David in his tux for his first band concert of his high school career. We did a great job finding his tux – it was on clearance for $130 when it was originally $600. He got the tux, a sport coat, tux shoes and alterations (for life) for just under $300. He had his tux shirt, bow tie and cummerbund from when he conducted the middle school choir last year. I have to say, he looks quite handsome!
The entire Chaparral High School Band.
I can’t do a whole post about the Pine Lane Intermediate School Men’s Choir and not do a posting about the Band and Choir that David participates in. David is an 8th grader at Sierra Middle School.
David plays the Tenor Saxophone in the Band and also in the Jazz Band. Jazz Band meets once a week after school and Band is a class that meets daily and the kids get a grade.
During December, every year, the Sierra Middle School Band gives a concert. It is my understanding, from Mr. Reinschmidt, the Music Director, this is a complicated endeavor. It is complicated because the students don’t get to rehearse together. Band is taught during several class periods every day, as there are too many students to teach at once. The only time they really get to play together is during performances. (more…)
I know. I said that I would keep blogging and I haven’t. And I know that it is bad when my mother’s friend asks her if I am still posting (thanks Heidi for reading!). Yes, I planned on continuing my blog – and I promise, I will. Here are a few “excuses” that I have for not writing! (more…)
David plays the tenor saxophone and is in the Middle School Concert Band and the Jazz Band. Michael has just started playing the flute. I’m not certain that he is going to continue, but currently he is in band. A couple of times each year, the high school invites the middle school and elementary school band members to band events at the High School. These events usually include the high school kids performing and then spending time working with the younger kids. At the end of September, they had Marching Band Day and Marching Band Night. (more…)
It is a very busy week for me. Michael has started band which meets on Monday and every other Thursday after school. He also has choir before school on Tuesday. Soccer practice is Friday after school with games on Saturday. Today, I have to go to court because of, well . . .I’m not in trouble, but I was a victim of false imprisonment (it sounds much worse than it really was) and I need to be there to see what happens with the case. I don’t want to write about it until after the whole thing is said and done. Wednesday I have a job interview in Denver with a Children’s Home for abused and neglected kids. Thursday is a doctor’s appointment and Friday I have carpool in the am and pm. I’m tired just writing about it!
Yesterday as I was picking up Michael from band, I got a text from David saying that the saxophone he is borrowing from school won’t work. David plays the tenor sax and was told by the bus driver that he couldn’t bring it on the bus. Now he brought it on the bus every Friday afternoon and every Monday morning last year. I called transportation and David can bring his sax on the bus, but in the meantime, the band director offered to allow David to borrow a tenor sax to keep at home for the entire year. Since the bus driver told him he couldn’t bring it on the bus, David doesn’t want to deal with it, even though I made sure it was alright.
Anyway, I told David I would drive him to school on Tuesday so that he didn’t have to deal with the sax and the bus. I said I would drive him, even though he needed to be there at 7 am and Michael and I would need to leave at 7:30 am for choir (and the schools are across the street from each other – so it means driving back and forth). But, I couldn’t pick him up.
That is when it happened! My generally sweet, thoughtful, kind boy MORPHED! He got an attitude. He rolled his eyes. His tone was disrespectful and he told me there was NO WAY he was bringing his sax on the bus. At this point, we were headed out the front door. I was walking in front of him and I turned around and looked him in the eye. Gosh, I knew he had grown and that he was taller than me, but looking him in the eye?!? And I told him that I didn’t like his attitude and that he was acting like a TEENAGER. He told me he was a teenager. What?!? I guess that since he turns 13 on Monday, he is right. He is a teenager.
I don’t know when it happened. I don’t know how it happened. But it has, and I’m sure that I don’t like it. David has (almost!) officially entered his teen years. Teenagers are scary – especially when they morph from being sweet, normal kids.
And by the way, I agreed to pick him up from school on Wednesday. So he doesn’t have to ride the bus. The transformation following that was miraculous – he became my David again.
landamongthestars 