Another Year Bites the Dust

So it's been a busy week in Wiferville - Youngest Daughter's birthday was a week ago, my birthday was Thursday, and Oldest Daughter was in her first high school musical this weekend.

It's a weird thing to have a kid in high school.  In elementary school, your kids start kindergarten and you're all gung ho to get involved and make a difference and make cookies together and feel like you can make a difference and everyone will LIKE you, they'll really LIKE you.  By about third grade all of the moms at my elementary had discovered I'm a total hack at mothering properly, and I went back to work and ruined my home life so now I'm the "Oreos and nail painting" mom who shows up at all school events on my third day without a shower and meth eyes.  Fortunately my kids seem to run on autopilot well, as they are all clean and on honor roll and no one is pregnant or in rehab at this time.

But then your kids get older and this really interesting thing happens - they start getting your jokes and listening to the same music and being fun.  And you realize that you don't need to approval of other moms to be happy, and the focus goes back to guiding this cool person you built through the morass that is middle school.  High school has been the most fun yet, probably because mentally I am a high schooler, so I'm back on the Mother Ship with the other aliens.

Me, dropping kids off at school.  "Beee goooooodddd."

Hand to God, ET looks younger and better rested than I do right now.

My nose is bigger but we could both use some eyebrow work.

Neck and chin?  Identical.  We must share the same grandma.

So OD was in this musical, Anything Goes, and she was Female Passenger and Reporter #1.

She's in the yellow dress in front on the right. 

She's so sweet I could sop her up with a biscuit.

Opening night was Thursday, and all of my bitching about the crazy schedule for the musical and how many redonkulous hours that had to put into it melted away as I watched my baby walk across the stage looking gorgeous and confident and happy, and I cried a little.  A senior girl whom we've known for a few years stepped on the stage as Hope Harcourt, sang her opening song, was completely amazing, and proceeded to make me openly cry like a baby.  I looked over at her parents, who were just moonfaced and smiling, looking at their only child on that stage, and I thought, "Dear God, that's OD in three years."  Three years may seem like a long time, but in high school time that is about 14 months.
Now that you've been spashed with estrogen, some quick bullet points on who was in the audience:

1. Grandma and Grandpa Loud Talker.  I know you are old, and with my advancing age I can respect that.  But if you can't tell that you are talking with each other through the entire first Act louder than the lead is speaking, maybe go home and watch the original version on DVD.
2. Machine Gun Laugher.  Like Fran Drescher, but in monotone and without the charm.  joke.  hehehehehehehehehe.  joke.  hehehehehehehehe.  joke.  hehehehehehehehehe.
3. The entire Whooping Cough ward from the hospital.  Cough drops, people.  They're sold at all major drug stores.
4. "What Did They Say?" Man.  Move on Dude, because you're missing the next joke too.
5. "My Kid's A Lead!" Mom, who laughs before the kid finishes the joke.  Had OD told jokes, or been a lead, this would've been me.
6. The Crying During a Comedy parent.  Me.  Because this just can't be happening.

I'm assuming Anne Hathaway's mom has this same list of concerns.

Have a happy week ahead Wifers!