Mis Pastores, My Shepherds

We got a note home a few weeks ago that the kids would be doing a performance on the 23rd, their last day of school.  The parents were asked to dress the kids in a shepherd's costume.  I started looking online at some ideas for a shepherd, but I started seeing shepherd costumes in the Christmas section at the stores.  Jerry said he did as well and found some that weren't too badly priced.  We wanted the kids to blend in, so we decided to purchase outfits.  They were cute.  A little woolly vest, bag and woolly material pieces you tie around your shins.
We were feeling pretty good that we were following suit and fitting in culturally.

That is until performance day.

The girls did not have the same outfit.

They all wore cute little head scarves and flowy long dresses or a skirt with the woolly vest.

I'll be honest, I cried!

I was upset that our attempts to fit in kind of backfired on us.  How could we have known that the girls wear a completely different outfit as Spanish shepherds?!

As kids walked into class and parents made their way around the building to the gym, I turned my back and cried.  Yes, I did!  I kept thinking about how it must be effecting Karis.  She even said walking in that we bought her the wrong thing...a boy costume!

I gained a bit of composure wishing for my big sunglasses on that cloudy day so I could cover up my blotchy red face! Ugh!  I continued to be a bit teary waiting for them to get started and parents are crowding in, wondering if my face shows the signs of my little emotional breakdown.  Jerry told a few parent friends of our mishap and they told us "no pasa nada!" (no big deal).  I appreciate that, but I still felt like the foreigner who didn't do it right!

I tried to gain composure and was somewhat successful until the kids start coming in and I got all teary again.

It's a being proud thing, I guess.  Seeing them walk in, looking for us and then waving big when they see us and then singing so big up in front of everyone.

Once I saw Karis' teacher I felt a bit better.  She had the boy costume on and I hoped it made Karis feel better.  Not sure that it did, but she didn't show one way or another during her performance.

Seems kind of silly now to be so upset, but I guess it was just the straw that broke the camels back, so to say.

Here are a few pictures and a video.  The video gets a bit long, but you can skip around and watch pieces of it if you like.

The parents waiting.  The blue signs say "Merry Christmas" (in English) and Feliz Año (that's how they say "Happy New Year."  They shorten it, leaving out "new" and it translates "Happy Year."

Here are each of them when they spot us in the crowd.

Karis

Reegan

Brennan

Blowing us kisses!  Awww!

 Brennan is under the "I" Reegan under the "Z"

 Karis right in the middle

Karis had a speaking part, in Spanish!  Several people commented on how great her Spanish is with no accent!