Let the performances begin

This was a big spring for music and art-- Lydia had a final performance for her "hip hop" class, and Ethan had both an orchestra concert and a viola recital.  Alas, I don't have much to show in the photography department. E's viola recital was held in a church, and it was difficult to get photos without disturbing the performance; for the other two events, there wasn't enough light (and we were told not to use a flash). Anyhow, here is Lydia:

Note that hot pink, shiny outfits-- good stuff. The dance performance included an astonishing number of groups and troupes-- our local rec center has just one small dance room, but they pack a tremendous number of classes into it (the performance went on for hours).  Many of Lydia's friends and classmates were there participating as well. There was one girl who plays on Lydia's soccer team who was part of a separate dance session-- at first I almost didn't recognize here, then I finally realized that it was because she had a big grin on her face (during the soccer games, she invariably had a grim expression).

Here is Ethan getting ready to perform at the orchestra concert:

It was a nice performance, although as usual with Diamond, the stage was about as filled with kids as you can possibly imagine.

Meanwhile, Lydia has declared her intention to play trumpet in the school band. This may be tricky to arrange, since the rule is that you are not allowed to begin band until you are in 5th grade. We'll see whether the school is willing to be a little flexible and take her on a year early.