How could I not??

:)

My kids have been asking me for two weeks if I was going to be at their music program on Thursday night.

There were 8 from my program... Lisa*, Nick*, Rachelle*, Leanne*, Erica*, Caleb*, Anna*, and Brian*.

And I kept telling the ones who asked, "Maybe." And planning to just head home on the night of the concert because I am really tired by the time 6:00 rolls around and just ready to go home.

Thursday afternoon was no different unless I was even MORE tired than usual. It's been an eventful week for me physically and emotionally. Riding the roller coaster, ya know.

I was really tired and more than ready to go home. The cafeteria had been commandeered for "Night of the Notables" and I piled all sorts of games and crafty stuff on a cart and moved my program to a classroom. I knew it would be a tough afternoon. Keeping 20+ kids busy when we had no place to go to run off steam was going to be a challenge. In close quarters they tend to argue a bit more and be a little more edgy.

And edgy they were. Erica* took offense because Steve* touched 'her' pile of dominoes. So she grabbed him by the arm and pinched him VERY HARD on the back of the hand. It left fingernail marks, and the possibility of a bruise. When I talked with her about it, she blamed him because he had touched her stuff.

::sigh::

I document all the stuff she does, because if (or maybe I should say when) I have to disenroll her from the program for a pattern of physical violence, I need to have a proper paper trail. (Say that three times fast!)

ANYWAY.

As I wandered down the hallway after dropping off the cart full of stuff in preparation for after school, Lisa* passed me on her way to the school bus. She said, "Are you going to come watch me sing tonight?"

"Probably not," I said. "I have things I need to do at home."

And she just... wilted. Then put on a smile and said, "Well, that's okay. Maybe you can come next time."

Okay, how could I walk out on that?

I couldn't, of course.

So I clocked out at 5:45. Ate a granola bar and drank a bottle of water, locked up my coat and backpack in our storage area, and found a seat in the gym.

The place filled up fast. It was standing room only, and people were standing all over the place. Too crowded by about half, I think.

The concert was all Irish songs. The kids (all dressed in green and white of various origins... saw a lot of Oregon Duck t-shirts) sang beautifully, the program was well done, and it looked like the Academy Awards with all the camera flashes going off. I was glad I stayed.

I chose a seat way back in the gym up on the end of the bleachers. I figured since I did not have a child in the program I'd leave the closer seats for parents who did. Yeah, I'm a giver. (Really I just wanted to keep my shoulder and my knee safe from collision, but weren't you impressed with my selflessness before I admitted that?)

I ended up surrounded on the bleachers by parents of children from my program. It was sort of funny, really. All of them thanked me for coming, and the principal came looking for me to do the same.

I did not get home until almost 8:30, which was sorta late for me.

On Friday morning, Rachelle* and Leanne* were both really excited that I'd been there to hear them sing. As in bubbling over and giggly and really proud.

So it was worth it.

But I'm really glad for weekends.