I easily took 30 pictures of the Kindergarten musical today, and the only one even remotely close enough to Kelly?  She closed her eyes.  So I’ll have to vouch for her and say she was an extremely animated Zebra Fish with Spots. Her hair ribbon fell out, so she improv’ed it into a prop.  It must have been a food prop, because she spent the final 2 songs eating it. The entire show was impressive.  40 little ones, dressed as a variety of unusual fish, singing and dancing their hearts out, with every single word clear and audible.  Did I cry? YES I cried. Any less and you would have taken my Mommy badge.

With this week including final reports, the musical which has been a school year in the making, and many of the kids reading their first books to the class…I jokingly called this Kindergarten Finals Week.  These kids were WOUND up and are about to CRASH out.  Kelly had her 2nd violin lesson immediately following the musical, and I was surprised at how well she followed along, concentrating and repeating everything Miss Chandra taught her.

And so it went until Minute #29, when she went from a wide smile, to head buried in my chest, and a little voice that whimpered, “I want to go home now Mommy.” It’s official: we broke the baby.  I packed up her tiny violin, and escorted the Mythology Expert/Magic Computerologist/Actress/Violinist out to the car.  She is tucked safely into bed, humming “Castle on a Cloud”, no worse for the wear.

I hear “Arf!” may be resurrected, along with “Go Fish!”, so I hope to pass along the Dalmatian/Mutant Fish/Cow costume.  I’ll need to send it with clear instructions: wear the pants backwards.  It’s tradition.

Amazing job Kindergarten!  And more amazing is their Music Teacher who believes great things lie within these tiny voices, and leads them through projects for which they will be forever proud. Songs, lines, choreography, solos, sets, costumes, props…I had to see it to believe it. In the near future I will be saying goodbye to certain Early Childhood Specials teachers whom have become a very large part of my children’s lives.  Wait…tears coming…earning yet another badge…gotta run…