There is no doubt about it, this school year is in full swing. My kids are FANTASTIC this year. I look forward to each class and am always surprised when 3pm rolls around. This is certainly the way things are meant to be. Everything that I'm involved with is good in and of itself, but I find myself, yet again, bogged down, trying to survive this insane schedule. The first four weekends of school are taken up with school events and I am struggling to find a moment to breathe.
That's what October is for...breathing.
For now, I'll just pedal through and get 'er done!
Last weekend, we had a sleepover Chamber Singer's Retreat at school. Dave had a moment off from this insane surgery rotation and chose, once again, to spend it with me and kids. What would I do without Dave? He literally makes the retreat happen each year so that I can simply focus on my kids and the music.
The sleepover was a definite winner! My top criteria for this year's auditioned group was their work ethic. I chose kids less on their talent and more on their attitudes. I can tell already that this was a wise decision. The kids are fun and funny, able and willing to work hard, and they sound great too.
On the afternoon of the second day, Dave was able to capture some of the goings-on.
Ladies Sectional
The world's best high school tenors....I'm SO spoiled!
When I was in high school, our director (Mr. Dennis) had a great tradition of his Chamber Singer's creating a square for a banner. The banner squares are sewn together and hang on the walls of the choir room for years.
Each square must include the singers name, grad year, and things that are important to them. This is my third year carrying on this tradition and it is still so special.
Of course, you would not believe how much food we ate! These kids can pack it away. We even had a full on pancakes, bacon, and sausage breakfast (my classroom still smells like bacon grease!).
Dave has just survived an intense week of pediatric surgery, clocking in three of those days with over 15 hours of work. Yesterday, Dave got to do his first surgery. The attending talked him through the whole thing, but Dave did it. He was like a kid in a candy store, which for some may seem a bit scary as he was, indeed, cutting into a person. But you should have seen his face as he told me every little detail.
This is a tremendous struggle for Dave, knowing that his skill set is perfect for being a surgeon. His ability to retain vast amounts of knowledge and his skill at working with his hands are obvious plus' in the profession. And at the same time, the life of a surgeon is the complete opposite of how Dave prioritizes his life. He is caught between a rock and a hard place in this decision. I can only encourage him to keep an open mind as he walks through these next few years and to pray that God would clearly direct his path.
Today, we head up to Pine Springs again for the annual medical school retreat. We have always had a good time at this event, but I must admit that I can hardly stand the thought of another weekend retreat, this being my third one IN A ROW! I'm feeling selfish and needing a day to just be....not around people. Dave promises me that we are going to go for a hike, just the two of us (something we haven't done in a long while).
Tomorrow, we are headed into LA to hear the LA Master Chorale sing the Rachmaninov Vespers. For those of you that know us well, you know that this is a big, BIG deal. Can't wait. Next week, I have back-to-school parent night, two evenings of my kids singing the national anthem, book club, bible study, and honor choir events for my kids. It should be a doozy!
No comments:
Post a Comment