A Boy and A Bassoon

Today was all about watching Alex enjoy the reward of a lot of hard work. He had auditioned for the all-state West band this fall, and made it. So we had to have him up north at 8:00 this morning for the big event. They rehearsed all day, and then had a 4:00 concert. It was so great to see him enjoy the excitement of the day. 119 kids in the band, and they pulled off a fabulous concert. Truly great, and not just because I am the mom. They were really great. The choir was great, the orchestra could have used a bit more rehearsal time, but the band really blew it all away. A fabulous guest conductor from WSU spent the day with these kids, and he obviously was a very inspiring leader, as he pulled great dynamics from this band. It was truly a pleasure to watch.


We are so proud of you, Alex. You've taken a raw gift and added a ton of dedication and drive to produce this beautiful sound. There are days when you just don't feel like practicing, and you do it anyway. It's paid off in a big way. Keep that lesson with you, young man...you have set some high goals for yourself, and they are all within your reach if you are willing to work hard. It is a joy to be your mom (most days!), and it's a joy to see your success.



So here are some pictures of our favorite bassoonist...

This picture was meant to have a bassoon in it, because we are frequently asked what a bassoon is. But he had already packed it up when we reached him and we were tired and hungry. We are going to stage the picture tomorrow, and I'll add it then. But he just looks so cute, so tired, and so proud in this picture, I wanted to include it.

The rest of us had over 6 hours to fill, so we had some fun shopping and getting some much-needed errands done. Plus just lots of wandering and enjoying being together. We even ran into Brenna's teacher in the food court! Fun memories:

These two can make fun out of anything. In the picture above, they are posing each other like statues.

After getting Alex registered, we headed straight to Starbucks. Necessary fuel for daddy today, fun treat for the girls.

I'm so proud of this one. Just have to keep it real. Sadly, Beth is unable to cross her eyes. We're working on that.

Of course, we had to do a little browsing at The Rainforest Cafe. That red-eyed tree frog in the background is a very purposeful addition to the picture.

And we finished the day with a late dinner at Red Robin. Alex was, of course, famished. Conveniently, there was a Cold Stone right next door. So the kids got ice cream to go and we hit the road for home. Long day. Great day. Great kids.