'50's Day

 Normally, it would scare me to have three 5th grade boys in my kitchen scratching their armpits to music, but these macho men were practicing for their '50's Day lip synch.  Last year, Ari and her musical friends had several rehearsals/meetings/prop-making sessions leading up to '50's Day.

This year, 18 hours before the event, Freestone sauntered into my room and said, "Spencer, Caleb and I should practice for our lip synch."  Um, YES, you should!  I called the other parents and arranged for the boys to get together after Freestone's scouts and Caleb's piano recital, and before Spencer's date with his dad.  I love how Freestone's blase attitude just seems to work out for him.  The other boys showed up with a mom in tow, who whipped them into line, teaching them choreography and making them practice it over and over.  Meanwhile, I kept disappearing to run kid places and blow my nose.  (Worst cold ever!)  I am so grateful to that mom for invading our kitchen and directing those boys.  Without her, they'd still be playing with a slinky on the stairs, because that was the extent of their vision.

 Meanwhile, Golda and Alyssa were practicing with Jennifer in the basement for solo and ensemble, Ari was practicing cello in her room and Ruby was teaching a guitar lesson in her studio.  Scott, who is also sick, was lying on his bed texting me, "Why?  Why?  Why?!"  I think it was mostly the monkey song that was making him lose his will to live.  Aside from that, when I was younger and dreamed of having kids, this picture right here ^^ is what that dream looked like.  Kids in ballet clothes playing instruments.

 I also pictured holiday projects, and my batch of kids hasn't disappointed on that front, even if their mom has.  Sometimes I'm the mom who does the Cellophane Bag of Haughtiness, that home made Valentine treat that says, "I'm the best mom ever!"  Then other times, I do the Store-Bought Card of Shame, the treat-less, dollar store box of Sponge Bob cards that don't rip properly on the dotted lines.  This year, the kids all placed their orders.  Freestone wanted Kisses, Ari wanted Dum Dum suckers and Xanthe ended up with the only cards left at the store, some cartoon character that I've never heard of.  Lalaloopy?  She was thrilled, and I even bought taffy to go in them.

 Tziporah was a great "helper."

 When I imagined having kids, I also pictured events taking place in the cafeteria at Morgan Elementary, because that was my frame of reference.  And what do you know, here we are living right around the corner from my alma mater.  Freestone got up at 3:00 in the morning to get ready for '50's Day.  When he figured out that it wouldn't take him that long to get ready, he went back to bed.  He was still up early, having his hair styled by Ari and getting into his carefully chosen outfit.  I am getting very spoiled as a mom, the older the kids get.  Ari had this whle thing under control.  I made one swipe with the brush across Freestone's forehead and Ari said, outraged, "Mo-om!"  I said, "I just wanted to feel like I was helping!"  Tee hee.  She allowed me one more brush swipe, but then she fixed it before flitting off to get Tziporah dressed and make the lunches.  I am so lucky!

 Finally, the big day!

 Getting the music cued up.

 And HERE is a video of the big performance.  For some reason, only on Freestone's routine, the music was quiet and the babies were super loud!  Oh well.

 This is Laura, the mom who made it all happen.  Thank you!  All of us moms and dads are so lucky to be in the thick of all this fun stuff, whether it's exactly how we pictured it or not.  When I try to think back to what my vision was, I am pretty sure I didn't imagine everything quite so chaotic.  I didn't dream of Ruby having to walk home from seminary so that I could see the lip synch, or Coco watching the babies (Babies?  Still?!) or getting texts from Golda during the show begging me to check her out so she didn't have to sit through a seminary lesson on chastity on Valentine's Day.  When I think back on this phase of life, I will see all the chaos, all the intensity, and I will remember that I loved it, because I do.  How I do!