The Last First Day

Today my firstborn started her senior year of high school. When did that happen? In true Joan Cusack style, we "went a little crazy and made pancakes with white flour." (Ice Princess, in case you missed the reference!)  But in truth, I am so scarred by the wheat flour pancakes of my childhood that, even though we work really hard at clean, whole grain, whole food eating, I can't bring myself to make them. Ever.

We took the traditional first day of school photo on the porch of all the kids. I love this tradition, and even if we are running late, we still take the front porch picture. They are good sports, and I think they secretly like the tradition. I think they also secretly like each other--they only fight to keep me off the trail.  Notice they actually have their arms around each other? I didn't pose them that way, even if I am Melody Ivie's daughter.

After dropping Kate off at the same Elementary school at which I have been dropping off kids for 12 years, I was suddenly struck with nostalgia and an overwhelming desire to revisit this journey. Especially for Emilee. After all, today was her last front porch picture.

Kindergarten

This little cutie walked in and took Ms. Lisa's kindergarten class by storm. She wore that outfit exactly once. It dyed everything blue and shrunk beyond recognition after the first washing. (I learned the hard way about prewashing fabric before sewing.) Her scrapbook says her favorite thing about the day was her Barbie lunchbox and backpack!

Freshman Year

5th Grade

7th Grade

 

Senior

Class of 2015

It looks like her favorite thing about today is still her backpack, or maybe those crazy crops with anchors all over them!

As I look at these pictures, it takes my breath away to think how much has she has changed in 12 years. And then it makes me smile to see how, in some ways, she is still very much the same.

Her little ruffled socks make me smile about the little girl who would let me pick her outfits, and could be talked into a dress and ruffled socks for the first day of school. That senior girl couldn't even be talked into wearing a dress or anything fancy to a scholarship interview, but she did text me pictures of this outfit for my approval before she bought it.

We've  traded that toothless smile (which was toothless for four years) for a pretty, wide smile with straight teeth.

We've traded a bossy little girl, for an only slightly bossy young woman who is actually a fantastic leader!

We went, in the pre-teen years, from her horror that a stranger in the Kohl's parking lot saw me jamming in the car, to her actually staying in the same group when I couldn't help but join in at Gangnam style when I was chaperoning the youth dance.

She's still the same little girl who knows just who she is and what she wants and really doesn't care what other people think of her. She's still the same little girl who knows all the answers in class--the one who teachers are tempted to not let answer in order to make the other kids come up with the answers. (Even though I understand the teachers who DID that to her, I'm so grateful for the ones who DIDN'T.)  The same little girl still gobbles up books faster than the library can check them out to her.

I know she's not headed off to make her way in the world just yet, but I know how fast a year can go. I know how fast 12 can go.

Dream Come True--posted two years late!!

As I posted earlier, I have had one dream that has been unfulfilled for 21 years. On June 12, 2012 that dream came true. It was a Saturday. Things were all squared away for my children to be cared for while  Chris and I went to Albuquerque. but thanks to girls' camp pre-certification, major panic set in as Grammy wasn't available and needed Jonah's help, and Emilee had to do her own hike. Like the dear friend she is, Kimberli stepped in and rescued me, even cancelling her own appointments, to care for my littles until all the camp hooplah was over for the day. My Kate also had the best time with Kimberli's granddaughter Kate, who is just a few months older and actually is my Kate's namesake (she was so cute, and I loved her name!) In fact, just the other day she asked if she could go play with "the other Kate" again. The drive to Albuquerque was so nice since we have had very little time together. I had planned on reviewing the story for Chris, but decided that he was pretty smart and could probably follow it during the show. He has also been such a "boy" every time I have tried to tell him the story before. "It's so confusing, everyone has the same name. Jean val Jean, Jean val Javert." (If  you're a Les Mis fan you know that it's just "Javert")  He didn't have a leg to stand on after I had to endure Lord of the Rings: Boramere, Pharamere, Sauron, Sauramon--are you kidding me?!? (I'm sure I spelled those names wrong; I'm not really a fan . . .) I had listened to the music the week before on a road trip but decided to not overdo it in preparation.

When we got to Albuquerque, we got a little turned around. (Garma failed us--well actually, it was a little bit of user-error, it can be upside down without your realizing it.)  We were in a big rush to get from the event parking to the theater. A long line in the restroom also threatened to interfere with the experience, but destiny was on my side, and everything worked out perfectly.

