It’s been a week of focusing on theatricals with various rehearsals and preparations for upcoming performances.
It’s show week for Sophie as she’s performing in Made in Dagenham tonight and tomorrow and we’ve had all the excitement of getting into the theatre and the tech and dress rehearsals. My husband has been involved helping out with the get-in and I’ve been chaperoning at various rehearsals. It’s nice to be involved with the show and while I’ve seen bits of it at rehearsals and from the wings, I’m looking forward to seeing it properly tomorrow.
Sophie and I were both involved in various performances last Saturday. Sophie did her tap solo in a talent show and I sang several numbers in a concert with a couple of am-dram friends. Then I had a rehearsal for the Passion play which I’m performing in on Good Friday (playing Mary, mother of Jesus) on Sunday and a music hall rehearsal on Monday.
Thomas wanted to join in with the Passion play rehearsal and made me giggle when he grabbed someone’s jacket and threw it over his head like a headscarf and then stood next to the two Marys looking very serious.
Sophie has also been busy practising her dancing ready for two dance festivals over the next week and we’ve had play dates and practises with her duet partners to prepare for that too.
It’s been good to have the distraction in some ways. Underneath everything that’s been going on this week, I’ve been acutely aware of what was happening this time seven years ago in those last days of Jessica’s life. Yesterday was the anniversary of our last day out which ended with an emergency admission to hospital. We came home three days later with a big bag of meds and the hope that this would be what Jessica needed to get well again. 36 hours later, she was gone.
Over the last few years, we’ve focused on giving joy for Jessica on the anniversary, to honour our beautiful girl who gave so much joy in her life. Monday is going to be a busy day because of other things going on, but we will take some time to visit Jessica’s forever bed and find ways of sharing some joy in her memory.
What I’ve been grateful for this week:
- Day 94 – I am grateful that Thomas enjoyed making an Easter bonnet and for getting to see him joining in the Easter bonnet parade at school this morning.
- Day 95 – I am grateful for a lovely evening taking part in a concert.
- Day 96 – I am grateful for my funny boy making me giggle when he decided to join in our Passion play rehearsal.
- Day 97 – I am grateful for an afternoon in the sunshine with Thomas at Iver Environment Centre
- Day 98 – I am grateful for a fun trail around Black Park, learning about different animals and whether or not they lay eggs.
- Day 99 – I am grateful for a play date and some imaginative play.
- Day 100 – I am grateful for opportunities to bounce and burn off energy.
Other things that have made me smile this week:
- Thomas enjoying learning about the different parts of a flower.
- Spotting a small patch of forget-me-nots in the garden. They first appeared in the garden on Mother’s Day the year after Jessica died, but we hadn’t had any this year in the usual spot which made me feel sad. I was so glad when I spotted a few in another part of the garden.
- Thomas finding a “moon rock” at the park.
Joining in with Raisie Bay for Word of the Week.
Loving your Gilbert and Sullivan. Hope all the performances etc over the holidays go well. Hope you get to spend some time thinking of Jessica. Love the forgetmenots. We used to have a whole load with primroses that would come out in the front garden each year (planted by the in laws, but the front mud patch/garden is in front of our house/the lodgers so it’s kind of joint). But our lodgers next door decided to dig them all out and have only left a handful of primroses. I was gutted because I loved the carpet of forgetmenots.
Sounds like a busy but lovely week of theatricals. So lovely that you get time to remember and honor Jessica, too. I chuckled at Thomas’s attempts to get involved in the theatricals, too. Lovely touch to add the youtube video here. Beautiful singing. Hope all the performances went well too.
I had to giggle at your story of Thomas joining in. He has a sense of humour. It’s only this week that I noticed the forget-me-nots in our garden. Maybe they are later or I’ve been unobservant. You have so many performances on the go. What a busy time. I’m sure Jessica would have enjoyed the hustle and bustle too. I hope you can find time and peace at Jessica’s forever bed on Monday. Love the Easter bonnet and the concentration on Thomas’s face looking at the flower is priceless.
Good luck to Sophie in the show! It sounds like a busy week!
You are an amazing singer! Good luck with the show on Good Friday. It sounds like Thomas had fun at the rehearsals.
I will of course be thinking of you, your family and of course Jessica on Monday. xxx
I saw your Insta story of the cast coming out for a bow at the end. Well done, Sophie. I bet she was wonderful, as usual.
I love the photo of Thomas with the magnifying glass, he’s concentrating very hard.
I’m so glad the forget-me-nots have come out in time for Jessica’s anniversary; it’s like a little hello from her. I will be thinking of you all tomorrow and doing something joyful to remember Jessica.
I love to hear you sing Louise, what a treat. Sophie is such a natural, I hope she follows her dreams. I’ll spare a thought for Jessica on Monday and think of the joy your beautiful little girl brought us all.
You have a beautiful voice, congratulations to you both on your performances. I miss the easter bonnet parades now the kids are older, always had such fun making them
It must be so hard to remember, vividly, Jessica’s last days. I’m very sorry for your loss. xx
It must be so hard reliving those last few days and hours every year with Jessica. I know every single day without her is hard for you all as it is. I hope the forget me knots come back in other parts of the garden. I’ve noticed a lot of things coming up quite late this year compared to other years and other parts of the UK. I’ve got a pot of toffee me knots we planted for Bob that have started to spread around now. I hope the Made in Dagenham performance went well for Sophie. What is a moon rock? I’ve got poor wifi and the photos aren’t loading of Thomas.
Thank you – yes some things have come up late this year and I’ve noticed that the daffodils seemed to appear later than usual in the shops. The moon rock was just a dimpled grey rock – Thomas thought it looked like a piece of the moon.
You’re such a talented family! I enjoyed seeing the video of you singing.
It must be so hard to relive the last days of Jessica. There is nothing I can say that won’t sound cliched, but my heart goes to you, and I would like to give you a big hug.
It is lovely to see forget-me-nots in the garden.
Thomas looks so cute, studying the flower. And what a splendid Easter bonnet!