Winter Recital was December 1st, and the day was very stressful. I was still upset about Mr. B's accident, and he was starting to feel the effects of being hit by a large vehicle. When we got the violins out and I told the older boys to play their recital pieces, they seemed to have forgotten how to play them. I nearly fell, carrying Therese, because I was tripped by another child, and I sprained my foot. The kids squabbled all day and there were several bio-hazard issues in the bathroom, such as pee on the floor. I was so exhausted I just gritted my teeth and limped through the day. Right before we got dressed to leave, the wrecker came to pick up the crunched Civic. Seeing the poor little car being taken away was so sad, it made me cry. All the kids and Mr. B. stood in the front yard and watched. I went in the house. Then we had to get everyone dressed up and I had to deal with pee on the floor and what I call an Inconvenient Poop, or IP. An IP always happens right when you are getting ready to leave somewhere, especially if you are in a hurry or it requires dressing up, so the child is wearing multiple layers. Anyway, we arrived early, the children were fairly well behaved, the ones who were playing posed agreeable for pictures, and they all got up and played. Last recital, Fermin panicked and suffered some kind of knee disorder that caused him to fall down and be unable to go onstage and play. At his first recital, he hid in the curtain and didn't show up onstage at all. Afterwards I had to go find him, because he had become one with those curtains and wasn't planning to come out. Maybe ever. I had to offer him cookies. Anyway, Fermin and Jose both played their violins, and Catherine played her viola. I was giddy with relief and fatigue. I enjoy listening to the older kids play, and then we all ate too many cookies.
Here is Fermin giving his best fake smile.
John, making his opinion clear about Mom taking pictures of him. He didn't quite get his face covered.
Maybe if I refuse to make eye contact, she will put the camera away.
Therese throwing a fit because she is strapped into the stroller and has been informed she will not be performing tonight.
My violist. This is one temperamental girl, but she is adorable.
There was a bit of a mixed message at the recital location, a protestant church. They had a huge Advent wreath, but had also already decorated for Christmas. The kids loved the manger scene. I herded them away from it after a short time. If something got broken I wouldn't want any of my kids anywhere near it.
I took a video of the kids playing, and I don't know how to post it on here, so here are some shots of the audience.
The music was very relaxing:
My little diva, watching the older girls play:
I didn't get any pictures of the reception, because I was too busy cleaning up after kids and taking them to the bathroom. I was so happy we made it through the day and that I don't have to manage another recital for awhile. Next time I will have 6 musicians, so it will be a challenge.