I walked into the theater and choked up instantly. If I didn't only have three minutes until curtain, I would have gone back for tissue. Just seeing "Les Miserables" projected on the stage, and realizing that I was actually there, was almost too much for me. Our seats were pretty high, but Popejoy is a small theater, so still felt like I could see everything really well.

I can't describe the overwhelming emotion of hearing the overture and seeing that first prison scene--remember I was tearing up just seeing the title. It was all magnificent. I honestly think I might not have blinked the whole first act. I just didn't want to miss anything. I have been listening to the music for over 20 years, along with reading the book, but there was so much of the story that was filled in for me by seeing the whole production. The sets were A.MAZ.ING. This is the 25th anniversary production, so they redesigned the sets and used Victor Hugo's paintings as the inspiration. They also made fabulous use of projectors to make incredible backdrops with very cool illusions. "Do You Hear the People Sing" was unbelievable, it really looked like they were marching through the streets!

If the sets were amazing, then there isn't a word for Jean val Jean. Every time he opened his mouth I was in tears. His character and story are so touching and inspiring, and the actor portraying him was superb. It didn't even dawn on me until later (after someone else pointed it out) that he was a little small for a Val Jean because his portrayal was so good. My favorite songs from the past 20 years were all of Cosette and Eponine, but my favorites of the production were all val Jean. Of course "Bring Him Home" was magnificent, but I also loved the "Arrested/Forgiven" number and the finale was almost more than I could bear. (the whole finale is NOT on the soundtrack) I loved how it combined all the of the music from the whole production, and how his prayer changed from "bring him home" for Marius, to "bring me home" for himself into the presence of God. Of course I also loved having Fantine, and Eponine, and the Bishop and all the others escort him to the "Garden of the Lord." Even Chris was crying at that point, although his exact words are "I might have misted over." For me, it was a river that I didn't even try to control.

When I was in drama club at Powell Middle School, Mr. Alt said that a standing ovation happens when you have pumped the audience so full of energy that when it's all over they can't help but burst from their seats. That's how I felt at the end. I couldn't stand up fast enough. I couldn't clap loud enough.  Honestly, by the time we left the theater, I was completely spent.

Of course, I had to buy a tee shirt and magnet.  Chris was disappointed that there wasn't a "Master of the House" shirt, so he didn't feel like he needed one. There was one that simply said "24601" and a young person in line asked his mother what that meant. She reminded him that it was val Jean's prison number. He said "well then no one will  know what it means." I turned around and assured him that the people will know what it means--and it will be a way to discover the true fans. I also asked another woman in line how big of a toll the river had had on my face. After assuring me that it was ok (I must have just cried it ALL off) she turned to her daughter and said, "See, I wasn't the only one. You didn't have to be so embarassed."

To top off the whole experience, while we were waiting for the parking shuttle, the actors were leaving to get  dinner or have a break. I didn't recognize them at first, but another patron did. I had them sign my ticket and Chris to a picture while they were doing so. I could recognize many of them, but they looked so different in tee shirts and sunglasses, plus I also had nosebleed seats, so I had used the costumes to identify most of them. I still can't decide if val Jean was in the group, and I'm sad that I was too proud to ask. I'm also sad that even though I did tell them they were amazing, I didn't tell them that I had waited 20 years for it and was not disappointed in any way!

In my MANY post Les Mis discussions we have all talked about why it's such a powerful show. Of course the musicians and actors are talented. Victor Hugo was also incredibly gifted. But we felt like its so much more. Its not just a good story. Its a story of universal truth; of true redemption and forgiveness; of people who will sacrifice their lives for the happiness and freedom of others.

My sister and I also discussed the whole dream-come-true experience. She and I both feel like we don't really have too many concrete dreams. (I have decided that we have both been blessed with so much we haven't had to want for much.) But having had a dream and having had to wait and want it, and then to have it come true and be all that I wanted and waited for was very fulfilling. I feel a little like Rapunzel from Tangled after she saw the floating lanterns--I need to find a new dream.  But since I already married my Flyn Ryder, it'll have to be something else. For a while though, I'm going to bask in the glow of dreams come true.