Spring Concert

Tonight is the spring concert. I always live this time of year because I can see how hard the kids and my husband have been working throughout the year. The beginners go from making noises to playing songs. They are always my favorite to listen to. To see their parents faces so proud of all they have learned through the year. This is the time of year my heart swells for my husband because he is proud of all the hard work the kids have done throughout the year. This is also a bittersweet time of the year because it is one last thing with the seniors. Saying goodbye to this years group of seniors will be hard. It has been hard every year, but this year is extra hard for me. These kids have come to mean so much to me. See my husband can't have favorites, but see I am not their teacher do I can and these 11 kids have come to mean so much to me. I can't wait to see the futures that await these young men and women. A wonderful year is coming to an end. I know there have been ups and downs but other than that this group has had a successful year. I am excited to see what is in store the next year. We still have the band banquet and graduation and then a 3 month summer of my husband getting a halftime show ready for the upcoming football season.

Vinita is State Band

We are sitting on the bus waiting on one parent to get here to drive the suburban. You can feel the excitement on the bus. I am very proud of these kids. These kids are going to make Vinita proud.

Sitting at Genghis grill in Bixby waiting to get back on the bus. Sometimes I think I tag along for the food. He feeds these kids pretty good. Had some normal setbacks in the excite my level but I am told that is normal. I think that is just, well I will leave that alone. I will keep smiling through it because as a directors wife I have to take the lumps. We should be loading back up on the bus soon to head that way. I am excited for the kids. I am also excited to hear some friends bands also. I haven't heard their concert bands so this should be awesome.

Well it is 4 and we made it to Ada. Sitting in the ECU fine arts center listening to Oologah and thinking Jon your kids sound great. We go to warm up at 4:50 so since we got here at a good time we are listening to other groups. At least myself and the rest of the chaperones will get to see Glenpool another friend of ours Ms. Joanne and her group. It always warms my heart to get to hear other groups. Especially when they are friends of ours. Good luck to our friends. Oh and I found out our friend Eric Bates got a II which is an excellent rating. So very proud of him and his small young group.

Being apart of this community of people and friends always warms my heart. Never thought I would be apart of this small and awesome community of colleagues and friends. We can be competitive with each other but at the same time we can help when help is needed.

So we got results for concert and it was a III. For the tough judges that is good. I am proud of these kids. They have come far in the four years I have known them. I am very proud of them. Once we get sight reading results we are heading to eat and then home. I am happy to be headed that way. This makes for a very long day.

We finally got all our results. We got straight 3s. They played very well and I am very proud of them. From what I understand the panel was a hard one and they weren't very generous. Proud of our friends and their bands also. We will go get em next year. Great job to everyone.

State bound

In the morning we load up and head to Ada, OK for state band competition. I am excited for the kids. This is the third time my husband has taken a group to state. This makes me do happy to be a part of this. I hope the kids take everything seriously and do their best. This also makes me think about my director friend Eric Bates because he is headed that way today. As I type this he is probably preparing his kiddos in the practice room or getting close. I have seen the nerves and the stress so I know what his wife Kathy is going through. This is Eric's first group he has taken to state so u can only imagine what is going through his brain. Stay calm Bates and know we are cheering for you. I will post tomorrow like I did in Dallas for tomorrow. I just wanted to take the time to say good luck OKU band and good luck Eric Bates. It is going to be great.

State

One more week til we get back on a bus to drive about 4-5 hours to go to State Band competition. I always think that football season is our crazy busy time. As the years have gone on I have realized the only time we aren't busy is from graduation to when he starts working on the half time show. So what about 2 weeks of free time. Ok it isn't really that bad, but some years it can be. This year he is "lucky" to have a 3 month summer. He doesn't think it is that great.

So this is the second year we have been to state. At this point I hope they get A II and I know they can do it. I know this post is a little all over the place, but I am still tired from Dallas.

