Band Field Trip

Today was the fifth grade's band field trip.  The one that has been the dangling carrot to get each student to every band practice, and every concert, because with out your prompt attendance you would miss out on today's adventure.  Back to the city the bus drove us to the exact location of Monday's field trip, but to a different building.  We got to experience music and it was awesome.

Take a look at this picture:

We stood in line to be rock stars.  The bonus was that because we were with a large group (the school district of fifth grade band kids) we got a great rate on this poster (which is cropped for blogging).  The instruments ~ real.  The music ~ real.  The rock star actors ~ real.  The adoring fans we played in front of ~ not real but looked real.  The time spent having fun ~ totally real.

We are missing one important rock star band member.  She gave it her best shot, but wasn't feeling well and slipped off stage just before this photo was taken. We have her on the DVD of our performance, so that's cool.

The song?  Yes, we performed Twist and Shout at a very loud decibel that still has my ears ringing.

Okay, so the gist is that you are really playing the instruments, but the volume of the "real song" is being played so loudly, that you can't tell that you are really horrible and have not a clue what you are doing.  The words are displayed in karaoke format in front of you, but again the "real soloist" is singing and you can't tell that you are way off key and not even on the beat.

Having fun with our fifth grade girls before they leave elementary school and venture off to middle school in one short week. Do you think they'd do this next year with us?  Probably not.  Had to capture the moment while it lasted at the sweet stage of fifth grade elementary school.

Thanks, FRIENDS, for a fun morning together!!

Gear

I have heard throughout the last six years of my daughter's dancing career that quality of ballet shoes matter to the quality of performance.  We purchased dance lessons for my daughter's Christmas gift the winter of her Kindergarten year.  And yes, I went to the less-is-more type of shoe store where they don't even help you size your feet.  The do-it-yourself store.  I figured that a ballet shoe was a ballet shoe for a girl age six.  Wrong.  It wasn't long before I was driving to the real dance store to get her fit with real ballet shoes.

When I started swim lessons this spring, I kept analyzing my gear. Starting off with the basic swimsuit and goggles that I had had for years.  I figured that if I fell in love with the sport, that I'd treat myself to an upgrade.

Over the course of weeks and saving my money, I have upgraded my swimsuit to a stream lined black version that looks rather sporty.  With cross over straps in back it makes me feel a little Olympic-like as it makes my torso look more muscular than it actually is.

A few weeks after that I talked with a lifeguard at the pool regarding swim caps.  I had been swimming with out one, but my hair had been taking a beating with my regular weekly swim routine. At that moment she talked me out of it ~ cumbersome to put on, you still had to get your hair wet to put it on, they leak, they can give you a headache, etc. etc. etc. But I kept eying the other women in the pool with theirs on, and with mine not, and finally decided to give it a try.

I purchased the Speedo Silicon Black Swim Cap via Amazon along with new sleeker looking goggle; also from Speedo.  They arrived over the weekend and I tried them out for the first time today.

It. Was. Amazing!

My hair no longer floats out of my pony tail and into my face, I feel streamlined, the cap actually makes my head toasty warm, which causes a better workout from sweating (yes, you can sweat in the water), I did not have a headache, and my goggles were a nice tint to make the florescent ceiling lights more attractive. I feel like a complete athletic swimmer ~ I blend into lane #2 and #5 who are rock star swimmers.

Gotta get the correct gear to get the job done.  Lovin' the Speedo brand for swim caps and goggles!!!

Hubble 3D

The fifth graders got to venture to the big city today to see the Imax: Hubble 3D.  If you have this movie in your area, then I recommend that you take the time and spend the money to see it.  It is very fascinating and had many pinch me moments of I can't believe (fill in the blank).

For one, I can't believe that men and women are trained to walk out into space with merely a thin strong cable attaching them to a space craft that is flying. I kept examining the film to see where the great, big, huge, thick, cable was that was really making sure these folks didn't fall into ... space.

In addition, that the equipment used throughout NASA is mind boggling and fascinates my comprehension.  It took ten years to build the Hubble, did that include engineering time on paper?  And humans did all this?  Some people had to think it up, all the intricate parts and details and find ways to build this and that. Pinch me as I could never compete at that level.

Also, the beauty of space was captured brilliantly from the Hubble. Gorgeous views of "clouds" and "nurseries of stars" and "burned out stars" were almost not even real or fathomable.  The narration was very focused on the scientific aspect in the formation of  "space and the earth". I kept replacing it with God's Creation every time it was mentioned, which just blew me away and added another pinch me moment.

Fantastic!!  Well worth the round trip bus ride, the craziness of the kids' "last seven days of school" attitude, and not so amazing weather.  Imax: Hubble 3D was out of this world.

Piano Recital

My students were simply fabulous on Friday night at my annual end of the school year piano recital.  What a joy it was to set the calming scene in our church to host the entertainment and dessert reception for roughly 65 people, ten of which were students.  The families were kind to invite extended families and friends to make this an important celebration.

 The students have worked so hard throughout the year, but the recital songs always add a new element of importance.  While some I thought would never make the Friday deadline to perfect the song to performance quality level, they all came through so brilliantly. Holding my breath for some proved to be useless as they really did have their mind and fingers wrapped around their songs by 7pm.

