The Trombonists!

 Last night was Ma-lak and Rea's band  concert - it was seriously the funniest and most chaotic crazy concert ever.  We got there just as the first wave was leaving, apparently a couple other schools pooled together and had a concert right before ours!  No parking and nowhere to sit, and the kids all had to sit with their parents WITH their instruments till they were called up, and then they had to arrange and organize everyone and THEN they had the concert!  Hilarious.  The best part was every time they finished a song, all the kids stood up and started cheering for themselves, raising their instruments in the air like their battle swords!  HUH?!?!?  I laughed so hard - it was so comical and so fun!   Audience participation during "Jingle Bells" - all the parents had to get out their car keys and jingle and sing along.   (We let Ni'ke and Ya'shar do the honors.)  :)

 Last year Ma-lak played the baritone, and this year he decided to switch to trombone, which is what Rea finally decided on after changing her mind at least 6 times.  This year they were the only two trombone players except for one other boy, and they only had one baritone player!  This is something that has NOT changed in 30 years... When I played the clarinet in band, there were a gazillion flutes and clarinets, and like one dude playing trombone.

 What?!  Could it BE????  A family picture?!  YES!!!  How do I photo-shop in David?... Please note that Ma-lak has not smiled in ANY of the pictures.  He is apparently way to cool to do that.  I kept saying, Ma-lak, just smile like you do when you are just walking around being happy! Show some teeth!"  No luck...

My amazing husband, so cooperative with having his picture taken... (Thank you, my love!)

Ni'ke in a pose

 Waiting for the concert to start

Thankfully Ni'ke hasn't grown much - she is wearing her dress from last year!  I love that dress though, so I'm glad it still fit! Rea on the other hand is so tall and has outgrown everything she owns in the past 6 months.  Her dress is a size 14 girls!! She's only nine.... NINE!!!

Selfie shot!

We were so far away and you could barely see Ma-lak and Rea, but I just couldn't bring myself to climb out over a dozen people and fight my way to the front for a up-close picture. I stayed in my seat where it was safe...

Great job, Matanzas and Village Elementary Schools!!