The Weekly Blur

The past week has been a blur of:

--soccer practices
--soccer games--Blondechick's, mostly (with all the makeup games rescheduled from all the rainouts, she has games nearly every day these weeks--including Parent Appreciation game last week, which Papa R and I made a special effort to attend together)
--finally B12 got to play a soccer game with his team, since his RH rehearsal schedule allowed
--Robin Hood rehearsals
--homework and homeschooling
--AWANA awards night for Chicklet and B6
--Solo and Ensemble at State, for Blondechick and B16
--Spring Choir concert for Blondechick and B16--their last one together!  BC had a big solo in the Senior Song--sung just by the seniors--it was the Glee version of "Lean on Me." (Wish I knew how to download video from our videocamera!)  She really got to jazz it up.
--double piano lessons (our teacher is getting Chicklet and B12 ready for "Piano Guild," where they play ten memorized pieces for a judge, so he's giving them twice-weekly lessons this month)

And a couple of big events this weekend:

On Saturday night, we had to divide and conquer.  Papa R took the three younger kids to an Ice Show in Milwaukee that two of our young friends from Light of Christ were skating in.  B12 had done a little "drama coaching" with them, so he wanted to see their performance!  I was heading down to our old stomping ground in IL, to see a production of "Alice in Wonderland" by our old theater group.  B16 and Blondechick were going to go with me, but BC ended up spending the weekend in bed, sick.  So it was just B16 and me that got to see many of their friends in their very last show.  It would have been BC's last show too, if she were still there, so it was bittersweet to watch it without her, and hang out with the old group at Portillo's after the show.  So many good friends there.

We spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa, and then went to our old church in the morning.  Papa R drove down with the rest of the kids, including B20, whom he picked up at college on the way.  It was the first time we'd all been back, as a family, to our old church in over two years (well, without Blondechick--still too sick).  (No one could believe how tall the kids are; they said photos are great; but they don't show height! B16 is now the tallest one in the family, by the way; at 5'11" he's a half-inch taller than his dad and older brother.)

We were joined there at Church of the Resurrection by my father, who was in town for the weekend for the 55th reunion of the Class of '56 at Wheaton College.  And when we walked into Rez, who should we see but one of our singles from Light of Christ!  It was one of those "What are YOU doing here?" conversations; but since it was reunion/graduation weekend, she was there for the Wheaton College graduation of her younger brother.  When we discovered that her parents were also there, we just had to laugh.  Her father is the vocal director for Robin Hood and her mother is planning the strike party--she also lent me fabric for the banners I made for Easter Vigil--so we just can't get away from each other, it seems!

We were attending Church of the Resurrection because a dear friend was being ordained to the priesthood, and our Bishop and many other visiting clergy were there.  In fact, the rectors of three church plants, all sent out by Rez, were there.  All gave greetings to the congregation of our "mother" church, and one (Church of the Cross in Hopkins, MN) informed her that she was about to become a grandmother! (i.e. the church plant was about to send out a team to plant a new church).  So incredible to hear.  I remember when we first sent them out, years before we left.

It was a wonderful service, and then we were invited to a reception for our friend, so we had more time to renew old friendships.  In the meantime, our kids went out to lunch with three of their four grandparents (sorry, Pianomum, that you couldn't have been here too!). After our event, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's so Papa R could spend a little time with his mother on Mother's Day, and my dad and I and PR's dad all went over to visit our old next-door neighbor, a single man the same age as my father and father-in-law.  He hadn't changed a bit, and it was sure good to see him.

Finally we all left IL to head home by way of B20's college campus, so Grandpa could see it. B20 only has 3 more days there, with finals this week.  But it's a campus that Grandpa had never seen, and we are hoping that all will work out for Blondechick to go there next year.  She's been accepted and it's her first choice, but we still have financial aid details to work out officially.

Grandpa leaves this morning, and then it's stir, rinse, repeat! More soccer, piano, Robin Hood rehearsals and then performances, graduation weekend...

And tonight is Showcase for our theater group's classes, and my first as a teacher! My Drama 1 class is putting on a scene that I adapted from the script of Charlotte's Web, since we've been studying "Acting Animals."  Chicklet is the Goose, and B16 has been my aide, so he'll be helping adjust mikes for my actors.  B12 is in a dance class, studying Irish dancing, African dancing and break dancing--can't wait to see his class.

Just a couple more weeks of craziness!