Mermaid Song

This morning we started out at KidPak, and it was the start of a pretty long day!  Of course, it was the final Sunday of our "The Spirit Awakens" series, which went very well I must say.  Everyone was so happy with the way it turned out, especially me.  My personal level of expectation was pretty high, and the only thing I was disappointed in was the fact that I didn't have time to create my own gonk droid.  Maybe next time!

Anyway, this service went well, as Madison and our congregation enjoyed it.  Seriously, we have over 800 kids again, even with the Gwinnett Campus now at maximum capacity.

After the second service, we were off and running over to Brenau once again, which is our home away from home.  That's basically my college now, as we go there three times a week, and in this case four.  Today's reason for going was a production called "The Mermaid Song."

Here's Madison with some mermaids after the show.  This is the same production company that put together "Pecos Bill" last year, "Sleeping Beauty" the year before, "Wonderland" the year before that and so on.  We go every year, and it's always a great time.  It's a short production, but the kids love it - and the adults do too.  The costumes are always so elaborate, and the set work is really nice as well.

I love our seats.  At the Pearce Auditorium, these have become our seats, as we sit here for nearly every production.  We buy the tickets well in advance, and this is where we know to go.  It's the front of the balcony, which we picked for those times we knew Madison might have a hard time seeing.  So up front we sit, overlooking things.  We've sat here for years, through many different events over the years.

The set was nice as well.  It's of course limited by its location and budget, but those responsible do such a great job each year.  We got there just in time, and found our seats.  Surprised though, by the fact that some of Madison's ballet friends were seated just behind us.  Also, some of our KidPak friends had just seen the play yesterday.  So this is getting to be a pretty popular thing to do each October.  It's always at the beginning of October, and we're already wondering what they'll do next year... hmmm...

In the meantime, after the show, there was ice cream as always.  We bought the tickets for the day that featured an ice cream party afterwards.  This is tradition that goes back a few years as well.  And of course, with the ice cream, there is a chance to meet all the characters again.  Not only do we meet all the characters in their full costume (above is the sea witch), Madison also has them sign her program booklet.  She's got four program booklets signed by all the actors and actresses.  It's sort of like a Disney experience there with an autograph book!

Here she is with the main two cast members, who did a great job with the performance.  It was a perfectly lovely afternoon, and when we walked out, we ran into another tradition apparently:  the blessing of the pets.  Seriously, last year we walked out of the auditorium and there were clergy members blessing different animals that folks brought by.  There were all kinds of cats and dogs there that we saw, and even a horse. 

We got home and Daddy continued typing away on his computer.  There are a few more messages to write for our cowboy series, and he's got to finish them by tomorrow's deadline in order to have them printed in time.  They'll be done!

We did manage to squeeze in "Hotel Transylvania 2," and some more of "The Qwikpick Papers."  But it was an early night for all of us, including Daddy.  The reason?  Fall Break is now over, and tomorrow it is time to go back to school.  We all have to get up early.  But early to bed, early to rise.  It's been an incredible fall break, that's much is certain.