'Tis the season (for concert halls, sanctuaries, and gymnasiums)

This year, we attended a whopping ten Wernet-kid concerts and performances in the span of three weeks. It's always lovely to see them on stage after all their hard work, but it's also nice to have some free evenings again. We can pretty much summarize our Christmas season in photos from auditoriums, churches, and school gyms! Here they are, in order:

1) Nellie's Chamber Ensemble recital for the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony

2) Annie in Elf Jr. with the Midway Theater Company

This was such a fun show; I saw it three times! Annie played Shawanda the elf and a Macy's saleswoman.

3) Spartan Youth Wind Symphony winter concert - It was pretty awesome to see Nellie play at the Wharton Center! We were glad we didn't bring the other kids, though - it was a 2.5 hour concert with the MSU Wind Symphony playing as well.

4) Grand Ledge Bands winter concert

The kids didn't get off so easily this time, but it was a fun concert with lots of good Christmas music. Mary's favorite was Minor Alterations, which "sounds like Christmas music, but scary!"

5) K-3 Christmas show at LCS

Eddie was a shepherd this year

After a three-year hiatus, it was great to see this LCS staple again

6) Church Christmas kids' show: Psalty's Christmas Calamity! I waited about 36 years for this show...I used to listen to it nonstop on vinyl as a kid. 

After months of rehearsals, DJ, Eddie, and Mary finally got to share their singing and dancing with us. DJ's come a long way in his church performance career, playing Joseph this year! 😅

7) 4-12 concert at LCS - I missed DJ's first-ever concert (he's playing saxophone in band) when I was out with Covid, so this was especially cool to get to see. Annie did great on a percussion-heavy piece.

8) Grand Ledge Collage Concert - It was my first time seeing this unique annual show, and it was amazing! Nellie played flute in several "acts," and it was great to see her friends sing solos and sing with the choirs.

Oh, and we had the opportunity to do the advent reading at church. Everyone took part!

And finally, a bonus  picture of our annual Cracker Barrel trip:

Fall Wernet-kid Roundup

Nellie: This fall, Nellie's main thing is band - marching band two nights a week, flute lessons once a week, football games on Fridays, matching band invitationals most Saturdays, and Spartan Youth Wind Symphony on Sunday afternoons. She's taking her first AP class (World History) plus Chemistry and Algebra 2, so she's figuring out some new time management and study skills! Nellie also stays busy after school with German Club, PALS, and Ecology Club. Fall homecoming was a highlight. We had fun doing some late-night dress shopping, meeting Ethan's parents, and taking a million pictures with friends before sending them off.

Nellie in front of the MSU music building before her first rehearsal

Annie: Annie is running cross country and rehearsing for Elf Jr. through Midway Theater Company. I enjoy seeing her every day - 8th grade is such a big year in middle school full of new opportunities for leadership and involvement. She's in a chapel worship team, is a student ambassador, and is playing percussion in band. When she's not at practice, she can usually be found having fun with her best friend, Lydia, whose mom is the new elementary principal so it works out great for those late afternoons at school.

DJ: DJ had a great soccer season playing with most of the same guys as the spring team. We learned through the trail run at Woldumar that he's FAST! In his first 5K, he beat all of us and my best time by...a lot. He tried out a fall season hitting league and started playing saxophone in band. He's liking 5th grade, and I get to see him more because his classroom is down in the middle school hall. DJ has a wonderful class and a great group of friends - I hope they hang out together for years to come!

Eddie: Eddie also chose to play soccer this fall and continued to learn and improve. He's still taking piano lessons and as a 3rd grader gets to learn ukulele in music class. Eddie was fortunate to get some invitations for cool experiences this fall, spending a weekend at Great Wolf  Lodge with a friend and attending an MSU basketball game with friends.

Eddie the sea lamprey - having fun at the new LSSU research center in Sault Ste. Marie

Mary: Mary is having a great year in 1st grade. She is loving school - her favorite thing to play when not at school is school! She didn't play any sports, but she's getting excited to try soccer this spring or next fall. Mary is growing more comfortable doing things without me, like spending time at her friend's house and hunting with Kevin.

