Big parental rite of passage to-nite with our first ever attendance at one of the ol' end of school musical show-down things.  And yes, it was total cute overload.  I have two kids somewhere on that stage, I think.  Not sure.

None of these kids are mine, but three flutes and a clarinet and other peoples' kids are really cute, too.  You go there thinking you can't leave until you've watched a couple more groups after your kids are done--don't want to insult other parents you might get paired with when volunteering at the next carnival.  You scan the program carefully, deciding "okay, we can stay for these four acts, but we absolutely have to leave before 'Recorder Blues' comes on."  

But really, I made it through "Recorder Blues" without even realizing it.  I mean, all those kids, and they're happy and holding their hands to their eyes so they can try to spot their folks in the audience, and I don't even know.  I started thinking adoption, but I was pretty sure all these kids already had parents.  Just one of the cutest things and no, I don't think it will get old after a few years of it.

And then to top it all off I got to take this picture in the parking lot, one of those "Life is Good" sticker sets that get under my skin so with all their smugness, where you have a sticker for every member of the family to illustrate how everything is just fine in America.  These things carry implied messages, though, just like "Support the Troops" really means "Shut up about the war you cowardly French Pinko Hippie you can't handle the truth."  "Life is Good," on the other hand, I think reads "Shut up about raising my taxes your [sic] just jealous my kids go to a better school than yours."

Because the stickers above appear to have had Dad removed at some point, they suggest a different story: "Life is Not So Good" or maybe "Life is Sad."  Always have your camera with you.