36-24-36 At some point in history, those numbers were considered "perfect measurements" for a woman. This was 1984; I'd like to think the world as a whole is less concerned about such things these days. I'm confident my daughter has no earthly idea what her measurements are. She just knows she's cute.  Growing up with a fun array of medi...
Read more

On Being Patriotic

The list of adjectives I assign to myself is pretty long: clumsy, organized, competent, uptight, etc. One that might surprise you: patriotic. I fully understand what it means to be an American and am darned happy about living here. But, I have a beef (that part won't surprise you). I've grown tired of certain segments of the population thinking that they've cornered the market on patriotism or that they can dictate precisely how the rest of us express ourselves when it comes to our shared country and flag. Sometimes it seems like the Toby-Keith-boot-in-yer-ass brand of patriotism drowns out the rest of us. For the record, I don't believe that patriotism requires a love of NASCAR, a disdain for immigrants, a Republican voting record, or a preference for country music. Nor does it require adherence to a specific religion. I've seen Facebook posts from some of my friends and acquaintances that call for all of us to return to the "Christian principles on which ...
Read more

14 Weeks

Image
My baby is leaving me in 14 weeks.  She and I started touring colleges in May of 2022. When I applied to colleges back in 1988, I was an English major so there were no auditions. Colleges basically just said, "Sounds good. Come on in." I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college and as a whole, I don't think we understood the importance of campus visits and such. I ended up being fairly miserable that first year until I transferred to a school closer to home. For my daughter, I wanted to make sure she had an opportunity to see lots of college campuses so that she had the best shot at figuring out what she wants out of the college experience. I wanted her to look at elements like campus size and location, diversity, activities, distance from home, and distance from the nearest "big city" (since performers often head to larger cities with active theatre scenes after college).  Last summer, we began the daunting process known as "getting int...
Read more