I think everyone who has kids probably has the same type of list I carry around. My list keeps getting longer and longer. I am afraid if the list ever fell out of my pocket it would be like a roll of toilet paper and would quickly unravel as it rolled down the street. It is such a long squeezable list, it may even reach Tijuana.
My big list is not what some people call a "bucket list." This particular list seems so much more important. After all, it is not so much a list about me or what I want to experience before I die, but rather a list of adventures that Theresa and I want to enjoy with our children. While they are still children.
I think it is important we try to complete the list before Troy, Raymond and Ryan grow too old and are burdened with the responsibilities of adulthood. By that time, Theresa and I will be lucky if our boys will have enough time to give us a phone call or maybe even a quick text. They will be on their own treadmills of responsibility.
What's on the list is really not a secret. It is just all the different things we want them to see before they are grown men. Hopefully by exposing them to more varied and substantive experiences they will become better men. The holy
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Brandon Papineau and Marissa Clopine
star in Shrek the Musical.
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grail in my life. That and being a better husband are both up there. I am still a work in progress.
My big list includes more camping, taking the boys to a real rock concert, volunteering with them at a homeless shelter and somewhere on that long list was attending a live musical.
That was, until last Thursday night at Kit Carson Park Amphitheater, when our family met Shrek. A gifted actor named Brandon Papineau and his fellow cast members.
I didn't even know there was a amphitheater despite going to over a hundred soccer games and practices in the same park. Our family thought it was an amazing evening. When it was done, I thought I could actually cross musicals off of my list of things to do, or so I thought.
After seeing the musical Shrek and it's accompanying live ensemble, it made me wonder why getting to a musical took us so long. Our family saw amazing young actors of all ages who could really sing, act and draw us in. The ultimate compliment.
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Marissa and Amanda Clopine
(Donkey and Little Fiona).
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In addition to live music from a very talented group they had great acting, singing and stage performances by young people of all ages including several from 4S Ranch: Casey Love, Ella Levinson and Brandon Clopine. Tyler Papineau and Andrew Downs ran spotlight. Rachel Downs also helped with tech duties.
Our family talked all the way home about what the boys found interesting and enjoyable.
Later in the evening our youngest son, Ryan, summed up his perspective as I tucked him into bed and turned off his light. As he held on to his teddy bear, I asked him how he would rate the evening. He replied, "Dad, I would give it a B minus." There was a brief pause, and then he said, "Can we go see the next one, Ferris Bueller's Day Off?"
Of course it made me smile realizing how the cast, the artistic team, volunteers, donors, stage crew and the board of directors of
Broadway Theater Arts Academy had touched the imagination of our children. (Side note: they are looking for children of all ages for their next show!)
I promised Ryan we would go. Just one more thing to put back on my growing list. As I closed his door and walked into our bedroom, I wondered why it took me so long to get our boys to a darn musical. Yep, still learning...
Enjoy your week!
Ray and Theresa Shay
2013 - All Rights Reserved
I briefly rubbed our middle son Raymond's short hair and head as I prepared to drop him off at Oak Valley Middle School. With traffic inching along and the early morning sun rising from the east, I could see the car in front of me and its rear license plate. Despite being miles from Logan Heights and years from being a street cop, the last three numbers of the car's license plate, 187, caught my eye.