DJ's finds

This morning, we had the rare occasion of having only one kid at home. Nellie was at a birthday sleepover, Eddie and Mary were with Grandma Lisa, and Annie was at musical rehearsal. That left DJ at home with no siblings, so of course I put him to work. He went upstairs for a few minutes to get the sheets of his top bunk and called me up a few minutes later. He wanted me to guess, gameshow style, what he'd found in his bed. In addition to the many, many, stuffed animals that live up there, he found:

• Four water bottles
• Three shirts
• Two pairs of shorts
• A box of tissues
• and 11 books! (including an overdue library book)

I'm not sure how DJ even fit!

First day(s) of school!

The LCS crew is already three weeks in! So far, so good - after the angst of waiting and waiting for school to start, everyone seems happy to be back with teachers and friends.

First day of 5th, 1st, 8th, and 3rd grade for these four! (left to right)

I was in MA leading a training on the first day of school, so technically my first day was the second day...my flight came in at 11:30 the night before, so I'm a bit tired.

And Nellie started 10th grade a full week later!

Mary Cate, age 6

Happy birthday, Mary Cate! Six looks good on her! She has changed a lot in the last year. She's braver and kinder; she finished kindergarten strong, tried her hand at her first team sport this summer - Grade Ledge T-ball, and started first grade a little nervous but head held high. She's working hard to keep up with her siblings and cousins, so she is often to be found riding hoverboards, climbing too high on playground equipment, and playing the Nintendo Switch. But Mary also likes to sneak away to play imaginative games by herself when the boys aren't paying attention. 

She's helpful and a little shy but anyone who has met her knows she's also fiercely stubborn! If little girls are made of sugar and spice, I'm pretty sure Mary got a double dose of both. She's equally likely to be yelling with indignation at her brothers as she is to be hugging them and telling them they're the "best brother ever." 

Having our youngest turn six feels a little crazy. As school starts, I'm often crossing paths with young pregnant moms who are picking up preschoolers and holding the hand of a toddler. I delight with them in the wonders of that stage and empathize with the challenges, and I can't say I miss those days. I am loving this window of having school-age kids, watching the teenagers down to first graders learning and growing together at home and school. 

We love you so much, Mary! I hope you have an AMAZING year.

Mary wallpapered my office with rainbows, hearts, and flowers

How do you feel about being six?  

Good. Amazing.

What makes you most excited about being six?

I can do the super trampoline at Defy! I can do more things that I was scared of doing when I was four or five.

What other kinds of new things can six-year-olds do?

Reach things on high tables.

Who are your best friends?

Hannah, Emma, Ebby, Abby, Ian, Mason. My family members. My cousins and stuff.

Who are your favorite people to play with?
The Panda Team. [Who's on the Panda Team?] Hannah, Emma, Abigail, and Mason. And me!

What kinds of things are you good at?

Climbing. I got better at it. Like anything I see that's possible to climb. I'm good at being kind to others. Helping others. Sharing - that's being kind to others. Basically everything involving others. Like Jackie Robinson was famous for helping others and being kind!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to work at Meijer.

Why do you want to work at Meijer?

You get to scan stuff, and they might be hiring at the delivery center. And you get to put the groceries in bags and spin the bags around to let people get their bags.

What’s your favorite song?   

Probably the soundtracks to Zombies 2 and 3. I just love the soundtracks.

What's your favorite food?
Macaroni and cheese. It's literally the best food ever.

Favorite drink?

Chocolate milk.

Favorite movie? 

Zombies 3.

Favorite book?   

All the Dog Man books. 

Favorite color?   
Yellow and blue. But not because I like Michigan! I don't like their team!

Favorite place to be?

Home.

What are your favorite things to do?   

I love riding my hoverboard, snuggling Laffy, snuggling you [mom], play Animal Crossing, read and draw pictures.

What is your favorite present that you got for your birthday?
Hoverboard! It's amazing because you can go super fast, and spin super fast then fall down on the couch.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?   
No.

Wise words from Mary

I recently had a conversation with Mary about dating after she learned that Nellie had gone out on a date.

Mary: Nellie cannot go out on a date! 

Me: Well, she did go out on a date.

Mary: She can't! She's too young!

Me: She's 15. She's a teenager, and I suppose teenagers go out on dates. How old do you think you should have to be to go on a date? 

Mary: You have to be older. You have to be a grown-up! You have to be married!

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After picking up Nellie from a friend's house: Careful, mom. People are going to think you're a kidnapper, there are so many kids in this car!

DJ, on survival

 At ten years old, DJ just told me, "Now that I know how to make nachos, I'm pretty sure I'll never starve."