We went to visit Aunt Tanya a few weeks ago. Kieran, Declan, and Owen love playing with their cousins Logan and Rachael. We really need to do it more often!
May 17
You have to love a small town. We were in Reed City, our favorite small town, and we were invited by the town undertaker to bring the kids out to his farm to see the animals. Since it’s a small town, Grandpa knew where the Pruitts live. So off we went.
The Pruitts of Pruitt Livingston Funeral Home have quite an operation. What started with a single cow has turned into a herd of them. They also have a donkey and a couple of horses. The kids loved the animals. They got to pet a few of them including the bull. They fed them some treats too.
You never know what’ll happen in a small town.
Kieran is reaching out to give her a treat
They're standing in the only spot that isn't muddy on that side of the fence
The bull only nibbled on his hand a little bit
That's Mrs. Pruitt with her bull
That's not a barn for the cows. They're outside all the time.
The boys gave treats to the horses and donkey too
Mrs. Pruitt is telling us something about her horse
All of the boys were a little reluctant to stick their hands out toward those big mouths, but the took a chance
May 17
Declan and Owen had to pack their backpacks for a trip to Grandpa’s house in Reed City. So why not take pictures?
They're ready to hit the road and they might get along during the trip
Declan and Owen with their brother and backpacks packed for a trip to Grandpas
May 16
Back in January, after the holiday school break, a note came home from school saying that it was time for the annual musical production. This year it would be Willy Wonka Kids. These productions are not actually done by the school, they are managed by the PTO. However, the administration and teachers are very supportive.
Kieran wasn’t too interested in it initially. Eventually he decided he’d try out for the role of Mike Teevee, the kid whose life revolves around television. He went to the initial tryout after school and waited to see if he got a callback. He did. The part they wanted him to do during his callback was Willy Wonka! Of course, he was one of several called back for the part, but we were really excited nonetheless. After several days of call backs we waited to hear who got what part.
In the middle of a math lesson, someone from the PTO walked into Mrs. Hill’s class to hand out the envelopes to those who tried out. Of course, nobody could wait until they got home to see what they got. Kieran got the part of Willy Wonka!
The months of February and March were full of rehearsals after school. There was a schedule that showed which roles needed to attend on which days. Kieran only had a couple of days that he didn’t need to be there. So we rearranged schedules and worked with some of the other parents to make sure somebody would be picking him up each day around 5.
Each of the cast members got a script and a CD with the music on it. Kieran worked on memorizing his lines. He also listened to the CD every night. Hearing him singing along to his parts always made me smile. I was in choir in middle and high school so vocal music is a great thing in my mind. Everybody in the house was frequently singing the songs because we heard them all the time. It’s a good thing it’s good music!
The performances were on Thursday March 25, Friday March 26, and two on Saturday the 27th. Linda and I weren’t able to make it to the first performance on the 25th because we had Kindergarten orientation for the twins. However, we made it over to Childs before it was over. We watched the end of it through the windows in the gym doors. That little glimpse made us eager for the next day when we could see the whole thing!
Aunt Sharon, Aunt Barbara, and Uncle Doug were able to attend the Thursday performance. On Friday Linda and I took Declan and Owen to see it. We also took some sunflowers and candy (Wonka brand of course) to give to Kieran after he came off stage. For the Saturday afternoon performance Linda and I were joined by Aunt Barbara and Kieran’s Aunt Tanya. For the final performance I was joined by Aunt Barbara and Kieran’s Aunt Beth and Uncle David.
How would I describe the show? It was amazing. The kids all did an excellent job. The set was beautiful. The costumes were wonderful. I am extremely grateful to the PTO members who volunteered countless hours to make it happen.
I am so very proud of Kieran. He worked really hard to do his best and that’s exactly what he did. I knew he’d do a good job, but sitting in the audience and looking up at him on the stage I was awe struck. He was a star.
