Time With Kai

 I've gotten to spend some time with Kai, and none of my other kids, twice in the past couple of weeks. The first was actually on Erik's birthday. We sent everyone off to McDonald's for dinner (Gramms and Abuelo were here) and we went to the marching band/color guard banquet. I didn't actually get to sit with her because the students sat together and the parents sat together at different tables, but I got to celebrate her successful season in color guard. 

They ended up making it to the semifinals at Nationals, winning 28th out of the 100 marching bands there. The week before, at Regionals here at Ford Field, they won 1st for Visual Effects and second overall, for the whole state of Michigan! We are so proud of their efforts and the hard work they put into it. I have already raved at how much work it is for the students, but the parents who are on the building committee put in crazy amounts of time for the props. They all have their daytime jobs, then would go to the school for an evening of creating all the props needed. They made the tables, the backdrop, the pots and pans stand, and more that I probably don't even realize. When I would pick up Kai from practice in the dark, there would be parents working away with their drills and hammers. Even on weekends. That's dedication! (and usually families with only 1 or 2 children...)

Way to go Plymouth Canton Marching Band!!

Ready to go!

Waiting to get in. Aren't face mask selfies the best??

Some props: a big receipt

menu (includes all the instruments listed as various foods)

awards

pots and pans stand

awards ceremony

band friends

flag run around at the end of the routine

some color guard friends

Laurel and Kai (first color guard friend)

Just this last weekend, I took Kai to Chicago with her bestie Olivia for our long-time planned MidWest Furfest. This is what she wanted for her 15th birthday, which is at the end of the month (during which time we will be in Costa Rica for Christmas with my mom and Jim and siblings with families).

What is Furfest?

Midwest FurFest was founded with two basic purposes: to provide our community with a place to educate themselves in the arts of anthropomorphic literature, art and performance; and to facilitate fundraising and donations to non-profit organizations which promote the wellbeing of humans and/or animals.

Furries are people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animals, or animals with human qualities. ... Furries represent their fursonas through art, writing, online identities, or in the creation of “fursuits,” which are elaborate costumes depicting the individual's animal.

That's what I went into the convention knowing about it, so I was still confused as to what to expect. Basically, I felt like I was at a convention with a bunch of mascots conversing and giving hugs to each other. Kai was beyond the moon excited about it and made her very own mask to wear, as do many furries. She's been working on it for a long time since she didn't have a lot of time during color guard. She knows a lot of furries from TikTok and was most excited about meeting them and taking pictures with them. Someone took a picture of her because they knew their little sister would love the mask that she made. Some other furry wanted to give her a hug because she just "looked so cute!" in her mask. We mostly wandered around to see all the furries and looked around the art fests that were there as well. Both of them bought a few things. Kai's purchases were mostly to make more fursuits. Olivia is not a furry, but she bought some crafty things and was Kai's "handler" to make sure her mask was intact and help her with navigating, though she seemed to be able to navigate fairly well in the mask. Olivia was a very good friend to come along and support Kai in this, even though it doesn't interest her. I was the "parent in tow", basically just a chaperone since they're both underage. I got a refund on my ticket for this very reason! 

some furry who saw me pull out my phone to take a picture

Kai and a famous Tik Tok furry

furries 

furries

famous furry

famous furry

Kai's favorite furry

another favorite

high fiving

famous furry

everyone either had a fursuit on or a facemask on

The art fests were so totally Kai, from everything they sold! The anime, homemade stickers, pins, drawings, stuffed animals, craft supplies, and more had Kai's name written all over them! It's no wonder she wanted to go!

if they didn't have a fursuit on, they would often be found  wearing a tail or ears

Kai  and Olivia

Santa and reindeer furries

Kai on the elevator

another poser

I even sported some ears!

The day went quickly, especially after waiting for an hour to prove we are vaccinated, and then more waiting to actually get in, so before long, Kai was hot and tired, as were Olivia and I. We made it back to the car so we could drive into the city and enjoy Chicago. We just walked around a bit, they had Starbucks, and then we ate at Shake Shack, before we went back to the car and hotel. For some reason, I got one of the worst stomach aches that I ever remember having (and I've had some bad stomach aches!) and I wanted to get them safely back to the hotel in case I decided to go to the hospital. If it kept going on like it had for the few hours that it did, I may have, but miraculously it got better on the way back to the hotel. If it hadn't, I would have thought it was appendicitis. Obviously, it was not since I'm alive and well. I've got a very sensitive stomach, so I'm used to it going crazy on me and then getting better. 

My stomach hurt so bad here!!

Since we swam the first night when we arrived, we just relaxed and played Headbands in the room after arriving back from Chicago. I got to watch some episodes of Friends, too, which was my most favorite show in high school!

We made it to a sacrament meeting Sunday morning, another miracle. It was so nice to be able to visit another ward and sing Christmas hymns with them. The testimonies were touching and just what I needed. When we left on Friday, I was a little frazzled by all the drama in Michigan with the school shooting so close by. My kids didn't have school Friday due to possible threats at our schools, plus the gunner's parents were on the run and there was just a weird feeling of panic in our area. In my sister's ward in Orem, the day after the Oxford shooting, a boy took his own life, and it just put the topping on the cake for me. I actually bore my own testimony in the meeting in Chicago about the need to be kind and show love to all around us. I've been stressing it more than ever with my own children as we navigate this holiday season amidst another year in the pandemic with so many angry people and confused teenagers who aren't feeling loved or getting the socialization that they need. 

I'm so glad I could spend this time with Kai to celebrate her birthday a little early!

P.S. The pictures aren't as organized as I would like since I'm adding the pictures today (wrote the blog yesterday) and my mind is preoccupied with the fact that Victoria and Kai have been in a lockdown at the highschool for over two hours. There was a handgun reported at the school and the cops are searching every kid and their backpack. The SWAT team is there with AK's, there's a helicopter, most kids have had to hide under their desks, like my girls, but others who are closer to where the gun was reported seen have their desks at the door and they are huddled in the corner. The kids are now hungry and if they need to use the bathroom, they have to pee in the trashcan. Victoria and Kai are fine, but Victoria said the search was a little scary.