GATE Musical

Thursday was the big day we've all been waiting for: the Thirteen Colonies musical, performed by Cora and a few dozen other high-achieving fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. 

The students have been rehearsing for GATE Musical for months, with weekly practices, and then near-daily rehearsals during the lunch break. 

Cora has been a walking GATE Musical advertisement for weeks, singing and dancing around the house. She absolutely soaked in the experience, and was thrilled to have a role as an announcer and dancer in one song. 

She was so enthusiastic, she was chosen to be the universal understudy early on, meaning if an actor was missing during a rehearsal, she might step in. That meant she practiced every day, and every dance. 

Last week, she learned that the boy playing James Madison would be absent on performance day, so she took over that role and an additional dance. You'd have thought she'd won the lottery, she was so excited.

That is why she is dressed like a boy, in her friend's white dress shirt, and why she was especially happy to cut her hair short again.

The students performed twice during the school day, once for the lower grades and again for the upper graders.

Then, we headed back to school after dinner, for the performance for the families.

It looks like they all had fun as they waited in class for their big moment. (Thanks to my friend Cathy for about half of these photos.)

The show opened with Cooper, Cora, Sophia, Ellie and Violet taking turns announcing what the show was about - the beginning of the United States of America. They also explained that it was to be done in the style of readers' theater, with the main actors using scripts on stage.

Then, through humor, song and dance, we learned about America's start, from the early explorers, through the Revolutionary War, to the establishment of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Here, Cora is dancing in the song Name That Colony.

Later, Cora performed as James Madison, and delivered a couple of lines about the Bill of Rights. She was clear, loud, and spoke with a smile.

Actually, throughout the musical, I could always pick out Cora's singing voice, and she was always smiling. (Except when she noticed a small child being distracting in the front row. But never mind that.)

Perhaps the acting bug that's laid dormant since her star turn as Dorothy in Wizard of Oz has been reawakened.

Time will tell.





After the show was over, the kids celebrated, posed for photos and helped clean up. We got a few props to take home as keepsakes.

Here's Cora and her buddy Cooper...

... and here she is with her brilliant teacher, Mrs. Shafarman, who directed the show. We all enjoyed the musical so much - it was funny, and all the actors performed well.

Here's Cora, Gianna and Violet, borrowing an Iroquois vest.

I'm sure it brought back many memories for my parents of all the years of watching Melanie in her countless shows.

Afterwards, we went to Baskin Robbins with the rest of the cast for an ice cream and a run-around in the amphitheater. Somehow, we didn't get a photo of Cora and Emily at school, but we rectified that problem. 

Emily is in 6th grade and leaving Meadows in a few weeks; I'm so glad they were able to perform together this one year - Emily had a starring role as Martha Washington. They won't be at the same school again until they're both at Hart High! That's hard to think about... 

Congratulations, Cora, on a job well done. We're so proud of your hard work! We look forward to more musicals in your future.

Soccer's End

Cora has played in her last Pink Dragons AYSO game of the spring. Stace gave a good pep talk before the first of two games on the final Saturday of the season, and the girls went off and won well.

The Dragons then played a "VIP" team, whose players all had special needs of some kind. It was a sweet way to end the season.

Cora played in goal every game, and also spent time in midfield.

We had the team party at Toppers on Monday night. Here's Cora, getting a medal from Coach Larry.

It was a great season. The girls won all their games but two; they tied one, and lost one, when they were short three players.

Mother's Day

I woke up on Mother's Day Sunday early, but lounged in bed so that Violet could bring me coffee and Cora could make me breakfast.

Cora, as I've reported here in the past, has become quite the cook. Crepes are her particular specialty, with a homemade banana sauce. This version came topped with homegrown (hyper-locally sourced) organic strawberries. Definitely a $10 breakfast out in the real world.

After breakfast, the girls got started fixing up our trampoline. The old base ripped months ago, and we've finally purchased a replacement, along with a new net for the sides.

Then, it was time for cards and gifts.

Awwwww!

(That was as close as Cora got to kissing me on the cheek. We were lucky she cooperated that much. Physical affection is decidedly not her love language.)

(*But she makes a mean breakfast!)

After we Skyped with Nan and Pop to wish Nan a happy birthday, I got ready to join friends and my parents on a day trip to the wineries up north.

The friends we were meeting up with all had their whole family with them, but I knew a long car ride wouldn't do Cora any good. Thankfully, Stace and the family were good with me heading off with my own mom - after all, it's her Mother's Day, too.

It was lovely hanging out with my mom, Audra, Sara and Lynnette in gorgeous Los Olivos. Audra and Luis are members at this particular tasting room - Zinke - so we all got a free tasting flight!

We then went with Sara and Tony to one more place, before heading off to have dinner together. It was a beautiful day - I cherish their friendship!

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for spending the day with me, and special thanks to Dad for driving all the way there and back.

Thanks also to Stace and the girls for being good with me taking off for the fun - I was very amused to read Violet's take on our weekend in her class.

Saturday Fun

On Saturday, we celebrated Liana's 7th birthday with lots of friends at Colleen and Rigo's home. Colleen planned fun crafts for the kids to do, including a peanut-butter-birdseed-pinecone birdfeeder.

