Lasts are hard

Yesterday Emma stayed home from school, sick.  She was actually sick, not my-brother-is-home-from-his-mission-so-I-don't-want-to-go-to-school sick, like certain unnamed eighth graders were last week.

I let her sleep most of the morning but then woke her up because she needed to be able to sleep at night and she had to go to her regional choir festival.

Emma and Braeden chatted and chatted and Braeden said, "I'm so happy!  I realized why.  Because I'm with Emma!"

It doesn't matter how prickly she can be sometimes.  Emma's brothers adore her.  We all do.

After lunch we had silent reading time which is what we used to do back in the salad days when I home schooled those lovelies.  It was my favorite time of the day back then and yesterday I loved sitting around with them, reading.

Then we took Emma to the school where her festival was and went to pick up Mark from his school.  Then we were going to go back and watch her perform.  On the way, Emma called and said she needed her choir robe which was at her high school.  So we went there.  Braeden knew where the choir room was and if you want to get looks, go striding into PGHS wearing a missionary name tag.  And seriously, that kid strides.  I struggle to keep up with him.

There was another boy in the choir room and he was dithering because there were all these robes and did he need to take them to Lone Peak High School?  Braeden said he was there to get his sister's robe.  The boy said, "Yeah, I was going to bring it to her because I saw she didn't have it earlier."

We left and Braeden said, "How did he know Emma was my sister?"

No idea.  Super recognizer?

We got to the school and the boy, the patron saint of all choir robes, climbed out of a nearby car.  "Do you want me to take it to her?" he asked Braeden.  Braeden handed him the robe.

Before Emma's choir performed, we heard American Fork High School's choir sing.  They sang well.  Braeden asked, "Is Emma's choir better than this?"  I said I didn't know and Braeden looked at me like I had deserted the army.

Emma's choir took the stage and they were better.  They sounded amazing and I was so glad to be there.  At some point I realized it was one of the lasts.  Why do kids have to turn into rotten seniors and leave their mothers anyway?  There will be one more choir concert but the end of year concert is never as good.  It's more of a fun concert and they have sung all the real music earlier.  I soaked up the expression on my Emma's face as she joyfully sang her little heart out.

She's easy to spot.  Even though she has the same hair color and basic complexion as all the girls, she's the one with the red red lips!

Her brothers gave her a standing ovation and I didn't.  Mostly because I would have started crying.

Don't judge me.

Emma was confused about how the boy who delivered her choir robe got it in the first place and how he even knew who she was.  She keeps to her introverted self and she's always surprised when people know her.

I'm not surprised.  If I went to school with her, I'd want to know her.