Busy Weekend

So many things have happened this weekend, and it's only Saturday evening.  First off: I finished "Connect the Stars."  Madeleine was right; it really DID kick up in the last quarter of the book.

We Rowes have been busy with so many activities.  Last night, we all went to a Fund-Raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Billed as a Kids' Dance Party, the event was full of blasting music, flashing lights and throngs of people.  Ethan was pretty much miserable, but at least the kids had a ball.  I wasn't sure that was going to be the case at the start, since Julia was a total grumpster.  The reason for her grumpiness?  She kept seeing people that she KNOWS.  What an awful situation.  I guess since she's so shy about talking to people, she couldn't handle the fact that there were so many of her classmates around her that she had to try and avoid.  Luckily, she found a close friend before long, and spent the rest of the evening happily socializing.  Madeleine's best friend was there as well, so they were inseparable.  The kids visited the photo booth several times, got ALL kinds of junk food, and got baseball caps that were decorated with whatever name or word they asked for.  Julia opted for "Jules," although you can't see it in the photo, and Madeleine went for "Swim":

Today was equally busy.  Julia was excited and nervous for her Select Choir's attendance at the MICCA Festival.  MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors' Association) holds a day-long competition every year, and today was the day.  Julia had to board a bus from the middle school to a nearby town, and while Ethan and I would have loved to go and watch the competition, instead we accompanied Madeleine to the girls' Swim Banquet.  Madeleine took care to sign Julia's name in cursive in the cards for the coaches, and was instructed to go up to the front of the room to collect any awards Julia might win.  

So, when the MVP of the 11-12 year old girls was announced, we heard Julia's name (along with the name of one of her friends; two awards were given for her age group.)

ME: Okay, Madeleine, go up and get Julia's trophy.

MADELEINE: (wrapping her arms around me in terror) You come with me.

ME: Madeleine, just go!  Go quick!

MADELEINE: (frozen with terror)

ME: Come on. (walking up to the front, beckoning to Madeleine.)

MADELEINE: (sitting frozen in her seat)

So I collected the trophy.  I was THE ONLY PARENT who went up for anything.  Any other missing swimmers had a sibling or friend collect their prize for them, but whatevs.

                                                                    Julia's MVP trophy!

Madeleine received the Coaches' Award, and she was at least brave enough to go up and get her own trophy:

Julia was also featured as a record-holder in several events, so even though she had the huge disappointment of missing New England's, she was shown to be a hugely important part of the team this year!

I was texting Julia all this info, expecting her to be over the moon about her award and records, but she was busy being over the moon about something else: Select Choir won gold at the choral festival!  What an exciting day to be Julia!  

As she put it in a text to me, about she and her Select Choir bestie, "Me and Lily think we really deserve going out to ice cream together."

She just recently got home and had dinner, and now she, Ethan and Lily are getting the ice cream that they deserve going out to together.  Congrats to both my girls!