wrapping up the year

That's Lydia, posing nicely for a picture before her band concert. (She was a bit tense.)  It was a really nice concert, and she's learned a lot of music in the last couple years.

She is also giving up the giant saxophone she's been playing, and is going for the clarinet my sister Pam offered her for the next four years.

I have to call Pam and make the arrangements and take the clarinet to the music shop to have the pads checked out.

That saxophone she's playing now is almost as big as she is and it's cumbersome and difficult, though you'd never know it listening to her playing Lion King music this afternoon in the family room.

That thing was unwieldy for Little Jay and he was taller even than she is, though he patiently taught her.

Time to admit defeat.

Tonight we drove out to Wisconsin in rush hour traffic, which we normally avoid, for The Sweetie's spring musical program.

This little girl was so excited about the Disney theme that she clasped her hands under her chin and her whole body shook.

 There he is, the little mouse, second from the right.  She waved to him over and over. He is not permitted to wave back, not even to anyone.

It was so great.  They had obviously practiced and worked to pull together a show this elaborate and polished.

Then we came home and went grocery shopping and started cooking for the party tomorrow.

Little Jay graduates the University!  Here's a cute photo of the graduates:

She has a degree in journalism and his is in biology.  (His brain is now packed with even more weird trivia than ever before.)

It's going to be a great day.

And Sweetie?

Your program was so spectacular we just loved it all.

Onward to tomorrow

love, Mom, aka Grandma