Dallas Day 3

Final day in Dallas and I ready to be home with my dog and my cat. We are loading now to go to the Sixth Floor museum. The one thing I was most worried about was getting them up and out. We did better than imagined. Last night when we got back from Six Flags was an adventure. We got back and none of the keys worked. I got on the elevator and I am a floor from my room and hear one of my girls. I get off to tell her to not be so loud and one of my parents inform me of this misfortune of zero keys working. I walk to my room hoping Matt and I did have the same luck. I try my key, drop all my stuff at the door and head to the front desk. As a former hotel employee I was flabbergasted that something as simple as keys would be the biggest blunder. We got it all fixed and kids in rooms. We have made to the museum. This will be my favorite.

Just finished they museum. It was better than last time. When you're 16 and with other peers it isn't nearly as fun or worth while. This time I got to take my time and truly enjoy it. Kennedy was a good president. I always do what ifs and part of me feels he would have sided with the Republicans in the days we live in now. After we get the kids rounded up we are headed to Spaghetti Warehouse to eat and then get on the road to head home. This was an experience I am glad I didn't have to miss. Starting to herd the kids that way.

Lunch is done, back on the bus and headed that way to the town of Vinita. We will stop to refuel and bathroom breaks. I am glad I came but I am happy to be headed home. I think I have walked more in these three combined days than most of my adult life. I and exhausted. I am ready to head home, put my feet up and love on my puppy and my Nimmy. Goodbye Texas and hello Oklahoma.

Day 2 Dallas

Bright and early on day 2. I must admit that i am not as bright eyed and bushy tailed as yesterday. As I wake up I see the Dallas skyline and still believe I will never want to live here. Beautiful city but it moves way to fast for this small town country girl. Today the kids will perform and then a day at Six Flags. The kids seem to be very excited about going, but not me. I didn't like the place all that much when I came as a 10th grader. I love Silver Dollar City because I can sit down and enjoy a nice show, but at Six Flags there won't be any of that. In about 30 minutes the kids will start heading to our room to get breakfast and to start to head to the performance venue.

We made it to the performance venue about an hour before we were to preform. That is quite okay and I must admit Dallas traffic on an early Saturday morning is not that bad. We found out last night that one of the groups wasn't able to make it for some reason. So we are the only band performing today. Now there are orchestras and choirs so it isn't just is. I just hope we will get to hang at the hotel longer than 10 minutes to change. I mean Six Flags doesn't even open til 10:30. Mu poor husband's cough seems to be getting worse and he has zero voice left. He is trying hard not to use it, but for him that is difficult to do when it comes to the kids. As I sit here they are going through the march. It is sounding great. In my simple opinion it is sounding better than it did at districts. I am afraid of the list price but I know they can do it. These kids make me proud all the time. I still think I am so lucky to be apart of their lives for such a short period. I know I get angry at them more times than i should, but they do make me smile and I am proud to call them my band kiddos.

Well we made it to Six Flags. It is two now and the awards dinner is at 6. I think I can survive til then. It is only 4 hours to go. I know I can make it. Hopefully the kids will have fun. That is the most important thing. This weekend is about the kids. Matt's voice at this time is basically gone. He is a real trooper, but I guess you have to be when you take the job of director of bands. Once the awards assembly I will update. We get to have BBQ and that excites me. I just hope it is good.

Six Flags is over and to tell you the truth I am glad it is over. I am hot and tried and starting to get cranky. Teenagers can be whiny for the smallest of things. Like I said I am sorry Mr. Pry if I was ever like that. The kids got Silver for 1A bands. I have zero clue what that means. Before I head to bed I will try to take a picture of plaque they received. We took a vote to see what they wanted to do, stay in the park or head back and overwhelmingly they wanted to go back and swim and hang out. I am so happy because my feet hurt and I am tired. A nice cool dip in the pool and a warm hot tub soak and then bed. Tomorrow we head to the Sixth Floor museum. So yesterday I lied, the museum will be my favorite thing. I will get to actually enjoy it unlike when I went in 10th Grade and had people who didn't enjoy like I did. So hopefully Matt will let me enjoy it tomorrow.