The banner hung outside the gym
This is where Kieran first appears in the show during the Golden Age of Chocolate song
The Candy Kids and the Oompa Loompas join Willy Wonka for the opening number called The Golden Age of Chocolate
Charlie and his family at home - Mr. Bucket is reading about the Golden Tickets
Outside Charlie's house some of the candy kids wait for the Candy Man
The Candy Man
The Golden Ticket holders waiting outside the candy factory gates
Willy Wonka comes through the factory gates singing Pure Imagination
Pure Imagination is almost over - Then they go inside
Augustus has fallen into the river and is getting his Oompa Loompa lesson
Continuing the chocolate factory tour with only four kids left
Veruca is covered in trash after going down the Bad Nut chute
After Mike Teevee is transmogrified by Wonka Vision the role is played by a Ken Doll - Willy Wonka is not pleased with him
Mike Teevee and the Oompa Loompas
Willy Wonka tells Charlie that he is giving him the chocolate factory
Willy has given Charlie the factory by this point
The entire cast out for the bow to the audience
Got this picture of Kieran as he left the stage after the second performance
Willy Wonka and Mrs. Teevee after a performance
Kieran posing with the very impressive factory set
Linda and I with Kieran and the factory set
Kieran and his proud parents - A close up
Kieran and the show's director Mrs. Little
Aunt Tanya came out for one of the performances
May 16
SingStar and Rock Band are pretty popular in our house. Auntie Beth has them both, and Linda quite often joins her. So do the rest of us sometimes. Declan and Owen like SingStar quite a bit. Although they tend to mumble the vocals, but I do that too if I don’t know them.
Owen and Declan singing along to SingStar
May 16
I’m glad to be working on garden beds instead of snowmen since it means it’s warmer. However, back on February 28th we did have some great packing snow. So the boys and I headed outside. Here are the results:
Owen wanted to make his own little snowman and here it is
The boys with the big snowman we all worked on. They posed him with swords.
Kieran and the snowman battle to the death - or something like that
May 16
Beginning in September 2008 I became the Den Leader for a great group of Webelos Scouts. Webelos is the name of the scouting rank that is technically part of Cub Scouts, but is focused more on getting the boys ready to be Boy Scouts.
We set about working our way through the Webelos program and earning the highest award a Cub Scout can achieve, The Arrow of Light. Along the way I always had the support of a wonderful group of parents. No matter what I needed, I know I could count on them. So I want to thank Kathy, Nancy, Gregg, Christine, and Jackie. You made it possible to give the guys a good Webelos experience.
Over the year and a half we earned some activity pins, belt loops, and patches. We spent some time at Camp Munhacke for Resident Camp, Haunted Munhacke, and several other events. We tried to make our way through a corn maze with a GPS. We did woodworking projects in my garage in the cold months. (Perhaps not my best planning effort, that.) We raced Pinewood Derby cars. We raced up and down the sidewalk.
In the second year we had to figure out which Boy Scout Troop we wanted to join. The four boys knew they wanted to stick together and join a troop together. There are three Troops in Ypsilanti. They all invited us to attend their troop meetings. They planned campouts and hikes for us to join too. They each gave us a feel for how they work and how their existing scouts work together. In the end all of the boys and us parents agreed that we felt the most comfortable with Troop 240.
So on February 8th Pack 295 has their annual Blue and Gold banquet. All four of the boys in my den earned their Arrow of Light and received it at the banquet awards ceremony. After the awards ceremony the folks from Troop 240 joined us up on stage for the Crossover. I was proud to see the four boys Kane, Zack, Matthew, and Kieran walk across the bridge from the Cub Scout Pack to the Boy Scout Troop. The Troop even surprised me by having me walk over the bridge too. They switched my uniform from Cub Scout blue to Boy Scout green as well. Pretty sneaky those Boy Scouts. It worked, as I’m now an Assistant Scoutmaster in the Troop.
Kane, Matthew, Zack, and Kieran starting the Arrow of Light award ceremony
Kieran holds up the Arrow of Light
Everybody's parents joined them for the big award presentation
Here are the new Boy Scouts with the other representatives of Troop 240
May 16
Time to start catching up. Way back in December we went to Kieran’s school for a function and it turned out that Santa was there. This was probably announced at some point, but before we arrived I was unaware. Oops. So after a quick trip back home for the camera, the boys met Santa. It was a much more laid back setting than the mall! Owen seems completely unimpressed.
Santa came to school. I wonder if he was checking report cards.
