Band Boosters News

The first time I went to a Marching Band Boosters meeting, I cried. The Boosters were, of course, enthusiastically telling us newbies that band is a FAMILY and how it was going to change our students' lives, and ours too, especially if we GET INVOLVED. They were really being honest and genuine along with their desperation to sign us up for jobs (I knew their ploy), and it got right to the core of me. I love stuff like that. I love thinking of young lives changed, forever friendships, and all that. 

I watched the co-president up there making her speech, and I wanted to be her. I already admired the directors from the little I'd heard them speak at new-parent meetings, and I knew I wanted to know them better, and them to know me. I wanted them to be impressed with my kid, yes, but some part of me felt like a student again, wanting to be seen (Please be my friend!!). I was bummed we'd missed out on a year of it already, since Alex didn't march his freshman year, but no matter -- I was going to get myself involved and meet the people and do the thing. 

So we did. Shawn and I helped with concessions at some events. I tried chaperoning at a game or two. I helped serve and clean up at a few banquets. I sold "shout-outs" at a color guard competition. Shawn was on the parking crew at football games. I tried sewing hems on uniforms at the beginning of the year. And by golly, we went on the big trip as supporters! I wanted to give everything a shot, to see what I liked. It was a really good testing-out year. I learned that a lot of it was a BIG No Thanks, like uniforms and game-day chaperones (as opposed to Band Camp chaperones). And then Covid struck, and this year there haven't been any volunteer opportunities to speak of. 

So imagine my surprise when last night, the outgoing co-president called me up and asked me to please serve on the Board, as co-president for next year! 

...Don't get too excited, I can't take that job. Not because I don't want it! I DEFINITELY wanted it! But they're looking for a parent of a junior or someone who has a younger band-kid as well, because they already have one co-pres who's graduating out in '22. So sad! I had to tell them that we, too, will graduate... so they immediately moved down the list of jobs to Co-Chair of Events -- with my favorite parent I've met so far in band (underclassman, so she'll stay another year after me). So there you have it: IF I was approved last night on the official slate of officers, I am about to be Co-Chair of Events! 

Daunting, for SURE. Besides once a week meetings, there are a LOT of Events to be in charge of. But the good news is, I can let myself off the hook a little for other things. No need to stretch too thin. (I'm sure I'll be suckered into everything, anyway.)

Hey, there is other, BIGGER band news: Alex was chosen to be Clarinet section co-leader! WOO HOO! He is going to be great at it and I'm thrilled for him. There used to be a Leadership Retreat -- a camping trip -- over the summer, but he thinks that's not happening this year. Still, a great honor for him. I can't believe it's going to be his senior year. It's a good thing I'll be busy. No time to think about it!

I do want to say that I'm banking on WFH Forever, here, to make this work. Most events happen after school of course, but flexibility is going to be the name of the game. 

Next weekend is the end-of-year concert. I'm on concessions duty and Shawn will be taking temperatures of attendees. We're IN IT, y'all. Doing the thing. 

A Day in the Life, Lately

My routine is pretty settled, lately, and I like it. I just went back and read a Day in the Life post from 2006, when Alex (AJ, when the blog wasn't private) was just barely TWO. Things are certainly different now, whoa.

Right now it goes like this. We wake up (Shawn first, now that I'm leaving the house Never, or at least Later than him when I do go in on Tuesdays), shower, get dressed, etc. I go downstairs by about 6:30 to start making Kate's lunch. During Covid-school, there's no Fun Food so it's a lunchbox every day, and I gotta tell you, I'm TIRED of it. I try to mix it up for her with a salad one day, a warm quesadilla another day, but otherwise it's a sandwich. And her veggies and fruit and something sweet and something salty. Some of that is for snack. 

Alex wakes later, as well, and arrives in the kitchen while Kate's eating breakfast, usually. We do the morning "ballet" of everyone trying not to bump into each other as we open drawers, fridges, cabinets, making lunches or breakfasts or coffees. Then Shawn and Kate leave for St. Joe's and Alex eats while I drink coffee and look at my paper planner, trying to pick my Top Three tasks (there's a spot on each day for them). I also like to start the day with gratitude which I write in the back of the book, but I don't like to do it while he's there because for some reason I'm a little embarrassed by it. So I typically sit at the bar if he's at the table, or I'll wait until after he leaves. He often practices piano before he leaves to drive himself to school (!!) around 7:40. 

By that time I've opened the laptop and checked email, made my Top 3 list (more like Top 5), and written any meetings on the page. I am finding it satisfying to include a couple of Home tasks in the top three/five. Like, today I really need to wash towels, so that's on the list. Yesterday I wanted to make strawberry sorbet, so that was a task to look forward to. (And it turned out great!)

And then around 8:15 I usually sit down on the couch with the Calm app and/or the Bible app for a little quiet time. I try to keep it to 15 minutes. 

Afterwards, I go around the downstairs opening the window blinds, and get to work. Because it's been nice weather, I've been opening actual windows lately, which the cats love. :)

I take plenty of breaks, but not long ones. Sometimes I step outside to see how the weather is, or deadhead some plants. I fill my water glass and take my vitamins. Switch the laundry. I have been using Pomodoro method for working when I have a big project to dig into -- setting a timer for 25 minutes of work, and then a 10 minute break. Some days I feel like I set timers all day long, but it seems to help keep me focused. 

I've been forgetting that my shoulders, wrists and neck will hurt if I don't go upstairs to the actual office chair, and use the actual keyboard instead of this tiny laptop one. But am TRYING to remember to do that around 11. This also helps later in the afternoon when Kate gets home, because she spreads her homework stuff out on the kitchen table and it's best if I'm not stationed there, if I want to get anything else done. So I go upstairs. 

