Sentimental + slightly harrowing journey

Yesterday we walked to Orem Junior High to watch Seussical Jr. which their theater program was presenting.  It is always a wild time walking there (crossing 8th North!) and keeping an auditorium full of excited elementary students civil in the minutes leading up to the show.  

Then we walk back and they are all thirsty or have to use the bathroom or wonder what time it is.

But Seussical!  It brought back many many happy memories of when this boy was a Wickersham brother:

He was 15!  And having the very time of his life.

Hearing all the songs brought back all the drama mama feels.  It is so exhilarating to watch kids you love (and I loved his friends too) sing and dance their little hearts out.  And I loved seeing the joy on their faces during the curtain call.

There was one girl who attended Bonneville in the show.  She was in Janelle's class, not mine, but I was excited to see her.  The cast greeted us as we filed out of the auditorium and she shyly said, "Hi, Mrs. Davis."

She had played a very sassy sour kangaroo on stage, but she was just a sweet little girl after all, hoping a Bonneville teacher remembered her.

I do!

We got to see Mr. Dawson, our old principal, who is now the principal at Orem Junior High.  One of my boys threw his arms around him.  This is the same boy who asks me multiple times a day for a hug, or just walks up and gives me one.

I had That Student (I'm sure you can imagine) walk at the head of the line with me and I had an intrepid parent volunteer head up the back of the line.  Every 2nd through 6th grader from our school was making the walk and I turned around frequently and counted heads.  At every intersection, I made sure we had everyone before we crossed.  The Orem police helped us cross 8th North which was very kind of them.  

While we were walking back after the show and students were a little whiny and lagging, things got interesting really fast when four police cars, an ambulance and two fire trucks zoomed past, sirens blaring.  They were heading right toward Bonneville and I felt a brief panic because all that was left there were the first graders and kindergartners.  Our principal was even with us!  But when we got closer, it was not our school, but a nearby house which had been run into by a car!

We kept everyone moving and on the sidewalk (it helped that they were hungry + thirsty + needed to use the bathroom).  When the answer to, "Teacher, I need to use the bathroom!" is "The school is the closest bathroom," they are motivated.

We made it back.  Everyone safe and sound.  Well, everyone except the house....