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!
Imagine this: after a long and fun week of road tripping across Texas and New Mexico, a family stands in the parking lot of a national park after sunset gazing toward the sky.
All together they see a shooting star race over their heads and through the sky in front of them until it ultimately disappears.
They can't see each other but look around any way to verify if they all saw what they think they saw...and if everyone else saw it too. One by one everyone comes back to earth and announces they saw the magical moment. They ALL saw the shooting star together. Some cheered; some leaped up and down with excitement. Some ran toward each other to hug and embrace and cement the love and amazement of this magical moment.
That family was us. We stood in the Carlsbad Caverns visitor center on the last night of our road trip before we headed home. And we saw the shooting star. together.
I didn't need to make a wish, because mine had already come true.
This was the best spring break...and our first major road trip... and one of our BEST vacations of of all time. I will cherish it forever!
From the mid-way point of Route 66 and slug bug ranch and feldman's fried steak. To hiking Palo Duro canyon in the cold mega wind (and almost getting lost). To eating at Big Tex's Ranch.
To exploring the mountain side and galleries of Santa Fe...to exploring the intersection of Victorian houses and weird dreaminess at Meow Wolf.
To the zany kitschiness of Roswell and the majesty of Carlsbad Caverns...
Hot tubbing on the roof and swimming in the pools with you Aidan; hiking to the cross of the martyrs with you Julia; sharing all these memories together with Mom, me, Aidan, and Julia...this road trip definitely lived up to New Mexico's state slogan...we entered a land of enchantment... and part of me never wants to leave :)
Julia, I LOVE singing in the car with you! One time when you were feeling blue, I suggested that we go drive around white rock lake and just sing Broadway together. You agreed. And we sang and sang and sang. We stopped singing when we came across the bald eagle hatching ground. And then we sang some more. And you said it was just what you needed! No one was feeling blue after that!
Other times, we've been singing and gotten thumbs up from other motorists with their windows down.
We sing as a whole family too, of course! Les Mis! Hercules! Something Rotten!
I really cherish singing with you :) One of our go-to's is Suddenly Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.
One day after thrifting and comic book shopping we decided to record ourselves :) Not too bad!
Seymour may be Audrey's man suddenly.... but I'm always and forever your Dad and your biggest fan!
Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme.... you know the rest.
This fall you both worked very hard at EDA in the production of Beauty and the Beast.
I know we say this every time, and since I'm writing this from the future I can definitely tell you we will... but this was one of our FAVORITE plays (musicals) that you all have put on.
Julia, you were Madame de la Grand Bouche- the enchanted dresser- and you literally disappeared into your role. This was the first time, for me anyway, that you became a true "actor"... Madame didn't have a lot of screen time, but when you were there, whether you had a line or not, you WERE Madame. You were 'face acting' even when you didn't have lines or notes. And when you DID have lines and notes... holy enchanted cabinetry... you SOARED. Lyrical operatic amazing show-stopping descants, hilarious lines, spot-on accent work, flawless comedic delivery, Ride of the Valkyries, surprises in your drawers. You were an amazing Madame! And we saw this show on Broadway Dallas shortly thereafter...and you were - in my opinion- a bigger, brighter, funnier, bolder Madame than the pros!
And Julia, you were awarded the LEGACY AWARD!
Aidan, you were the butcher, the bloody, bloody butcher. The one who shouts "Kill the Beast!" You drunkenly hoisted your tankard to Gaston, you scoffed at crazy old Maurice, you helped to lead a mob attack and... in this show... you really began to flex you COMEDIC muscles. During the attack on the castle, when Babette the feather duster seduces you to distract you, your "ga ga" face was hilarious... and when Lumiere burns you in the butt you screamed in a spaghetti Italian accent that would make Mario proud... "Mama Mia!" A line which you improvised in rehearsals which Mr. Tom decided to add permanently to the show. You got the HUGEST laughs each night! There are no small roles, and you personified that in Beauty and the Beast! And... you're kind of a hero... don't forget that like 2 weeks before this performance... you had your tonsils out! You recovered fully, rallied like a hero, and took the stage without missing a beat!
And most importantly of all... you spent the semester and shared the stage having FUN with your friends; learning, growing and performing together. And THAT'S the most important thing of all!
We are so proud of you... and when I say "we"...I mean.., "WE! Oui Oui!"
This was the year that mom had the bestest idea to take all the broken lights off of our Christmas tree...and many hours and cut fingers later, we .... quit and went to dinner... and then came back and finished! But at least we had a de-broken-lighted tree and a LOT of fun!
This was also the year Julia couldn't stop laughing because she imagined Romeo singing Octavia Spencer's song from "Sprited!"
Shout out to Sable for falling asleep in the tinsel and to me and Aidan for inexplicably wrestling during the decorating!
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