2010-04-30 The Crazy Month of May

The beautiful springtime month of May brings a really busy time for the Tatars. Again. In case I wind up taking a week or two off from writing, this serves as your heads-up as to why.

Here’s what May looks like. My son Jonathan performing in Metea Valley’s first ever musical “The Pajama Game”, Waubonsie Valley’s “Les Miserables”, Girl Scout meetings, Driver’s Ed for Jonathan, jury duty for me, Granger’s “Grease”, yardwork for my husband. My daughter Kathy playing violin in three performances at our family’s last Waubonsie Valley Fine Arts Festival while I spend the morning at the orchestra apparel table, a Taylor Swift concert for Kathy and a New York voices concert for my Jonathan that evening, then my birthday and Mother’s Day, Fourth Grade State Board Game Night at Brooks for my youngest daughter Allie, a few AP exams for Kathy, and several Irish Dance rehearsals for Allie.

But wait, that’s not all. Next we have the Waubonsie Valley Green and Gold Awards Ceremony with Kathy at the same time Jonathan has dress rehearsal for the Spring Choir Concert, which the following night overlaps with the annual Brooks Family Picnic. May 14 brings prom for Kathy, including lots of pampering for her thanks to our “win” at the inaugural Metea Valley PTSA auction, and a bunch of her friends coming over before and after the dance. The next day brings Metea Valley’s first ever Fine Arts Festival including two concerts for Jonathan and my second time working at a choir event in just three days. Sunday brings us our Kathy’s last Waubonsie Orchestra Awards Banquet.

Then things really pick up. Monday the 17th brings finals for Kathy and a concert rehearsal, the 18th brings more finals and her last day of high school, followed by the Orchestra Pops Concert that evening, which I don’t think I’ll get through without a few tears. Next comes senior brunch, Baccalaureate, and graduation practice. This weekend is a busy one. Friday evening includes the first Metea Valley Music Department Awards Ceremony for Jonathan and a going away party at our house for my oldest daughter Jessica’s boyfriend who is leaving the following week for the Air Force. Saturday is Kathy’s 18th birthday and her celebration with friends, and Allie’s annual Irish Dance concert. Sunday is graduation day. Sometime during this weekend we’ll find time for Kathy’s family birthday dinner.

At this point, the new grad can relax and get back to her preferred schedule of staying up half the night and sleeping half the day while she gets ready for her big party the following weekend, and her three siblings are all still in school. Allie will have Field Day at school and will be looking forward to going to White Pines with her Girl Scout troop in June. The end of the year in fourth grade is more fun than high school, where Jonathan will be taking finals at Metea, or college, where Jessica won’t have her finals until June.

Memorial Day weekend brings the last day of school for my two youngest, auditions for Fox Valley Park District’s “Alice in Wonderland” and the big graduation party.

In the midst of it all I’ll also have some PTA and IPPC meetings and attempt to keep up with work and all the usual things that need to happen. I just realized there will be five parties at our house in just four weekends. We are fortunate to have so much to celebrate, but why does it all have to happen at once?

Whew.