A Concert

Alyssa and several classmates were invited to participate in an ‘All County’ honors band and choir event recently. There are about six junior/senior high schools in Williams County, Ohio.

The students who participated in it got to get out their regularly scheduled classes on a Wednesday for band practice and on a Thursday for choir practice (or vice versa, I’m not actually sure which was which, does it really matter? I mean, Lyss was in both so she went to Montpelier on both Wednesday and Thursday that week.)

Ahem. Where was I?

Yes, they were taken to the high school in Montpelier and practiced with their peers from the other school and ‘guest’ conductors.

Then, on the following Sunday, the students gathered and performed for parents/grandparents/siblings and community members in a lovely little concert.

The week before the concert, I asked Alyssa if she wanted me to make her dad and sister come to the concert. She admitted that she did want them there. I told her I’d make them attend.

See, here’s the thing, Tom has used Olivia’s lack of attention span for years, YEARS, to get out of these kinds of things.

Only too bad for him, Olivia is old enough and mature enough to come to these things herself and be expected to behave. Honestly, she’s been old enough for years. But because it was easier for me to just go with my mom and watch Alyssa perform than to deal with Liv’s constant questions of “When is it going to be over?” I just let them stay home.

But that’s not fair to Alyssa. She deserves to have her dad show up too. Her sister can also support her by showing up.

I am proud to be able to say I’ve never missed an event. If my kid (either of them) is performing/attending, I’ve been there.

I know not all parents feel the need to be there all the time. I get that. And while I admit to being a little judgey of the ones who NEVER show up, I get that sometimes we have to work or there are extenuating circumstances that keeps parents from being there.

But this time, I simply informed Tom and Olivia of the time and place and told them I’d see them there.

Then I joked with him that I’d told Alyssa that I’d make him and Olivia show up. He got a little huffy over the word make. So I changed his perspective and told him I’d told her that I’d gently encourage him to go to the concert. That smoothed the feathers and everyone (well, except Olivia, but she had snacks so…) enjoyed the lovely music created by our amazing students.