Rainy Day

It is a rainy day. Kevin did NOT want to get out of bed. I can understand that. But get out of bed we must. Get dressed we must. Eat breakfast we must. I never did really get him motivated to move until we were walking out the door. At that point, we were going to be at least 15 minutes late.

We walked to Club in the rain with an umbrella. He was very disappointed that he could not ride his bike.
He asked if we would go over Thunder Bridge. I said no, we weren't headed the right way to cross the bridge. He was disappointed. Then I realized, yep, this path IS going to come to Thunder Bridge. I said nothing. Smart kid. He realized it too! I argued, if we go over the bridge, it will take us that much longer to get to your group. He said, "We are already late. It doesn't matter. We can be late." Oh, my... This kid won the debate! He is right. Since we are late, what difference does it make HOW late?!

We did a grown up thing: we selected a place to meet when I came for him at lunchtime.

Because of the rain and Grandma not feeling great, I decided walking to pick him up, come all the way back to the condo (half hour walk), then back to the Club program for 2pm, was too much. So I left early enough to wait for the shuttle, decided we would eat lunch at Bestor Plaza, go to the library to pick out books, back to Club, then Grandma would spend the afternoon working on her book review at the library, pick up Kevin, take the shuttle, thus saving 1.5 hours of walking!

The shuttle got me to Club a few minutes early, so I went in search of where to buy a Boys and Girls Club t-shirt. When I came out, Kevin was putting his canoe paddle and lifejacket away.

He showed me how to select the right paddle.

He was quite disappointed that we did not meet at our rendezvous spot. And he wasn't totally pleased with my mid-day plan, but went along with it and enjoyed it... except for his egg salad sandwich which had olives in it plus lettuce and tomato. I had to pick out every little piece of olive! ugh! But he liked his cookie. And he wanted to see what was happening in the Amphitheater. They were taking down the video screens from the morning lecture and setting up for the orchestra concert tonight. He plopped himself on the front row to watch.

Then a piano tuner appeared and Kevin watched him briefly.

He wanted to stay and watch the entire set up. I told him, after Club, the orchestra would be practicing and he could listen! Appeasement!

My afternoon at the library was very productive, plus I heard much of the rehearsal through the open windows.

We did meet at our rendezvous spot this afternoon. He was very pleased with that arrangement! Now that he knows about the snacks in the Youth Activity Center (YAC), he will want it daily. :\ We need a lesson on money so that he can go on his own. Then he stopped at an ancient fountain for a drink on our way to the Amp.

The orchestra was practicing Rhapsody in Blue!!!! I'm not sure when he has heard it before, but he said he recognized the music. The very awesome thing about it was -- the conductor was also the pianist!!!!

Unbelievable!!!

That ended their rehearsal, and we were on our way home on a shuttle.

We returned for the concert at 8:15. On the way, Kevin found a centipede and carried it to the Amp, showing it off to a few people on the way. This child is NOT shy!

Rhapsody in Blue was in the first half, so we heard it again! But the soloist made a boo-boo. Kevin didn't realize, and probably much of the audience didn't either. But the pianist forgot a portion and replayed a few bars about three times trying to carry on. He improvised and eventually moved on, but he orchestra was LOST! They did not play for a LONG time! Then the horn section caught where he was and picked up, and the rest of the orchestra joined in. Can't wait to read the review tomorrow! Much of the audience gave him a standing ovation. I did as well -- just for his bravery!!! But I also had heard how perfectly he could perform!

Kevin asked two very astute questions during the first half: How do the violins all move their bows together, and why do the orchestra members all wear white? He learned in his piano lessons about counting beats, so that was an aha moment when I explained what the conductor is doing when he waves his arms and it is the counting of the beats which keeps the violins and all the instruments together.

After we left the shuttle, Kevin found a healthy spider spinning a web on a gate. We watched him for a while. Kevin described the spider's activity as playing on a jungle gym.

Back in the condo, I pulled out the video Karin had made of their family trip to Walt Disney World February 2007. He enjoyed seeing himself as a tiny tot! Unfortunately, we didn't see Mommy much, because she was behind the camera, but we heard her voice quite a bit. Then I popped in a video of Kien and Aria in Vietnam and of adopting Kien. I was there too. Kevin commented that I look younger there. Yeah... :\ These past three years have definitely aged me!