Fall Festival 2012

When Cortlan and Everly started attending the school that they currently attend, Cortlan began in the "California Room" with Ms. Kaylee.  Everly was but a not-quite-18-month-old at the time.  As I went down the hall to pick Everly up the other day, the 18-month olds toddled by.  I could hardly believe that my little "big" girl was that little when she started...and now she is in the California Room with Ms. Kaylee.

Each year, the school hosts a Fall Festival, complete with refreshments, decorations, a stage, and lots and lots of practicing.  Thinking back to Cortlan's first Fall Festival with Ms. Kaylee, I remember being so excited to see him on the stage for the first time.  While some kids cried because they clearly didn't want to be there and other kids hammed it up and grabbed everyone's attention, Cortlan fell somewhere between the extremes.  He stood quietly, occasionally mouthing a word or two, but mostly stood there in some sort of trance.  He did much of the same, with slight improvements, last year. 

This year, as we headed into the fall festival, I had high expectations.  Kindergarten (or perhaps just getting older) has changed Cortlan in a positive way - he is becoming more confident.  He loves to learn and tell people what he knows.  And who knows, maybe the hours he has spent in the high school auditorium watching play rehearsal has made him realize what performing on stage can be like and that you don't have to be nervous if you are prepared.  Cortlan had certainly prepared.  For what seemed like months (I actually think it was), he practiced his lines for the Thanksgiving alphabet - he was E for Explore - and his songs, including What a Wonderful World, which incorporated a sign language component.  He seemed ready.

 

And he was.  He spoke confidently, he sang the songs, and he signed the signs.  When they played bells to the song I have Peace like a River, he hit every note with his bright orage bell.

 

Everly also seemed very prepared going into this year's festival.  She had been singing rousing renditions of The Farmer had a Tree and more for quite a while.  Keeping in mind what Cortlan did at her age, I wasn't sure what to expect once she got on stage.  Her class had the same dynamic as Cortlan's three-year-old class did a couple of years ago - again, there were the attention seekers and the wall flowers.  Everly seemed to attempt to hide behind a friend most of the show, but when I could see her, she was singing...or at least mouthing the words.  She did a great job, but was clearly not in her element on stage.

 

 

 

They both did a great job, and I was the ever beaming mom through the entire thing.  I was, and am, so proud of them both.