Winter Holiday Music Show

Delia is somewhere in this picture, can you find her?

I would like to preface this post with an honest admission. I am not completely rational right now. This happens, about once a month, and the only good solution is a pitcher of margaritas. Which I did not drink before going to my daughter's grade school to hear the kids sing. So be warned, that my perspective on today's events might possibly be a teensy bit skewed toward "I hate all of humanity."

The school moved the concert from the cafeteria to the gym this year. When I read that in the flier they sent home from school, I was relieved, because the lunchroom has always been very crowded at concerts past. I figured there would be lots more room in the gym. Hmm, I was wrong.

We got there at the appointed time of 1:45, but that made us losers because everyone else gets there two hours early. We stood in the doorway to the gym, with the other latecomers, while the wind whistled in all around us. There were too many people in the gym to close the door. I managed to push into the room far enough to see the kids, who were all sitting on the floor of the gym (except the 5th grade choir, who were on risers on the stage). All the students in the gym, together, with all the parents. At the same time. I felt like we were in some kind of disaster flick where the Emergency Alert System has instructed all residents to flee to the nearest National Guard Armory.

We got trapped in between some very perfumey ladies who managed to get some metal folding chairs and set them up on the gym floor (effectively creating a barrier so no more parents could get in the room), and some very obnoxious lady chewing gum and natting on to everyone (and then to herself) about what a terrible mess this was. I understood how she felt, but really... Please shut the hell up! The kids are trying to sing! Not like I could hear them anyway from where I was standing under the heater.

We stood in there, packed like sardines, chanting our internal mantras to try to avoid a panic attack, till the third graders stood up and I could see my daughter. She sang, we clapped and waved, I made sure she saw me. And then I got the hell out of the press.

I felt sorry for the little kid who threw up during the performance. I would have thrown up too if I hadn't gotten out of there when I did.

From the freezing, but at least not claustrophobic sidewalk, we listened to the rest of the show as best we could.

So here is my big question. "Who thought this setup was a good idea?" Let's cram EVERYBODY in the gym, we know that every parent and grandparent is going to show up at this thing. There were no programs, the kids were all sitting together on the floor of the gym, the only kids who got to stand on risers like it was a real performance were the 5th grade choir. And what happened to the Nutcracker Suite? I was all kinds of looking forward to the kindergartners and their red and green scarves, and I was disappointed. Oh well, things change I guess. (grumble grumble)

One thing is certain, EVERYBODY misses Mrs Lucas, and we all hope she feels better soon. Mountainview needs you Heidi!