Trying to keep up with a 5th grader

In one short week, my daughter was able to experience life as I never did at that age! On March 12 her 5th grade orchestra performed with Mark Wood, a professional rock violinist from New York. The concert was fun--since the Moorhead Spuds hockey team was at state playing their quarterfinal game at the same time as the concert, Mr. Cole, the director, projected the game on a big screen above the orchestra! Truly the best of both worlds if you were an orchestra AND hockey fan! (Spuds upset Edina-Yea!)
The following morning, we arrived at the high school parking lot at 5:45 a.m. to board a charter bus to St. Paul. The 5th grade orchestra was in for a BIG day. First, we entered the St. Paul Cathedral for a quick look at its beauty. Off to the Ordway to listen to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra play. We discreetly left at intermission. Many patrons at the concert sent their congratulations and best wishes to the Moorhead as they noticed all the 5th graders decked out in their Spuds gear. Now on to the Como Zoo where the kids got to smell the animals! The kids ate their delicious bag lunches on the way to the zoo--only healthy food was allowed--I wonder when the last day was some of these kids went without tasting candy or pop! It was time for two buses to head back to Moorhead, and the one bus of kids going to the hockey game headed for the Rosedale Mall to kill three hours. (The quarter final game wouldn't start until 8:00 p.m. and it was 1:00 when we left the zoo.) Girls were much easier to chaperone than boys. My group did a litte shopping and spent much time painting their nails Spud orange and black, and fixing their hair with sports tape. At 4:00 we again boarded the bus to go to the State Capitol Building. We all thoroughly enjoyed the personal tour given by my brother, John. What an amazing building! The kids asked really good questions and were on their best behavior. We walked to the Xcel Energy Arena and watched the Spuds beat Cretin Durham Hall to make it to the finals! The kids were really excited. Being at the Minnesota High School State Hockey tournament is really an experinece like none other. 18,000 fans cheering on high school hockey players--awesome!
Back on the bus, we settled down to nap as best as we could and arrived in Moorhead at 2:45 a.m. What a full, fun day for a 5th grader and her 40 something mom.