Done!

I am done with the school play directing gig and all went well. Several of the teachers told me they loved the show, and the PTA president invited us back for next year, so I'd say it was a success all around. A couple of things I have been saving up to tell you about ;

• We had a couple more Spencer incidents (the bad one, not the other one- the other one turned out to be a pretty fine natural actor and he could be really good if he sticks with it) and then one day another kid told me that Spencer wouldn't be at rehearsal because he was sent home earlier in the day. The next afternoon his dad came in and said that Spencer had to drop out of the play (this was at the last rehearsal before tech.) because he'd been misbehaving in class, so they had to take away the play as punishment. I hope I covered my glee well and looked appropriately disappointed. I do feel bad for the kid, but it was honestly a bit of a relief.
• I stopped my informal "Spencer" polling. I had someone who called the name "faggy". Uh...so not what I was looking for, and REALLY not what I was expecting and wow, did that put me off asking opinions altogether. Serves me right I suppose, but thanks for ruining my game.
• Crazy yelling Dad (the one who felt he had to bully me to get his daughter into the play) turned out to be mostly a nice guy. Maybe not too approachable, but overall nice. Never had another problem with him or with his daughter. Though one day he did show up to pick her up from rehearsal carrying a cat. A cat. No harness, no carrier, no collar, just...cat. You can't possibly think that walking into an elementary school with a cat is a good idea. I asked if it was a stray? "Oh no, this is our cat, he just wanted to come along." That cat did not look like he was enjoying the outing at all. And predictably they were instantly surrounded by cooing girls. I pushed them all out into the hallway so the whole mess of them would be not my problem.
• My youngest cousin happens to go to the school I was at and it was really funny that the kids could not get over that we were related. (He told them, not me :) But the best was when the gym teacher asked me about it and said, "How are you related? I think M said you were his cousin, but I know THAT can't be right. You're once removed or something right?" Nope just regular cousins, he's just 27 years younger than me. My dad is the oldest brother, his dad is the youngest. It happens!
• It's so nice to be done with that job. I liked it and I am super relieved that it went well, but I've felt so much better and freer and more relaxed this week already (I guess having that 12 hrs a week back again will do that for a person). I'm hoping to kind of hang on to this feeling for awhile. At least to get me through February. Almost there!