Busy Little Bees.

It has taken a while for our year to settle into a rhythm.  With the change of government last year Caitlin wasn't even sure she would have a job this year, let alone any extra hours ~ & extra hours she needs.  We have waited & waited while school sorted it's timetabling out because the little island school is bursting at the seams.  I know.  I am reading with the top grade Tuesday mornings & everyone is packed in like sardines.

No, teacher aiding is not what Cait wants to do but it pays her bills & leaves her time enough for her music ~ though after this week we are both dragging ourselves round like shipwrecks!  Cait is working 5 days a week!  Yay.  Well, I'm saying yay.  Cait was hoping for 4, but 5 works.

Meanwhile we were waiting on confirmation of her placement with a choir with her singing academy, Vocal Manoeuvres.  After nearly 10 years AVAE has been disbanded & all the children I watched grow up & develop musically under Alison have been promoted into other choirs.

 The one I think we were both hoping for was Exaudi Australis.   I adore Exaudi.  Like many of Alison's choirs it is quite small with a big, big sound, but the musicians are musically incredible & their repertoire spectacular.  Exaudi gets all the really fun stuff  & often plug holes in the other choirs also so lots & lots of opportunities to sing & perform all sorts of music.  Exaudi is where you want to be.  As it turns out  Cait has been offered two places; one with the youth ensemble who are immediately rehearsing Dido & Aeneas.  Opera?  Really?  What I have heard so far is lovely.  Purcell I think.  Alison does a lot of Purcell & I can see why.  Besides, she has those counter tenors!

Auditions were still going for Exaudi so we waited ~ & we waited, knowing that Cait is not a private singing student, baulked at doing her exams & has always had to work harder than anyone else just to keep pace with her choir.  Not helped by a prolonged hiccup as her voice changed.  Now we have confirmation!  I am so happy for her because I know she will enjoy the challenge & get so much out of her music this year!  Bonus, she is also now on a scholarship!  To say I am super proud of her is something of an understatement!

 So we are in rehearsals Monday nights & Thursday nights.  Monday isn't too bad.  We make either the nine or the 10 o'clock boat but Thursdays is a disaster.  We miss the 10 by something like 5 minutes & the 11  doesn't get us home till nearly midnight.  We are tired. However we will adjust.  The funny is last Thursday I was comfortably propped up in the foyer on my lonesome ownsome with my book & my phone  being regaled by Cooparoo's Pipe & Drum band on one side & Exaudi singing classical on the other!  Good thing I like the bagpipes!  They sounded pretty good too!  Sounds like that may be a regular thing.

And if you're wondering why I'm still choofing my 18 yr old round, it is very simple.  We need to replace our mainland car, which has become a little unreliable & until that happens I am still travelling with Cait for safety reasons.  We have plans in place if she misses the last boat & will be upgrading to paid parking as parks are at a premium & some nights we drive round for ages before we snavel one.  With 2 of us, it's not too bad but once Cait is travelling alone we want her as safe as possible with a secure parking spot, well lit walking to the jetty & somewhere to crash should she miss the last boat.

I felt from the Lord not to do R.I this year but put my hand up to read with the year 6s.  I go straight from our early morning prayer meeting to reading with 11/12 year olds.  We have our first lot of training manuals through so will be beginning that soon as well plus our Luke will be down from Hamilton for a few weeks next month.  Or the one after.  As always his plans are a little vague.

So yeah; we're busy.  And you?