Usually, when LOL has had its first show of a new school year we have about a month to critique and learn from it.  That was not the case this year.  One week after our opening gig (see previous blog) we had the opportunity to do an abridged show for our elementary school's Grandparents' Day event.  While the event was just for grades K through two, we were invited in for the last half hour, and we did some of what might be considered our greatest hits: Introduction, Prodigal Juggler, Individual juggling, "Jesus is Victor", "I Want to Know What Love Is", and "Beautiful, Scandalous Night".  The fact that five of these six routines involved juggling shows the progress all of the 70% of the team that were new to LOL in September have made.

Haddie got us off to a great start waving the LOL flag as she raced by on a rip stick.  Clare was put into the interactive juggling routine "Jesus is Victor" on short notice and did better than anyone could have asked.  Without Sunny (she was absent) Lana filled in in IWTKWLS. Having prior acting experience, she had no problem being the girl who breaks Lucas's heart.  Elsa juggled three machetes like a pro.

As well as my current class did, the highlight for me was when I called up two of the moms who helped organize the day's events.  You see, they are both former students of mine who now have kids in the school, so I remembered them as accomplished jugglers.   When they came forward (hesitanrly) I handed them each a set of three balls, which they juggled no problem.  Then I produced three clubs for each, and they did those without any problems either!  The audience erupted, but on the way off stage, one of the moms said, "Thanks for not handing us machetes."