Notes from school

 Julia, on photo day you came home with the BEST compliment that you said someone could ever tell you...you even wrote a note to remind yourself to tell me:

That's right...the photographers said that you "have a bit of a Jennifer Grey thing going on." And then they called you "Jennifer!" You- with your 80s obsession and Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller fandom couldn't have been more thrilled!

And Aidan, we got an amazing note from your math teacher... I'll just let it speak for itself!

Class Rep

 Aidan, you're always surprising us ... and one day you came home from school and said that you'd like to try to be one of the 8th Grade Class Reps.

You had to write a speech, give that speech in front of your peers, "campaign" a little, and vote.

When it came time to vote, you thought it was wrong to vote for yourself, so you voted for another classmate. That is SO who you are...so kind and thoughtful and generous.

Then you found out that it came down to a three-way tie between you and two other students. 

In the run-off you did decide to vote for yourself...and so did a lot of other people! Because you WON and you now get to serve as Class Rep for the grade and be the face of your fellow students.

We are so proud of you!

Aidan for Office!

Brace...or Un-brace... yourself

 Aidan....

After who knows how many years... 4? 5? I should really look this up... but after many years, and many, many appointments. you have finally gotten your braces off!

You had several round of braces... but it looks like these ones went on in September of 2023:

And here we are... almost exactly 3 years later and today's the day!

So let's get unbraced!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

It's so nice to see that smile!!!!!!!

Karaoke Broadway- Father Daughter Duo!

 Julia, 

We ventured into the unknown and decided to take our family's living-room and car-based on the road with just the two of us...and we wound up at the Fair Park Music Hall for a young professionals.

I guess it wasn't exactly a 'bad fit'...because you are young... and I'm a professional!

We had so much fun on our little evening together.

.. and we kinda crushed it on stage!

Or to put it this way: A fellow attendee, who just so happened to work at Broadway Dallas, told us later that when he saw us ask someone else to record our first duet said that he "knew we were gonna see. a. show!"

First we sang our go-to duet that we belt in the car and in the living room all the time: Suddenly Seymour!

Then, you sang "Think of Me" from Phantom...and had a surprise visit from the same attendee who sprinted down to his office for what was, as it turns out, a very valid "Cloak Emergency!"

First Day of School 2026

 

Awarded Aidan!

 Aidan, you were recognized by your teachers for your hard work at the Upper School Awards Ceremony!

Not just everyone won an award, I want you to know; and you were honored with two.

Now the categories are definitely important here, but more importantly is what these awards represent: you have worked so hard, and so diligently, with such a big heart, and an open mind. 

You are committed to school and learning, and it shows!

We are So proud of you!

Mr. D., your STEAM teacher, said that YOU put in the work in STEAM and not many others do and that he's very proud of you!

Coach C. said that you put in the work hard every day and you're a great kid!

We couldn't agree more!

Seussical!!!

 “A person’s a person no matter how small”

“Anything’s possible”

These are the two main lessons from Seussical and man are the whoppers that hit me right in the feels when I look back on your spring 2026 performance.

This is the play that we hadn’t really heard of and definitely hadn’t listened to any of the music from and then it quickly became some of our favorite music of all, with the most feels and chill inducing lines of all… Solla Sollew!! Anything’s possible! A person’s a person no matter how small!

This is the play that you, Julia, got call backs for nearly every role and you had to stay up late learning a million different songs on the night that our London family left for home…and you were convinced that you didn’t do well on any of them!

This is the play that mom taught you both the dance call back before auditions.

This is the play Aidan that had an opening for a big juicy role mid- production and you busted your butt on to learn and choreograph and audition for.

And… anything’s possible!

Julia, you got cast as the Cat in the Hat! The mercurial emcee; the nutty narrator; the impersonator. You channeled your Louis Armstrong, your zany Looney Too spirit, and you commanded the stage whether you were singing a solo, a duet with Jojo, holding down harmonies, or singing off stage. You also really got to do a lot of cool dancing and ‘magic tricks’ and you really just … sparkled! You were an amazing Cat in the Hat, and an amazing lead for this musical! Mrs Bonnie Jean came to see you and she was SOOO proud! Singing, dancing, acting… it’s no wonder that you won the ‘EVERYTHING’s possible’ award!

Aidan… you GOT THE PART! Your most substantive role to date with lines, monologues, and your first singing solo! You were General Genghis Kahn Schmitz… and you scare children out of their wits! You practiced so hard, taking lessons with Mr Coffin, taking your role so seriously even amongst a heavy classes at school. And you nailed it! You were so serious that you were funny! And seriously talented. Everyone was raving about how good and how funny you were! You channeled this silly drill Sergeant so well that you even won the ‘committed to the bit’ award! And don’t forget, you pulled double duty… working the curtains behind the scenes and also having a cameo as ‘Vlad Vladikoff’ the evil black bottomed eagle… you had one line as him and got huge laughs there too! Which just goes to show you… a person’s a person no matter how small! But I’ll never forget how after your song you held your hands high above your head and soaked in your victorious applause. THAT is a young man who can do anything!

You also made a lot of new friends with this one; since this play included a younger cast that joined you for the last week, you got to work with the littlest littles and … Julia… you even volunteered to help with them at rehearsal for one session. you gained some groupies with this play… all the little boys especially followed you around and looked up to you! And at the end of one of the shows a little young lady came up to you and said that you were her favorite part!

Aidan,  you commanded your cadets with an iron fist and an open heart, and some of them became big fans of yours earning you lots of hugs and new stature as a senior statesman of EDA.

We are all so proud of both of you, and watching you shine and grow with each play makes me excited to see (oh) the places you’ll go!