 

Look who crashed the party! Sara and Tony made a quick weekend trip out for Mother's Day, and got into SClarita in time for the fun. It was great to all be together again.

Look, high up in the tree! Super Cora used her squirrel-like climbing power to scale the branches.

We then went over to Stone Fire, where Sara and Tony had arranged to meet up with friends. Alli and Delilah were having fun braiding hair, which Violet was clearly not enjoying.

We were the lucky family to take Alli home with us for a sleepover. Violet and Alli have so much fun together!

Though they claimed they'd stay up all night long, they were both asleep around 10.

Tony picked up Alli early Sunday, as they were on their way to the Santa Barbara wineries for Mother's Day.

A Full Friday - Muffins and Bingo

On Friday, I had my final, FINAL Muffins with Mom experience, as Violet participated in her bonus-year Mother's Day event as a first-grader.

The firsties watched as the kinders performed the traditional (adorable) Mother's Day songs. I was sure I wouldn't cry this time, since I used up all my tears last year when I thought it was my last Muffins with Mom.

Then, the firsties took the stage and read a beautiful poem in unison - almost; Violet was a half-beat ahead of everyone else.

And they then read out why they love their mamas - "You're a fantastic mother," Violet told me.

I nearly kept those tears in check!

Violet had all her classmates, and even our cats, sign her special card for me. And I received coupons good for breakfast in bed, "24 hours of pace," and a free lunch.

Yes, please, to all three!

Later that day, my friends and I put on the Bingo Night we've been organizing for the past few months. We set up the room after the noon dismissal, and then Cora and Violet went to Sophia's house for a party/playdate.

We returned in the evening to finish setting up, and by 6 p.m., we were off and running. We served an Italian meal to a near-capacity crowd of more than 140 students and families.

The bingo went well, we gave away a lot of prizes, and we raised a good amount of money for the school. All in all, it was a rousing success.

Here's (most of) the team - our Bingo caller, Jeremy; Maria, me, Jen, Rachael and Cathy. The friends next to me were amazing, and though I was nervous about chairing an event for the first time, they all helped it come together.

Week in Review

Cora had her final violin/orchestra class of the school year Tuesday, and she earned her medal for learning all the songs required for a beginning violinist.

She was thrilled.

And she is now thrilled to pack away that violin forever, except for the end-of-year school concerts.

It's OK, Cora. You are good at so many things. You don't have to do it all.

Later on Tuesday, we helped pack lunches for the homeless and took them to the shelter, where we met up with Mom2Mom friends to serve dinner.
Lucas and Cora filled the bags with chips and oranges, while Violet and Liana were busy making sandwiches.

On Wednesday, we went to the closing ceremony for Pioneer Clubs. I probably say this annually, but I still can't believe how fast each year goes by. Violet had a fabulous class and teacher - we love you, Shannon!

And, Cora is now finished as a Pathfinder, and will move on to the Trailblazers 5th and 6th grade group. Those are the BIG kids. I don't even know how this happened. She was two when she started as a Skipper!

Sara, Tony and the girls finished up their exciting weeks with Flat Violet, and sent her back to Mrs. Hawthorne's class.

Sara, a former teacher, is amazing, and Flat Violet had the best vacation ever. She sent a whole package of photos and keepsakes, and a long letter detailing the fun of a Diamondbacks game, Sedona and the state capitol.

I was lucky enough to be helping in class when Mrs. Hawthorne opened up the package.

On Thursday, I took my girls and Sophia to a special event at the library, where an artist was guiding the children in drawing characters from Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Violet had a blast; she loves drawing, especially with guidance. She'll look up youtube videos on drawing and comes out with some amazing creations.

Metamorphosis

Watching the milkweed we planted last year host monarch caterpillars has been a joy for us this spring, and a firsthand nature lesson.

I saw an adult monarch fluttering around a few weeks ago, and later saw the eggs she had laid on the undersides of the leaves. We watched the tiny caterpillars get bigger, and Violet brought a few inside to continue growing.

The last week, we could hardly keep them content, as they munched through leaf after milkweed leaf.

The one on the right is bent into a "J," soon to become a beautiful green chrysalis.

After school and work the next day, Stace, Violet and I watched it shake and shimmy its way into a chrysalis. It was entirely fascinating.

The chrysalis changed over the ensuing days, adding a bright gold strand about one-third of the way down, and gold dots on the lower two-thirds. It was hard to photograph through the netting of the butterfly habitat, but my dad did a pretty good job here.

 On Violet's birthday, we noticed the chrysalises had turned very dark. The shell of the chrysalis was now clear, and the darkness of the butterfly's wings was in view.

I wish I'd taken a photo, but it was a busy birthday morning (and I didn't know what a tight time schedule I was on!). When I returned home from the school run and PTSA meeting, two new butterflies greeted me!

What a treat for Violet!

Following advice online, we fed them juicy watermelon and mango.

 We kept our winged friends a few days, and then prepared to release them. We hand-fed them watermelon - they each climbed onto a piece, and used its straw-like proboscis to suck up the sweet juice.

 What a miracle!

Watching them flutter away was beautiful.

We're now watching the plants, eager for more caterpillars to start the cycle again.