The last few days I've been good about working out before lunch. I like this schedule. If I don't get it done then, I'll do it after dinner, or go for a walk with whomever wants to join me. 25 minutes or so is all I require of myself. It's enough.

2:30 is time to leave for carpool at 3:00. It's a nice time of day to leave, right before the afternoon doldrums. By the time we get back at 3:45 or 4, I will just need to do an hour-ish more of work, then call it a day. Have I really done 8 hours' worth? Probably not. Am I counting hours? Well, yes, I still do. But I don't get hung up on it, if I've made progress on tasks or projects, which I usually have.

By 5:30 I need to be starting dinner. It's so satisfying to close down the laptop and know I don't have to open it until the next day. Of course, if there's some big deadline or I've missed more than an hour or 2, I'll do a little more work, but that's hardly ever. 

We eat, we clean up, we either walk or not, change into comfy pants and sit down to relax. Sometimes Shawn practices cornhole in the backyard while I read my book. The kids usually do homework, take showers, go to piano lessons, or practice in the next room (always right when we turn on the TV, it seems, so we can't hear our show.... we try not to complain; it won't be forever... but we always glance at each other and sigh, lol). 

Kate's into The Office right now so we typically watch one episode at 9:00. It's so fun to revisit that show. And then bedtime! Kate loves to play this game where she blocks my way into my bedroom or bathroom by making me guess the password. It's SO ANNOYING. But I'm sure one day I'll remember it with a chuckle. She finds it funny that it makes me mad. Both kids always come in one more time after we've gotten in bed to tell us good night. I think of it as tucking us in. It's sweet.

These are good days. I'm really savoring working from home, as you WELL KNOW. I think we will start to have to be back in the office more frequently, soon. And I guess that will be okay. But I am just loving this time. Kids are very self-sufficient. I have work to do and home-care to do, and I GET to do it. I watch the birds in my backyard. I feel good. I just want to acknowledge it, here. Happy Thursday.

Thank you, Scientists! My Arm Hurts.

I had my first dose of Pfizer yesterday and today my arm is very sore. Hooray! My experience was super-easy overall. I waited until they opened the vaccines up to all adults 16+ even though I could have qualified earlier, with a BMI of 26, juuuust over what they consider "healthy." I didn't want to admit it, I guess. But no matter, yesterday was my day. There is a mass drive-through vaccination site about 15 minutes from my house. I got an appointment without any difficulty, drove over there, showed them my driver's license and the QR code I was given at registration, and they gave me the goods. I think it took about 40 minutes altogether, including the 10 minutes I waited afterwards. 

It WAS oddly dystopian to drive toward the white tents, stopping every few feet to consult with National Guardsmen and women in their camo fatigues while they checked me in. And yes, I did get teary right before I went into the line, thinking about the possible end to all of this pandemic drama, all the times (twice) it made me cry with worry, and all the people who had to die before we could get to this point. But I pulled myself together as quickly as I could, looked away, and took that jab. Thank you, scientists. Thank you, National Guard. Thank you, volunteers. My next appointment is on Cinco de Mayo and you can bet I will be having a Large Margarita to celebrate (if I don't have side effects, of course). 

* * * * *

Prior to that happy day yesterday, it was Spring Break. We took the kids to Asheville, NC, to visit the Biltmore. Shawn and I have been there before, but the kids hadn't, so off we went. I'll admit it was my second choice for Spring Break; first choice would have been visiting some colleges with Alex. But that was not to be, I guess, and may not have gotten us out of town, which was something I think we all needed, in a way. 

I found a cottage on VRBO for not too much money, and booked it. Notoriously bad with choosing hotels (because they're so expensive and I always try to go for less-so, and land us in sketchy areas of towns), I think I did okay this time. It wasn't fancy, and wasn't quite "charmingly tucked away in the mountains," but it wasn't too far from that and was nice enough. It had 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1 half, and a deck on which to drink our morning coffee. It had bears! Shawn heard them knock over the trash cans during the night! It was less than 5 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and so we did take the time to drive up and back down windy roads, stopping for a photo along the scenic overlook toward those famous mountains. 

And we love the Biltmore tour. Our very own American castle. I would have liked to have spent the whole day there including some time hiking, and some sitting down in the winery (!), but with the kiddos the winery wasn't an option. Besides, we found them to be very teenager-y this trip, not so interested in really DOING things, kinda preferring to look at their phones on the cottage wi-fi, if I'm totally honest. But the positive side of that is, we had plenty of down time while they slept in, and before/after dinner both nights we were away. And down time is a good thing, especially away from home where you can't be tempted to clean or fix anything.

We came home on a Friday, another brilliant plan I must say, because then we still had a whole weekend before having to go back to work and school. Tip from me to you!

* * * * *

The kids are already counting down the days until summer break. I am, too, really, because it feels like summer will be the start of normality (fingers crossed). Marching band has released their calendar and it includes competitions and trips (normal!). Camp documents are due and camp (Alex's last!) begins June 6 (normal, although it's only 1 week this year instead of 2). We are planning our usual (normal!) week in Destin with the family. We're looking ahead to Kate going on a beach trip with her bestie's family, and possibly Alex going on the band leadership retreat (if he gets chosen, hope hope), as well as 2 weeks of (normal!) band camp in July. 

(This is also the 2nd summer in a row with NO pre-panic (about setting up a nanny and/or camps, etc.)! Last year it was because Covid gave us a pass, but THIS YEAR I have a teenage driver! If they're bored in the house they can GO DO SOMETHING. I can't believe this is a fact, but it is.) 

I don't want to jinx it, but this all seems like hope is starting to gain a foothold around us. :)