Competition Day!

Today was the first marching band competition of the season. Last night we thought it might be Meagan's "nemesis triangle" (Power Ranger speak). We've been seeing a chiropractor for her IT band Syndrome issue for a while now. Lately he's been working more on her shoulder than her leg. It seems that the short repetitive motions during the fast parts of the set cause issues. The muscles bunch up and cause a lot of pain. When I got to the practice field last night, Meg was sitting out in tears. I didn't know what to do except to try to call her down so that she could possibly be less tense (which I thought COULDN'T be good for her shoulder). I hated not being able to make things right and I hated knowing that SHE knows that she may lose her drum major position because her injuries hurt the band. I didn't know what I would be walking into when I got to the competition today.

The band left Conyers after practice and eating lunch at the high school. I had to get some things done at the house and at church to get ready for worship tomorrow, so I left at 2. (I wanted to get going at 1:30 but time management is really not my thing.) When I got to the competition, the band was at the warmup field which just happened to be right by the place I parked...which is a good thing since I'm pretty much directionally challenged as well. I had visions of wandering around the campus never finding the band until AFTER they performed! Meg had her arm in a sling and seemed to be in a fairly good mood. Apparently they reconfigured some things so that Meg being one arm down wouldn't throw them off too much.

Jo is dead-center in photo with Meg in her sling on the podium.
My actual favorite part is the Field Crew member who is supporting
the podium but looks like he's peeking at the duet!!

I found the rest of the field crew and shortly afterward found myself watching the band perform while I kept my eye both on Meg and on Jo while reminding myself to breath. I don't know how the drum majors did at being a team, but Meg looked really confident. I know she was hurting but I couldn't tell from her face...although she did rub her opposite shoulder after they got done. Hope she hasn't hurt that one now!

The awards will be in about an hour. I really hope they did well, both as a band and as drum majors.

On another band note, Jo did really well with her duet. She was so worried that she could mess it up.

I'm so very proud of my kids.

My sweet Meagan

Had this email conversation between Meggie and me last Friday in anticipation of her first game in drum major uniform.


Me: Do you have your gloves for tonight? I have your “stars” in my jewelry box at home. Do you need them?

Meagan: Yes... I thought I had lost them!!!!! Oh my goodness thank God!

Me: You ding-a-ling! We decided I’d keep them so you WOULDN’T lose them! J I just gotta remember to get them!

Meagan: Oh... I don't remember that. Ok cool.

Me: Will you be home before the game? It’s in one of the little drawers…think it’s the second one.

Meagan: I got them. I left my wallet at the house so just got home and on my back
 

Me: Child, please!! You may need to go to college in Georgia just so we can rescue you from yourself!

Meagan: Lol... Well I had totally forgotten, well I mean I still don't remember doing that, but yeah. I was planning on going to the army surplus store to get new ones or borrow lories old ones.

And funnier still, when I got to the school to volunteer with the band, I found out that her boyfriend (sweetheart that he is) had driven to the army surplus store for her and purchased new leaves (got that wrong by calling them stars...oops!) for her.

I can't be too irritated with her because the apple don't fall far from the tree! :)

 

Concert mode

As we head into December, that can only mean one thing...no, not panic that I haven't bought any presents yet (that panic will hit the week of Christmas)...it's concert time!

The season usually kicks off with the annual Hometown Holiday parade in downtown Conyers. The church always put a float in. The parade is directly followed by the Tree Lighting in front of the courthouse. Guess where the parade doesn't end? Which means whichever child is performing at the tree lighting (they invite schools and area dance studios to come out) has to be hustled from the high school where the parade DOES end, down backroads back to the courthouse and try to get there on time. Usually as school staff personnel, I've been roped into being a child corraler for the school's chorus, too. Last year we decided the better course of action would be to stop the float momentarily on the parade route and have Jo and me hop out. Easier said than done for Miss Graceless here. Apparently the sight of me hopping over the side of the float last year was truly a wonder to behold as year later I'm STILL getting Lorie's eyebrow popping up when she talks about it. In my head, of course, I looked like a gazelle I tell you!

This year I lucked out. No one is involved in any dance troupe/class and Jo's elementary school teacher is out on maternity leave. It was lovely to ride the float without worrying about time, get off the float at the high school, go my car and drive home...especially given the temperatures. Visions of Lorie's almost frostbitten feet one year after walking through a wet parade route and then singing in freezing temperatures still haunt me.

Monday and Tuesday the high school had their Prism Concert, which is their name for the fine arts showcase. I went on Tuesday and was so impressed with the performers. It really was beautiful. It could have been so much better if the audience had behaved better. I don't think I'll ever understand how you can go to a performance and talk the whole time, or burst out laughing at inappropriate areas, or spend the entire time texting! Seriously, one teen behind me would talk louder when the music got louder! Then he decided that it was necessary to whistle to get the attention of a girl in the audience! But it wasn't just teens...it was adults, too. Listen, I like a cute kid as much as the next person...but I came to listen to the performance not your kid hitting a toy or cup against something or jabber and have you jabber back to them. It boggles my mind that people cannot go to a performance and let the performers have their attention! But off the soapbox.

Next Monday and Tuesday I have the middle school band and chorus concerts to attend. Those are always lessons in futility. I support my kids and support the fine arts in the schools, but those performances are usually things only a mom can handle. :)

Follow the middle school concerts with the adult choir performance on the 20th and then I'm footloose and fancy-free. Guess that means I won't have any more excuses to not shop!