Band Reunion

Allow me to regress to my band geek self....

It was my high school band director's 25th year, so thanks to a private group on Facebook, the alumni planned to come back and surprise him at the annual potluck at the end of marching band season on October 30. On Saturday night, I was obsessively on Facebook watching as the alumni at the Indiana State competition updated us as the awards were announced---and Homestead won! This is the first time they won state in 15 years, when I was in band, and as Mr. Barber was so kind to point out---the last time we won state was the year that this year's current freshmen were born! Can that be possible?! Does it really feel like it could be THAT many years since high school?

What a great reunion for the alumni!

We gathered in a circle on the football field--a pre-competition ritual, but we had to make a double circle. There were 240 kids in the band this year, but it seemed the alumni outnumbered them! And yes....it was a messy circle...

"I will not let you down"

"Are you ready band?" "Hell yes!"

Mr. Barber, his assistant director, Mr. Wadkins, and their wives. The wives knew, but everyone managed to keep Mr. Barber and Mr. Wadkins in the dark! Mr. Barber was shocked and speechless, and there were a lot of tears. He was the best teacher I had in high school--teaching us all life lessons. It's amazing to realize what we learned from the program, especially as we talked to each other all these years later....And it was weird to talk to people that I haven't seen since high school about our kids, jobs, etc. How things change!

Emma and my parents came, too! I do think the old high school letter jacket helped us look 10 years younger!!!! =) One friend managed to get her jacket around her almost 9 month pregnant belly---someone's response on FB--"I didn't know you were with child when you were in high school!"

Emma was all smiles and the center of attention!

Not sure what Emma was up to here...

So strange being back at the high school--which seemed so different--and great to see some old faces! It did turn into a band reunion, and it was a great trip down memory lane! I remembered my old band geek self! But I won't let anyone suffer through listening to me blow off the dust of my old flute or oboe! lol Thanks, Mr. Barber, for teaching us--not about winning--but about striving for our best, no matter the outcome--and so much more. We Believe.

Halloween

For Halloween, Emma was a bumblebee!

We took Emma "trek or treating" on a trail in town on Saturday afternoon. Emma wasn't too sure about it, but she loved holding her bucket for candy.

And when we came home, she immediately wanted to check out her booty--or honey, I guess!

We're potty training Emma--I started sitting her on the potty several months ago and she learned early to use it. (Yeah, I know, maybe that's weird, everyone gives me strange looks when I tell them...) At daycare, her friend, Mya, has been potty training at her mom's request. Mya would cry when they tried to take her to the bathroom, and Emma would cry because they wouldn't take her with them. So they asked me if Emma knew what to do because she would try to pull her pants down and follow, and then we decided to go ahead and to go full potty training mode!

So Mya and Emma are now "potty buddies," and Mya doesn't cry when she goes with Emma. Mya's mom brought one of those singing toilets for Mya, which she doesn't like, but Emma does so they left it for Emma. She'll sit on it and wiggle her butt to get it to sing. Silly girl.

Last week, they took the girls to the potty and Mya went but Emma didn't. Well, then Mya got a potty treat and Emma didn't. Emma tried to ask for a potty treat, but she was told she didn't go potty so she couldn't have one. So Emma squatted down right there on the floor with her underwear on and peed. Then she tried to get a potty treat. lol!