elsagrace.com

Blog

  • Cougar Mamas

    Cougar Mamas

    The teachers never perform at the evening performance of the variety show Liz (dark hair in front) had the idea that the volunteers that ran the show should get their moment in the spotlight. People agreed very reluctantly. I was on board right away. Liz also came up with the name “Cougar Mamas” for our act since the cougar is the mascot for IVE. At least half of our act had no idea of the double entendre of “Cougar Mamas”. Here is a picture from our one and only practice. Liz provided lots of liquid courage and Trish, our drummer, provided lots of laughs. We all wondered at the end of the night would it be as much fun on stage without the wine.

  • They will talk about this finale for years

    They will talk about this finale for years

    The surprise act at the end of the Variety Show included a group of
    teachers rocking out to the song “Old Time Rock N’ Roll.” To set the
    stage for their act we used some fog in a can. We had tested it before
    hand and used it in the opening number but this time the fire alarm
    went off after spraying some backstage. The fire alarm occurred right
    in the middle of three first graders dressed as angels singing so
    sweetly. The kids were so efficient and calm when it came to getting
    out of the school. The whole school had to evacuate and wait for the
    fire department to arrive and clear us for re-entry. There were at
    least 8 kids from the show outside barefoot including Monti. By the
    time we got back inside the kids had to catch buses to go home so the
    teachers never made it on stage.

  • Nerves

    Nerves

    Monti woke at 5:30 am the morning of the Variety Show full of nerves.
    When asked what was making her so stressed we found out it wasn’t the
    fact that she would be singing a solo in front of more than 300
    people. Instead she was terrified she would hold up her sign the wrong
    direction during a skit act she performed with her friend Morgan.
    Right before she went on stage for the skit she started to tear up
    regarding the issue of the dreaded sign. I quickly resolved all fears
    by volunteering to walk out on stage myself carrying the sign when the
    appropriate line was read. During the daytime performance I walked out
    with the sign covering my face. Lots of kids in the audience were
    whispering things like “That’s really her mom.” After the performance
    Monti asked that I not cover my face with the sign. She wanted me to
    really act mad which she said I should be very good at doing.

  • Continuous line art

    Continuous line art

    The project seemed very simple but even “simple” with a class of
    kindergartners can have its fair share of frustration. The kids were
    to create a design using straight or curved lines but they had to do
    it without ever lifting their pen off the paper. As a parent volunteer
    you want to help several children instead of focusing on your own but
    Dahlia just wasn’t getting it. I finally took her hand and physically
    helped her make some designs. These are the moments when I crave more
    patience.

  • Program

    Program

    At last year’s variety show I decide that I could at least volunteer
    to design the programs the following year. I found myself not being
    able to give up on the idea of doing the programs so on top of
    everything else I was doing I tackled the programs also.

  • Grandma at the bus stop

    Grandma at the bus stop

    Joe’s parents came to Issaquah several days before we left for our Mexico trip.

  • backstage

    backstage

    Organization was key for the prop and mic changes. A group of fifth
    grade boys helped run the production from backstage. I was so
    impressed with how serious they took their jobs.

  • setting up some wireless

    setting up some wireless

    After skiing we stopped at Grimaldi’s Coffee shop where Joe set up an Apple Airport so people could get onto the wifi network while sipping their drinks.

  • sucked into the TV

    sucked into the TV

    This is the normal site I see when we eat at a restaurant with a TV
    playing. Joe and the girls become absolutely engrossed in whatever
    program they are showing. Here they are watching downhill skiing.

  • making room

    making room

    The room off the stage has been used for years to store extra school
    stuff. I wanted to find space in that room to use as true back stage
    area. Three hours later I had the space I wanted. The first picture is
    in the beginning when it was difficult to walk a few feet into the room.