The last time

Saturday night I watched the last high school musical with my Braeden on stage.  I have enjoyed every moment.  Before the show, I was filling out a "cast-o-gram" to send a treat backstage to my kids.  On Emma's, since she helps make it snow in the poppy field from way up high in the catwalk, I wrote, "There's no business like snow business."

I know, how did I get so clever?

Then I was filling out Braeden's and I couldn't think of anything to write that wouldn't make me dissolve right then and there in front of the concession stand in a puddle of tears.

I had to pull myself together.

And I did pretty well.  No tears.  I knew the exact moment when Braeden saw me in the crowd and he gave me a rascally smile when he was dancing onstage in what was made to look like his underwear.

I stood and clapped my heart out at the curtain call.  Partly because my heart was up on the stage.

Emma emerged first and I hugged her and told her it was all brilliant.  Then she dutifully said, "I'd better go help," because they were striking the set.

Then Braeden came out.  He grabbed me in a long hug and kissed the top of my head.  He hugged everyone else we were with then came back to Adam and me.  He put one arm around each of us and said, "Thank you for letting me do this."

Then he looked at me and said, "I almost cried at the end."

I looked up into his face and saw that his tears were near the surface and that did me in.  Tears filled my eyes and then he started crying and then he wrapped me up in his arms and have I mentioned how much I like that guy?

We both dried our tears and he headed backstage to help and we headed to the car and that was that.

The last time.

I found out they will put some good pictures of the show on the drama website eventually.  For now I have some that Olivia took at one of the shows.  She was using our camera, which is nothing fancy.  She asked me how to zoom and I couldn't remember.  Sigh.

(Sometimes I'm not much.)

"Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore."

Braeden was too tall to be on his knees like the rest of the Munchkins so he popped his head out a door.

The Munchkin Mayor cracked me up.

So did Braeden's expressions...

Braeden is the cranky tree on the right.

Here's an iconic there's-the-Emerald-City shot:

The Winkies--that's Braeden right in the center

Above is where some of the Winkies (Braeden's the middle one) attacked the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion.  The Winkies lost the battle and had their clothes stolen so here's where they danced in their underwear after the witch died.

It's blurry but it made me laugh every time.


Here's where the Wizard is trying to take Dorothy home but she doesn't know where Toto is:

Here's Toto, making friends with Braeden. (Braeden!  Tell Dorothy where Toto is!)

And then here we are, back in Kansas:

It was a wonderful show, one of my favorites Braeden has been involved in.  I consider myself very fortunate to have been involved with all the wonderful high school theater I've known as a result of Braeden's participation.

It's been a good time.

After the show, the Wicked Witch, the Good Witch and Dorothy posed for pictures.

Olivia and Ruby, giving the Wicked Witch a wide berth.

Lili and Ruben--Ruben is my kinsman:  eyes closed for the picture