Crazy weekend in April

I think I say this a lot lately - but what a crazy busy week we have had here!  It was scheduled to be a busy week, but was compounded by Lauren getting the stomach flu in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.  She was home sick all that day, and Thursday was home to recover - she hardly ate that day either.  I felt like a horrible mom, because I left her at home alone on Thursday while I went up to her school to prep for the History Day our Enrichment Committee was sponsoring.  We had to transform a section of the library into a one room school house.  I did go home every 2 hours to check on her, and she was resting either watching tv or playing playstation.  She went back to school on Friday so thankfully she didn't miss the History Day, but she was still suffering and didn't eat that whole day.  

Friday morning, Jason's 8th grade band left for a competition in Kansas City with Music in the Parks.  It's ironic that one of the programs I was in charge of for Busch Gardens Williamsburg when I was Special Events Coordinator there was the Band Competition program sponsored by Music in the Parks.  Coincidentally, my parents were in KC for a gig that my dad had with his old group from the Lake.  Jason's band took 1st place - Best in Show.  The funny thing was that the entire band came home with these giant stuffed bananas - all won by a friend for a fee!  Jason had started it by asking him to help him win - he has a cast on his throwing arm - and then everyone wanted one.  I don't know how they fit them on the bus home!

I would have liked to have chaperoned, but didn't go with him because we didn't want to miss Lauren's very first guitar recital.  I'll have to post video later since it was too dark to use my camera so I'll have to wait until Dave can download from the Video camera, but here is a photo of her all ready to go.  She did a splendid job - despite the tornado sirens going off and the loss of power that caused a stage light to explode!  There were at least 80 guitars on stage at the final round.  It was quite impressive.  In May Lauren will be auditioning for the Early Ensemble group.  She really enjoys guitar and will be moving up into a more advanced group this summer.

Saturday night we went to a Burger Bar dinner at some friends house.  It was great to all be together again - our kids are all in so many things now that it seems we don't always make it to the planned get togethers.  This time we only missed one family - but we had their dog with us!

Sunday morning brought Jason's Confirmation Day.  He had given his Statement of Faith two weeks ago.  What a blubbering mess I was that morning!  He looked so grown up and mature!  I was so proud of him -and all the turmoil to get him there was completely forgotten!  It was quite a struggle because he was very apprehensive about talking about his faith in public.  Our Pastor calls it "Lutheran Laryngitis"!  I refused to tell him that he "HAD" to do it, because to me it would make it less genuine if he was only doing it because it was expected of him.  So, we had many heart to heart talks about why, despite the fact that I was never confirmed, it should be important to him.  Ultimately in the end, despite the fact that the church offered him some options to having to read his statement, he decided to do it.
A great growth experience for him!  So yesterday was the actual ceremony.  He looked so handsome and handled himself so well. 

The most interesting part was that the confirmands acted as communion assistants following their confirmation.  It was somewhat weird to receive communion from your teenager! 

They had a reception upstairs following service.  The best part of the day for Jason was the cake - chocolate pudding filling and whipped cream frosting!  Great choice!  These are the other confirmants.  Jason had not yet changed. 

So that was a great part of our day and month!  He was very blessed to have many people give him gifts - and was thrilled to receive an iTunes gift card (always an excellent choice) as well as some money for our upcoming vacation!  I know there will be many things in the Keys that he will want to buy.

So, from my day began with the solemn occasion of confirmation and ended with Lauren's "Groovy Girls" end of year Girl Scout Banquet.  What crazy loud music and dancing!  She had a great time as you can see!
The pictures are blurry because it was pretty dark in the room to allow their flashy light necklaces to glow and they were of course dancing!  Remember the years of dancing with your girlfriends and singing along with the songs?  Soon there will be boys entering the equation.   YIKES!

Lauren bridged up to Cadette.  Looks like I'll be co-leader for her troop next year as we move into middle school.  That should keep me busy - I was so worried that I'd have nothing to do now that elementary school is almost over!

Coming soon - updates on my stamping projects, May events of both graduations, end of school picnics and parades, Lauren's Track and Field event, Jason's band concert, Lauren's Girls on the Run 5k event (which I'm walking!), Jason's Fishing Trip, church fishing derby! 

Smiles,

Susan