Aaaaah, he's back from Vacation. Baby Ben and his mom and dad and their dogs went away to Orlando for over two weeks. I missed him horribly. Friday I got to go hang with my boy, here are some pictures I stole off his dad's webpage. Isn't he just the cutest little pischer??? I love this baby. And... he loves me. He saw me and his face lit up -- Oh! I know you!
We had a wonderful time together.
 |  |  |  |
I brought my two dogs, because Jack had been pretty much confined to his kennel for three days while I was out working at Geoff's school and for Cateringman. I felt that a fourth day in the kennel would be hell for him. So they both got to ride in the truck and hang out with Tiger and Buddy.
Jack was in his glory. He and Buddy did what we call "Face Fighting" where they pretty much lounge all over each other and bang their teeth together while making snarley faces. Kinger and Jack do it all the time. Jack was a wild man. He would not leave the baby alone -- wanted to lick his face every two seconds. Ben didn't enjoy that. Once Tiger saw that Jack was getting all licky licky, he got in on the action too. Tiger knows better.
They were banished to the outdoors until it started raining. But, Jack and Kinger both slept like the dead last night. Wore them out good. Wore me out pretty damn good too.
The children have been steeped in the arts lo these past couple of days.
Thursday night saw Geoff's school's annual chapel night, where all the classes get to sing songs together and sing a featured song each. It's always really cute. And seeing as it's a Christian school, even the most hard hearted ole cynic gets a teary eye when a three year old class of cuties is up there singing praise songs.
Last year they did all the classes on the same night--toddlers to Kindergarten. It was two ungodly hot hours, with tired and distracted kids, sweaty and exhausted grown ups... they changed formats and the younger kids went last week. Geoff's concert consisted of the 4year olds/preKindergarten group, and his group of K's. It went very well, and was only one hour long.
The clincher of the night was the whole group of kids sang that horrible Lee Greenwood "God Bless the USA" song. Now, as happy as I am to be living in this country, and as convinced as I am that it kicks ass to be American, I hate that song. I've always hated that song. But, 50 little kids singing it loud and proud, my cynical and hardassed heart was melted. God indeed bless the USA, y'all. Nice job, shorties.
I'm going to sorely miss this school when Geoff moves on in a few very short weeks. First week of June. Sniff. Weep.
Last night it was Jessica's turn. Every year the choir kids from fifth grade get to participate in the sixth grade play by being... the chorus. Some kids get speaking roles, depending on whether or not there is an over arching need. Sometimes they can't get enough sixth graders to participate in the play.
This year's play is called "Kid Country." And it is, in my humble and very strong opinion, one of the worst plays ever.
EVER.
Oh my God. I've seen some horrid plays in my long life, and this is probably.... second on the list of worst plays I've ever sat through. Ever. Don't get me wrong -- it is in no way, shape or form the fault of the kids in the show. In fact, they -- the actors and chorus -- were pretty awesome.
But the concept and content of the play was supreme dreck.
The play concerns a small town inhabited by parents who think their kids are out of control because they listen to loud music and are late for breakfast, and kids who think their parents are mean and too controlling and won't listen.
This theme is established very quickly, and then spent 40 minutes repeating it over and over and over. Until finally, the kids decide to revolt!
Oh yes! They decide that they're going to overthrow the town!!!
Look out parents!
Aaaah, but little do they know... While the kids are plotting the overthrow of their evil sires, the parents are at a PTA conference and they decide to put the boot down and crush the crazed children!
The "older" kids are all hippies who hang out in the park all day, and they tell the younger kids that violent revolt is bad, man. Way bad. Dude, it's harshing the town's mellow. So like, dude, you should like be like Ghandi and MLK, man. By nonviolent means instead of by any means necessary, dude... m'kay?
What ends up happening is the town has an annual "Gimble Government Day" where the kids can play the role of adults. They scheme to do Gimble Government day ON election day, and pit a kid to run against the standing mayor.
The kid wins of course, by one vote -- her old dottering granny comes out and votes for her, and the town is afraid they'll have a 15 year old as mayor for the next few years! She steps down, saying they only wanted to prove a point and get their parents attention. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Two and 3/4 hours later.
That's right. Two and 3/4 hours.
The main reason why this play takes so friggin long is that it is interspersed with Beatles and 60s protest songs. The play itself would have gone on just fine without all the ridiculous musical vignettes, with lyrics changed to fit the scenes at certain times.
The kids mostly sang along to a sound track. Some of the songs are sung by soloists -- the girl who played Granny Gimble kicked ass singing "In My Life," the Beatles classic.
Some of the songs are simply musical numbers while the set changes take place behind the curtain. There was a very peculiar interpretation of "Lady Madonna," which sort of gave me the creeps, and a rather intricately choreographed stick fighting scene to ole friend "War, what is it good for..."
All told, the kids were great. The play was ass. Sorry. It's the truth. My husband asked my daughter if it was going to be like the Simpsons where the kids sing "The children are our future," and they lyrics are
"Are you ready for the children, yeah yeah yeah
The future is a comin', woah woah woah.
Children! Children! Future! Future!"
and he also asked her "Am I going to think 'I've never wanted a beer more in my life!' the same way Homer Simpson did at one of his kids' presentations."
She said... yup. And she was right.
She had to go to rehearsal almost every night for the last week and a half. She told me it was borderline maddening and insufferable to have to go to these practices, because they (the 5th and 6th grade choir members) had little or nothing to do with the play scenes. All they had to do was know their songs, and once in a while dance and stuff.
I was mad proud of her though, seeing her up there and doing her thing. At one point, they were all swaying to the music and she put herself in the way back... and I saw her swaying in the opposite direction. I tapped Doug and pointed it out... we laughed and laughed.
Best part of all this was Geoff loved it. He sat through 96% of it, only running out of patience and gas at the very end. Doug took him back to the truck right before the last big musical number and then we all went happily home.
I am skipping tonight's performance, but I'll probably go tomorrow even though Jessica told me that I don't have to.
My camera wasn't with me last night -- but I'll be sure to bring it for Sunday so you can check this all out. There's a big cast party on Sunday afternoon. Should be fun. I think that all the kids, even those like Jessie who have little to do with the overall production, are doing great work. I just hope to hell next year's play is a better play.
No comments:
Post a Comment