7 posts tagged “little pirate”

• I met Vice President Walter F. Mondale.
• Actually, I co-arranged a lunch/lecture event in his honor.
  
• The University's Chancellor introduced me to Mondale.
  
• We packed the venue (holds 370), the overflow room (90) and the upper and bottom lobby (live-cast monitors in place).
  
• Event was covered by all the local media.
  
• Mondale was pleased, my boss was pleased, the chancellor was pleased, I'm pleased and still standing.
  
• There were few mishaps.
• Lp's being moved-up to fifth-grade reading; he's in third grade.
• I'm an event adrenaline junkie; today I got a good fix and a big high.
• It was not so cold.
• I'm not so stressed.
• My son's reading teacher called him "a rock star"
• I am a rock star.
  

I start my new job tomorrow. I've been waiting and hoping a long time for this opportunity, but of couse everrything is falling out of (instead of into) place. The little pirate is sick...again. Two weeks ago he was hit very hard by the flu. It was probably the scariest bout of sickness that I've seen him go through. I figured that we were now set for the season, as he usually has one debilitating bout of sickness per year.

But no. Last night he awoke at 3 a.m. with yet another high fever & was complaining of a stomach ache. He's pretty much been in & out of fever all day and complaining of stomach problems. The fevers have not been too high and he's been generally coherent and able to move about on his own, which seems better than last time. No puke or diarrhea either.  But I called the on call nurse tonight and given his symptoms, she suggested that I bring him into the emergency room within the next 4 hours. Well, all the little pirate wanted to do is go to sleep. My gut said "Let him sleep" so I'm followed LP's and my gut's advise; he's now sleeping.

My sister has agreed to watch him tomorrow because she has the day off. I called the woman I'm replacing and asked if it would be all right to come in at 9 instead of 8 and she said yes. Of course I think that I've already started out on the wrong foot before I have even started the job. Coming in late on the first day is really not how I wanted to begin. I also am supposed to leave early tomorrow  because I have to get a CAT scan, which I was supposed to get on Thursday but was blizzard bound to home.  I shouldn't put off the CAT scan again because I've been having some serious health problems of my own, but I don't think I can handel more than one health crisis at a time. Plus two health crisis and a new job all on the same day; I don't want to come in late and leave early on the first day of work.

I know all parents believe that their children are special, but my son is unique in ways that at times can be frustrating, but mostly he surprises and amazes.  The most appealing thing about childhood is the selfconfidence children have; they can do it all. LP is at that age where he is beginning to doubt his abilities to the point that he sometimes believes he can do nothing, which has caused problems at both home and school. However, this week I am completely amused by all he does.

On Monday, we decided to go audition for the Duluth Playhouse's production of "Holes."  We saw the movie a long time ago, but this was pretty much a blind audition because we really didn't know what roles there would be for young boys or their old moms. I've been wanting to get back into theatre for a while (one of my B.A.s is in theatre) but I think I make a better sound designer, director or playwright than an actor. Nevertheless, I've been acting in productions since I was 10 and am adept at filling out the audition form, admitting only to talents I know are talents. So basically I left that section blank. The Little Pirate, on the other hand, wrote on & on about his talents. He can sing, dance, is above average (yes, he put that), is a gymnist....I'm sure there was more but you get the idea.

Most of the children's roles are for older boys; the play itself is recommended for ages eight and up. But LP is a boisterous boy who can read at a fourth grade level, so even I am impressed when he reads scenes aloud. What really wowed the casting peeps, and me, was his song. Frankly, I think the boy has my singing ability -- he's not exactly in tune but loud. It was not his singing, but his choice in song and mannerisms that were impressive.

They asked LP to sing "Marry had a little lamb" and he said "I don't know that one, but I can sing the Navy theme song, "Anchors Aweigh." And LP sings,

"Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.
Farewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.
Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more,
Here's wishing you a happy voyage home."

His callback last night consisted of them taking a picture and telling him he was in the show. They cast LP as "townie," a citizen of Green Lake, Texas in the 1890s. Basically, he's the youngest cast member in a nonspeaking role they made for him because his audition was amusing. I'm cast as the mom of the main character, Stanley, and as somebody else. I can't wait until we get our scripts tomorrow so that I'll know exactly what I've gotten us into.