On With the Show, This is It!

As hard as it is to believe, our Baby B is now a four-year-old. She was so excited for Friday to come, she went to bed the night before saying, "I have to get to sleep because I don't want to miss my birthday." (I told her that her birthday won't come if she doesn't get to sleep the night before). When she got up, it was the first thing she talked about -- her birthday. I had picked up a bouquet of balloons and hung up her hand-painted "Happy Birthday, Brigid" sign in the living room. She was very excited and couldn't wait to get dressed. Last year, I found a Baby Gap long-sleeved tee shirt that says "Birthday Girl." It still fit. The pants with the birthday cakes on them, however, are a bit high water, but she wanted to wear them both to school. We made cup cakes the night before for her to bring to class.

When she got there, she couldn't wait to show Debbie and Kathy her Birthday Girl shirt and the kids were all very happy to see Brigid, hug her and wish her a happy birthday. They were also very happy to see they were getting cupcakes later.

The day went by well -- Brigid had a lot of birthday love throughout the day, but it was a very busy, over-scheduled weekend, so her birthday celebration with family won't be until next Saturday, the 20th. Later in the evening, Margaret's play, West Side Story, opened; Patricia's drama club performance was that night, too; and I had my dance class. So, I brought Margaret to the high school for a 4:30 call. Jack, Patricia, Brigid and I grabbed some pizza and got Patricia to the middle school for her 6 p.m. call. I got changed for dance class, and we went to see Patricia in two short scenes in a production called, "Middle School Choices." It was very cute, and, mercifully for me, short because I was able to make it to my dance class without having missed too much. At this stage, because we're getting closer to the recital, every class is an important one.

Margaret had a great opening night. She was so excited, but she also got a little emotional after when she found out the cast was going to Friendly's and we didn't know about it. However, after she got home, I jumped in the car and got her there in time to join up with the crew. I sat in the outer part of the restaurant with a glass of iced tea, waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting. It was 11:30 before things were starting to break up and I motioned for her it was time to go. I wished I had thought to bring a book. The next night we would make better arrangements.

We all went to see the show Saturday night and we weren't disappointed. It's a hard musical to do, and the cast did an exceptional job. Margaret was a Jet girl and danced and struck an attitude that made her stand out from the rest of the cast, in my opinion. She looked so pretty and mature. When my pictures are developed, I'll add some from the show. Brigid was a very good girl to sit for a show that ran two and a half hours. Afterward, the cast went to the Ground Round, so we dropped Margaret off and this time, told her I'd be out there to pick her up at 11:30. That was the smartest arrangement. She was beaming when she came out to the car later.

We turned the clocks ahead (I hate that) so that Sunday morning felt odd. Margaret had an 11:30 a.m. call. The girls were supposed to serve on the altar at church today, so we already knew Margaret wouldn't be there. Patricia was supposed to have religion class before mass, but I found out when we were getting up that she had been up all night throwing up. No fever, no other symptoms, just throwing up. So she obviously didn't go to religion or mass. I took Brigid with me while Jack went to work so he could come home in the afternoon to allow me to go back to see Margaret's last performance. They did an equally exceptional job. When it was over, the crew had to strike the set and then head over to the cast party. Margaret was so exhausted but very sad to see the entire production come to an end. As she said it, it was like a family that she wasn't going to see much of anymore. Most of the cast are upperclassmen, so she won't have them in her classes to visit with. But it will also mean she can look forward to three more years of being in drama club and on stage. I'm so glad it was a positive experience for her. And as for Brigid, she'll enjoy having birthday month and as a result, won't feel short-changed from the shift in attention on her actual birthday. It's win-win.