Jubilee, 2012

 For those of you who were wondering and that I neglected to tell, Falcom and Marina got accepted into Jubilee and last night was the show.

Falcom has become an old hat at this kind of thing.  He knows the piece, he knows what he is to do.  Every year he becomes a little more confident and that self assured nature really shows.  He is maturing into an incredible talent.

Marina on the other hand is new to this.  She was nervous and worried and sick of her brother telling her what to do.  She gave me a run for my money at the dress rehearsal the night before.  The shirt is bothering her.  Why does she have to comb her hair?  Why does he have to walk instead of run? This attitude was making veteran Falcom crazy.  That in turn was feeding Marina.  The director wanted them to be like Donny and Marie.  All I could think was, 'Did Donny and Marie ever act homicidal to each other?'  I turned into old Mother Hubbard and we were all asleep by 9:15.

Last night was a completely different experience.  The shirt no longer bothered her.  Dad brought her appropriate shoes.  Falcom was being a darling.  She brought this good luck charm with her to the show.  It is a trinket that Grandpa and Grammy sent her from the Caribbean.

As the show was running the energy in the green room was palpable.  All the kids, excited and nervous, were playing around chatting throwing balls.  Some were watching Harry Potter on a portable DVD player.  Occasionally, I would tell them to quiet down or calm down, but really, it was fun to see these creative kids playing together.

Finally, it was time for Falcom and Marina to go on.  Here is how it went.



They did it! There was no hint of those crabby people that had been around me the night before.  Success!

 Iris sat in the audience with Willie, Kaylene and Moto saying, "There is my family!"

Michael McKinney was the first Homer person Falcom met in the states and was in the hospital waiting room on the night of Marina's birth, and now, Michael is playing Daddy Warbucks in the play Andy next month.  I love it that he is sharing our lives!

I am proud of Falcom and I am proud of Marina.  One performance down, just a few more to go!

Jubilee

This year our Jubilee is going to be a mellow affair.  No sequins or trapeze swings, just a brother and sister auditioning to do a duet. This makes my heart sing.  Falcom is helping his sister overcome her stage fright by singing their song together and I am elated! 

Well, that is if they are chosen to perform.  We find out Friday!

Topics: Birthday, Welding, and Prom Royalty

Today is Vince's birthday.  I write this quick update as I consider Vince's birthday and try to get focused on school. It is hard to believe how many birthdays we have shared together.  I showed Mitrofan and DT the cribbage board I made Vince, engraved with 4-2-1995, and Mitrofan said, "I was born in 1994".  I realized that I have been with this man for a very long time.

In other news:  Willie did not place at the Skills USA welding tournament.  The team from Colony High School blazed through the competition.  What did they do differently?  Their school takes a much different approach to their welding curriculum.  Only upperclassmen are able to enroll and they are expected to treat the class like a job.  This does not mean that Willie did not accell at the competition.  Willie learned a great deal about the interview process, leadership, career paths.  Overall it was an amazing experience for him.  Thank you to all the staff of HHS who put this together.

Marina and I had a great time in Anchorage!  One of our favorite parts was the cologn counter at Nordstroms.  While I was buying a tube of masquara, Marina was grabbing perfume sample bottles and secretly filling them.  I love her devious nature!  And now we have every delicious flavor of perfume imaginable!

She also bought her father some new cologn.  She tested every variety and was taught to clense her nose pallet after every sniff with coffee beans.  She finally settled on Dolch&Gabbana The One as it made her think most of her dad.  She hit a home run with that smell.  It does smell great and he loves it!  Look how it transforms him!

 Saturday was  THE PROM!

This year was much less intense than last.  In fact, it was so much less intense that I was finding myself saying things like, "I don't care...get in the shower!"  "No!  You need to go upstairs and iron that!"  Boys!  God do I love them.  They had dinner with a group of friends at Jody's (Mitrofan's girlfriends) house.  Then they went to Wasabi for the dance. 

I took Vince to dinner at the Homestead where we chatted and caught up on things.  He is a wonderful partner.  (Falcom and Marina spent the night with Mema.) 

At eleven oclock the phone rang.  I was dozing off to the television and enjoying our new bed when the phone rang and Vince said, "Willie, you ok?  Yea, What?  No Shit!  You are the Prom King?!  No Shit!  Kaylene is the prom Queen?  Hey congrats!  OK!  Love you!" 

The next morning when Willie came upstairs there was a gleem in his eye that I hadn't seen in a while.  He said it was mind boggling and wild and that every eye was on them while they danced.  He was so happy and excited and it was wonderful to see.  Kaylene too was in a happy state of bliss the next day when we saw her.  My kids are getting really big.  A prom king in the house!  Oh my! This was a night neither of them will forget...