BOCA BETH: One Song at a Time

What an amazing time in Anaheim, California this past weekend!!!

I was invited to participate not only as an opening musical keynote but also as a workshop presenter and prize donation gatherer (hmmmmmmm…is that really a title?!?!?!?) during the annual NAFCC Conference out on the west coast this past weekend.  In my last post I referred to this acronym which stands for The National Association of Family Child Care Providers of which Sue Williamson is president.  She was the escort for our 7 foot tall BOCA mascot as he had his debut out at the Marriott Anaheim this past Friday, August 17, 2007!

Now, promise not to tell the little ones, and I will share this secret with you!  BOCA is not real - he is a costume character worn by none other than my sister Mary Close.  Mary was a public school teacher in the Pinellas County School System for 16 years and left her first grade position to care for our ailing mom who had moved in with Mary and her empty-nester husband Steve.  They had been empty nesters for only 48 hours when mom moved in with them due to her horrible rheumatoid arthritis.  The disease took its toll on mom and her body and she passed this March peacefully in her sleep (a prayer I am certain mom prayed to have it go that way).

Mary since has not returned to her teaching position for various reasons - one of which is to work with me and my endeavors to bring The Boca Beth Program to a national and international level of exposure and sales.  One of Mary’s lifetime wishes has been to be a costume character (living so close to Disneyworld puts that ‘bug’ into many peoples ears and gets them itching to at least give the old Mickey or Minnie costume a whirl!!!).  Well, Friday, Mary had her first taste of a REAL costume, and she was HOT in many, many ways after only 15 minutes wearing it!

Sue Williamson escorted her in, she did (oops!  He did) one song with me “Aquí and Allí” and then walked back to the dressing room only to be asked by many conference attendees for photos with them!  It was a riot!  (Conference photos will be available soon and I will share what I can!) 

Scollon Productions made BOCA into a mascot for us and did quite a fantastic job.  Mary used to dress up as BOCA with a very homemade version of a costume made by our former puppet maker.  (An umbrella used to be the instrument to hold up the face and head of BOCA to give him shape and give Mary the ability to breathe and survive under the yards and yards of yellow BOCA fabric.

More about the conference itself and the many funny stories, great learning provided and oh!  Did I mention the hotel’s sound system decided to go KAPUT!!!!!! during the middle of my musical opener Friday morning!  You missed me singing (or was I chanting?!?!) acappella and oh what a treat it was.  Thank you Lord for giving the me knowledge of the words (since I wrote them!), the flexibility to keep going (isn’t that what we teachers do all day with challenge after challenge?!?!) and the passion to carry it off.  Attendees Moved and Grooved right along with me, and it was FUN!!!!!!!!!

Happy Educating!  ¡Sea feliz educando!

Boca Beth