Day 2497. After a short night, I left the house with Tammy and Emmy at 10 am. We rode the subway downtown. Emmy had "Freddie" with him, the mascot from his school class that gets to go home with a different student every weekend. It was Emmy's second time this year. We got to school before the class started, and his teacher came by, and we exchanged a few words about the concert last night. Just after 10:30 am the class started. The teacher asked about the music party last Sunday but Emmy was impatient to brag about last night. It was the teacher who then bragged on him, and Emmy had the opportunity to play one piece for the class. He tried to play the last one which was the hardest but simply couldn't do it, so he played one of the others. Then Tammy and one other student also played pieces - Tammy not the one from last Sunday but another one she can play well. Then we still did the finger warmup before she handed out boards and magnets. She then played a sequence of 8 notes and the kids were supposed to put the notes on the lines on their boards. Nobody could do it. The second sequence was easier, but they still couldn't do it. We have to review reading music this summer.
I was surprised when she then did a story time. The kids were excited, especially as she did a new story. Then the class was over. They got their last stickers and stamps, and the teacher gave them a ribbon each. Then she got the treasure box out. Every child got to pick one gift from it. Finally, it was time to count how many times they had practiced this semester. It was 109 times for Emmy and 112 for Tammy. They usually practice 6 out of 7 days every week. Because they had over 100 stamps, they got a crystal piano - again as they had already received one last semester. Three out of the four students got one; the fourth girl was really disappointed but the other student gave her hers as she also has one at home already.
Then it was time to say good-bye one final time. The certificates were emailed to us, and the report cards will be mailed later. After a brief exchange with the teacher, we left and walked back to the subway. On the short subway ride I placed the McDonald's order on my phone, then we got off and joined Randy and Sammy who were already there. Moments later our food arrived. We ate, then I had to leave with Tammy and Emmy just before 12:30 pm. Later Randy left with Sammy to take him to his last music class. He had fun and got his report card that was really impressive.
Tammy, Emmy and I rode the subway out of town, past our house, all the way to the end, then we had a long walk to the theater. It was extremely hot, the heat wave reaching its peak. I was glad when we reached the theater and walked inside where it was air-conditioned. It felt great but it didn't take long before we were hot inside as well. We went to the changing rooms and found Tammy's dance sport group that was rehearsing at 1 pm. We had gotten there perfectly on time. As we still had time, I got the hair stuff out and did Tammy's hair so that she looked like a ballerina. It didn't take too long. Then she put her dance shoes on, and the teacher called her students away for one final rehearsal. Emmy and I stayed in the room; Emmy had his tablet to keep him busy.
At 2 pm it was time for her ballet rehearsal. After she got back, we figured out that we had the order reversed - she was going to first dance ballet, and then immediately after that dance sport. There wasn't even one dance in between for her to change! It was going to be a challenge. So Tammy put her ballet dress on, and we gave her dance shoes to the lady who was gonna help her change dresses. All the other girls in her dance sport group already had beautiful pink dresses on. As there was still plenty of time, she also got her tablet out to make time go by faster. Then she went to join the other girls in her ballet group.
At about 3:30 pm Emmy and I said good-bye to Tammy; the show was going to start at 4 pm. We had our tickets scanned and took our seats in the theater. We were on the aisle and sat in the first row that was raised up which was perfect in terms of visibility. I talked to Randy on the phone and was shocked that they were still at home instead of being on the way. He had forgotten his hat at the music school and had had to turn around to get it. He dropped stuff off at home, and then they left to come join us.
At 4 pm the dance school owner came out and said that there was a subway disruption which meant that parents hadn't been able to make it there yet which was why they moved the beginning to 4:15 pm. That gave Randy and Sammy the time to arrive on time. I went outside to meet them, then we had their tickets scanned, and Randy lined up to buy popcorn for Sammy, while I took the elevator down with Sammy to take him to our seats. Thankfully there was an empty spot right by us where the wheelchair fit.
Sammy was happy to see his brother. I put him on his chair, then I took the picture of the boys with Freddie. On Monday morning Emmy's teacher is going to show all those pictures to the class (I sent her 7 pictures.)
At 4:15 pm the show started. Tammy's were the 11th and 12th act. We enjoyed all the dances before her; Sammy kept asking when his sister was coming on. Then it was finally her turn. She's the second girl from the left. The ballet dance was rather short, and she did a great job. Then the boss came back out and said a few words; all the girls stayed on stage but Tammy had been supposed to go off to get changed as she was in the next act. Then all the girls walked off the stage and the lights went off. However, nothing was happening. Suddenly the boss returned and said that one girl still had to get changed, so he talked for a few minutes until Tammy was ready. Then the dance sport group came on stage. It was a long (nearly 5 minutes), complex choreography. It was the first time I had seen it, and I was very impressed for her to be able to dance like that. Of course, it was visible that she's still a beginner - in her motions, and because she didn't know the choreography that well and had to keep looking at the others to know what she was supposed to do. Still, what an amazing job! She only started this class in February while she's been doing ballet much longer.
After she was done, I went backstage to pick her up. She looked beautiful in that pink dress! It's a shame she doesn't own it. She got changed, we grabbed her stuff and went inside to sit down on our seats and enjoy the rest of the show.
After 21 acts, it was 6 pm, and they had an intermission. Tammy's dance sport teacher (the owner's daughter) had said that she wanted to say hello to Sammy so I took Sammy, and we went backstage to find her, and we did. She was really happy to see him, and Sammy hugged her right away. I think they had only met once before. She was putting make up on kids, and Sammy also wanted some so she put some color on Sammy's face. Sammy was telling her that we're goint to America in the summer. The teacher asked Sammy if he wanted to dance with her, and he said yes. She had told me that she had a passion to work with special needs kids and that she intended to specialize in that direction. She wants to have private lessons with Sammy next year. We'll see.
She then wanted to show Sammy something, so we followed her all the way backstage where I had never been before. They had big blow-up carrots there that they had used for one dance the little kids had done, and she gave Sammy one. Then we said our good-byes and left.
We rejoined everyone by our seats. Sammy didn't want to stay for the second half so Randy left with him. Emmy wanted to stay but he didn't want to watch but was on his tablet the whole time. Only Tammy and I watched the show, and we enjoyed it. A few dances before it was over, her teacher came to get her as everyone was going back up on stage at the very end. She was all the way on the left again as 200 performers filled the stage. In the end the teachers came to the front as well, standing in front of all the (mainly) kids. We all applauded them, then the show was over.
Emmy and I went backstage and waited for Tammy to come off the stage. Suddenly we saw her, crying, with an adult. She was crying because she hadn't been able to find us with people everywhere but there we were! Together we left and started our long walk back to the subway in the intense heat. It was 8 pm before we were back home. The kids were still hungry so I made them sandwiches before they took a quick shower and got ready for bed. It took them a long time to dial it down and finally fall asleep. As for me, I went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat and took a break while eating. later I went back to work, downloading all the pictures, picking the best and editing them. It was once again late before I went to bed.
