The Agony and the Ecstasy

...and the throwing up continued all through Tuesday night. The boys' room became Matthew's sick room and Evan slept on the floor of Sophie's room in a sleeping bag (an adventure for him.) School yesterday consisted of one long read aloud interspersed with Evan running through his piano pieces. I gave Matthew some coke syrup and ginger tea to sip slowly (not at the same time ~ yuk!) for the nausea which worked until 3:30 pm when his fever soared, his stomach revolted again, and he said that the room was spinning. Tylenol and a lukewarm bath helped bring down his fever some.

Evan's practicing during the day did not seem to bode well. Wrong notes popped up where all had been smooth and steady before while the tempo careened erratically. It seemed like Evan was quarrelling with the instrument and the sullen look on his face made me think he was losing the fight.

Evan's friend Caleb called to let him know that he and his parents would be attending the piano performance that evening to hear Evan play. Before Evan hung up the phone, he exclaimed, "Oh No! They are all coming!" I told him that I sure hoped that Caleb had not heard that little outburst before he had hung up on his end!

Aunt Beth graciously upheld her offer to babysit for us while we attended the competition in spite of the sickness. At the rec center, Evan warmed up on a rinky-dink piano in an entryway while other competitors stared at him through the glass doors. His confidence and steadiness returned to my relief.

During the competition, two other pianists played prior to Evan. After each performance, we sat whispering during the three minutes of silence while the four judges recorded their scores and comments. Evan said that his stomach felt queasy from nerves while he waited. I leaned over and whispered to him, "Three minutes seems like a long time!"

"Contestant #106"
During Evan's performance and following, I beamed from ear to ear. I was so thrilled and pleased that he did a good job and enjoyed the experience himself.

James noted to me later that Evan had the biggest "fan section" in the room. Evan's grandma, friends Cheryl and Michaela from church, and Caleb's family sat with us. We appreciated their interest and support!

Early this morning, James received a phone call from Evan's piano teacher saying that Evan placed in the top three out of fourteen finalists in the beginner division and will receive an award at the final recital!