Flagnificent

 Zeke really enjoyed marching band this year and the friends he made. They are actually his best friends. So when marching season was over, he jumped into Winterguard. He had no previous experience, but that didn't stop him.

Winterguard was invented in the US and is derived from various acts performed during military ceremonies. It has since morphed into a competitive activity which incorporates choreographed staging, dance, and manipulation of equipment such as flags, prop rifles and sabres. Most groups put down a special floor covering for their routine and then roll it up as soon as they are finished; that's what they are doing here.

Their routine is to Love Story by Taylor Swift.

The first performance they were in the beginner league of the North Texas Colorguard Association. By earning third place in the novice league, they qualified to move up to a higher league for future performances.

The team rolls out their floor decor before and after each performance. It has to be done in just a couple  minutes. It is huge and they need several hands to do it. Abe and I volunteered to help with the floor crew because there were not enough student volunteers.

Post-performance pics. (Zeke is the one smack dab in the middle with all that facial hair.)

Winterguard is sometimes called the 'Sport of the Arts' because it is judged on dance moves and technical ability in using flags, rifles and sabres as the primary pieces of equipment.

A dramatic exit down the center by the couple falling in love ends the performance.

Anticipation for yet another performance.

After they advanced to the tougher league, they continued to earn a higher score with each performance.

Post-performance smiles.

Since Abe and I were part of the floor crew, he did not object when I asked for a parent pic.

The seniors were celebrated, hence the 2023 crowns.

Everyone was busy doing their own thing during warm-up.

Look how in-sync the group was in these pics.

This performance was just for fun. In addition to the large groups there were a few small ensembles. Kai, Roni and Zeke created a performance just a week prior to the event.

Even with such little time to practice, they did great!

The final performance was at Hills for a fine arts event. This one had a lot of peers in attendance.

Winterguard was a wonderfully fun experience for Zeke. I love to see him embracing new things and having such fun with it.

[Spring]

Sour Seventeen

 My seventeen year old is not sour, but Eli thought that was a good title since he was no longer Sweet Sixteen.

This boy is anything but sour. He told Eli that he would share one of his birthday presents with him. They both enjoy graphic novels.

💚💚💚

After school Zeke had Winterguard and then scouts. So we barely sw him and didn't get to do birthday until after 8:00.

Daisy didn't get to join us until even later. But eventually we all go to celebrate our Zekers.

My big boy is pretty amazing. I love him so.

[April 4]

Ooooohhhhh U?

 Second stop on the college tour: OU.

The University of Oklahoma was not on any of our radars until we heard about a special deal the neighboring states of Texas and Oklahoma have. We thought, what the heck, let's check it out. At least it's on the way to Kansas so we could pick Zeke up on the way whenever we go to the folks'.

This visit was special because we went with one of my best friends for the past 25 years, 

who happens to be the mom of one of Zeke's first friends. Of course two of the little sibs came, too. 

Boomer and Sooner, the little ponies who pull the schooner, take a victory lap around Owen Field whenever OU scores a touchdown. The schooner is a conestoga, or a covered wagon, that was the mode of travel used when the pioneers settled Oklahoma Territory in the late 1800s. The name Oklahoma comes from two Choctaw words, 'okla' and 'homma' meaning red people.

The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890. It was a college while Oklahoma was still a US territory. The Oklahoma Sooners earned the name from the Land Runs in 1889. Pioneers, known as Boomers, raced to claim land as their own. The sound of a pistol signaled the beginning of the race; if one jumped the gun they were nicknamed 'Sooners.' This name came to denote energetic, determined people. 

The campus, which is home away from home for about 28,000 students, is very pretty. Most of the buildings are what they call Cherokee Gothic. Bizzell Memorial Library is one of the biggest buildings. It was constructed in 1929 and houses over 4.2 million volumes. One old room has a glass ceiling to let the light in because at the time they didn't want to use lanterns near the books due to a possible fire hazard.

The Helmerich Great Reading Room is stunning.

There are walls and walls of theses and dissertations by OU graduates. Our guide said some of the authors will leave cash in their published book when they visit as a treat for any student who reads their work.

At the end of the tour they had a 'graduation ceremony' where they passed out a t-shirt. Will that be Zeke's first college apparel? Time will tell...

[March 27]