Day 1 Dallas

Well it is almost 4:30 and I am actually awake. I am even bright eyes and bushy tailed. Could it be possible I have slowly become Kari Jacobson? Oh how awesome that would be. I will enjoy annoying the kids with my chipper attitude so very early in the morning. As I wrote this I am on the bus headed to the high school. I know it will be a wonderful trip. I have actually had fun helping Matt where I could. I am ready to head to Dallas as the wife of a band director. I must admit I never that I would ever utter that phrase. I will update as the day goes on, because the real drama will start when the kids start getting here.

Well we are on the road. Kids aren't fully awake so no drama yet. I heard something very funny on the way out of the band room door and that was a parent saying there won't be any drama on this trip. I must admit I laughed out loud. I must admit I hope it will be drama free, but I have to remember we work with teenagers and they can't live one say without drama. Hey I must admit I was one once and I was the same way. It reminds me of my Dallas trip many moons ago and Mr. Pry tried to curb the drama by putting two younger kids with two older ones. The sad thing is the two older girls I was with were very immature so most of the time we stayed in another friends room. Once we need to stop I will update again. By then we should be closer to the Texas border.

We have made our "first stop" of the day. I quote that because we stopped in Pryor for a quick bathroom break. We have stopped here for gas and provisions. One thing I want to know is were we this whiny. This is the time they are supposed to be up for school, but I have heard some say I need a couple more hours of sleep. I will say, Mr. Pry I apologize if I was ever this whiny. What is funny are the boys are worse than the girls. The girls I thought would whine the loudest, but I was wrong. Teenagers are a funny creature. It is times like this that I think when we do have kids when they become teenagers I will encourage them to live with Nena and Pops. No I am totally kidding. The next time I update we should be at the border.

Well it is almost 10:30 and we just left our last stop before the zoo. We actually just crossed the border and our officially in Texas. You can tell we are getting closer because the kids are louder and getting more excited. Riding a yellow school bus for almost 6 hours isn't that bad actually. I thought by now I would have kicked a teenager off the suburban and moved over there, but this isn't so bad. The last time I sat on a bus to Dallas, it was a nice chartered bus and the only things I truly remember are leaving the high school and arriving at the border and then the hotel. I know in the last 15 years a lot has changed, but even if the casinos had been there I doubt I would have noticed them. This trip so far has been nice and I pray I won't eat those words come Sunday. I will try and update at the zoo, but iPhone batteries are fickle and like to die when they are at 15%.

We made it safely to Dallas and the zoo. Matt and I will probably stay inside most of the time. Hopefully we will walk around a little. The GPS took us a weird way so we drove around the zoo first and the kids were a little worried. We had to get back on the highway to get back to the road to get to the front entrance. To say the least that was an interesting ride. We are here and it should be fun to see how the kids will be and hope they have fun.

We made it to the hotel in one piece. I must admit I will never want to live I Dallas. I thought Tulsa drivers were horrible, but they are calm compared to here. We are on our way to the symphony to hear some wonderful music. Most of the kids aren't looking forward to this for some reason. Out of everything we are doing I am most excited about this. I am to old to enjoy Six Flags and without kids of my own the zoo just wasn't as fun. This is what I am most excited about. We get to hear one of my favorite piano concertos and some other great Russian music. Sorry alumni one of them isn't the 1812 Overture. Things I have learned so far on this trip: Dallas traffic is horrible, always prepare for a cold Oklahoma morning to turn into a warm Texas afternoon (duh I should have known that one), a short dress on a bus is not a good idea, teenagers are whiny, and band parents are a breed (good) all their own. I am glad God gave the man I married because I love being in this ministry with him. I will always be learning. Tomorrow starts another day of the Dallas trip.