Thomas Heading to Ireland

Another whirlwind tour in store for Thomas.  He, along with 54 other kids in his FIM orchestra (as well as 14 adults chaperones and instrument mules), boarded a bus headed for Chicago airport in the wee hours this morning.  They expect to arrive in Dublin (Ireland time) tomorrow at 5 am.  They will spend the entire day touring around the big city only checking into their hotel late afternoon, just in time to rehearse for two hours and then hold their first concert. Every day will feature sightseeing, rehearsing and performing at a concert. Besides Dublin, they will be seeing Cork, Killkenny featuring Blarney Castle, Cobh, Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig (can these really be names of places?), Wicklow Mountains and, once back at Dublin, a tour of the Houses of Parliament and a special concert for all the Irish Big Wigs that work there. Since they are in Ireland the week before Easter, the kids were each given the option of visiting/touring/attending churches or castles. (Keeping the separation of church and state intact.) Thomas opted for castles, not too surprisingly. He won't be arriving back at the FIM until next Sunday, the 13th, late in the evening.

Of course the battery for my camera was dead (and I didn't realize this until I was at the FIM with Thomas and he was getting on the bus) so I took this picture with my camera. He's in that mob of kids boarding the bus, near the door. (Thomas has a special talent for shamelessly shoving his way to the front of any line and taking the last of whatever is on offer.) His last words to me were, "Why are you still here?" We're going to miss him so much!