 

I am thankful for the parents who committed their year to driving to and from my house every Monday.  Each student is at the mercy of their parents to support their choice to play ~ no student is of driving age nor of working age to pay for lessons.  I am grateful that the parents recognize their child's interests and allow me to foster their enjoyment of the piano.

 I am grateful for the students who made this year's commitment to learn the piano. I know one student in particular had made an agreement with her parents to just take one year of piano (one of those where the parents want it for their child, but the child doesn't really want it at all).  I am pleased to say that she did wonderful and held to her commitment with grace and leadership. I am proud at her young age that she saw the big picture of follow through.

 Note to self ... Apple Juice + Clear Plastic Cups = Horrible Idea .... but my kids were a huge help hosting!

I am pleased that the students came in smiling and left with laughter.  They learned how to play piano, but also learned how to entertain a large audience with their hard work and talent.  I am so very proud!  I wish them a summer that finds them at the piano just because they want to, and look forward to seeing them again in September.

Celebration of Life

We gathered on this gorgeous, sunny morning for a beautiful Celebration of Life with my immediate family in honor of my Grandma who passed away on June 1st.  My dad and mom planned the ceremony and it was more heart warming and true to tributes than I could have ever dreamed of for my Grandma.

While there were definite tears and sadness that we shared today, we rejoiced for the powerful woman that we knew and the life that she chose to live fulfilled in her faith and steadfast love to her Lord and Savior, and her family.  My dad did a fantastic job of retelling her life's story; with specific narrations about particular events that had us laughing, or shaking our head in amazement, or crying because it sparked a genuine love and missing of her. Telling stories ~ my Grandma's favorite ... what could be more fitting.

We each brought a little something that reminded us of her to carry out the theme of Grandma.  Her pink vase filled with hard candy, the tablecloth that she had embroidered for my parents, her dishes to eat from, miniature figurines that decorated her china hutch were used as centerpieces, the food was very much Grandma, the ice tea and hot tea with sweets.  Every piece was meaningful in some fashion.

We concluded the Celebration of Life with playing my Grandma's record that she had professionally recorded of her singing.  The title of the record label is Melodies of Faith and my dad chose His Eye Is On The Sparrow to listen to while we watched a short slideshow of pictures of Grandma and the family. To hear her sing, to hear her healthy and strong voice again, which is the voice that I remember deeply of my Grandma, had me (all of us) in our deepest mourning as we bid her our love until we meet again some day ...

To my parents ~ you are incredible, so strong and full of family love ... Grandma is no doubt still very proud of you. Thank you for this memorable Celebration of Life for Grandma. It could not have been any sweeter or more like her. I love you both very much.  xoxo

Braking

Braking ... as in putting on the brakes. Or breaking.

I am tired and my eyes hurt with a little headache on top.  June has hit our family which means that we are in full swing of dance mode for our daughter.  And since we have more than one child who is equally important to this household, we also have a new TKD schedule for our son.  Double the fun of divide and conquer between my hubby and me this month.  I am proud of my son for being invited to the higher ranking class of TKD, so I am saying this all with a twinkle and a smile.

Yesterday I sat at the dance studio watching Spider Monkeys, Pigeons, and Pirates run around in costume assembling accessories from the Office before gathering in a mosh pit of controlled chaos in the Blue Room before entering the Pink Room to perform for all the teachers and owner.  It is dress rehearsal time at the studio and it truly is my favorite time of the year.  Adding a few Tylenol's to my system helps, I will be honest.

All our hard work this weekend with my daughter's Tropical Bird costume came to recognition yesterday by her teacher.

Teacher: Wow, your mom did a great job on that costume!!! I'm sure that took her awhile.
Daughter: Yes, she worked hard.  But so did my dad.
Teacher: Your dad??
Daughter: Yep, he glued it on and my mom sewed.
Teacher: That is fantastic!!  You must be very happy to have them as parents and I just know that you would do anything for them ... okay, kidding, that part was added.

Glad she noticed the hard work; not that it really matters, but I am just proud that I did it correctly!!

Tomorrow brings us back to the TKD and Dance Rehearsal divide and conquer.  Then on Friday I get to bake and bake and organize for my evening's piano recital at my church.  I am so excited.  The students have been a complete joy to work with this year; each bringing their own personality of fun to the weekly lessons.

My next few days are chartered with a strict timeline.  I will not be adding to my list by blogging.  I will be Braking.  Putting on those brakes. Breaking.

I will come back with many pictures. Enjoy your days that follow ...

Jesus, Joy of Man's Desire

Jesus, Joy of Man's Desire.  My favorite because it reminds me of my Grandma.

I am not sure if it was really my Grandma's favorite song, but I am certain that she always played it for me on her organ when I would visit her.

My sweet Grandma always had a twinkle in her eye that I've never seen anywhere else.  She would smile and you knew she was looking right at you with her love and care.  I know she is smiling saying, "Yes, God is gracious and I am right here by His side."

My Grandma passed away early this morning at the beautiful age of 98. While medical staff will say that she was no longer responding to life here the last week, I know she was someplace happy because she always chose happiness in her life.  When given a difficult situation, she would find a way to ignore it with an appropriate balance to not interrupt her daily life of praising God.

She loved to tell stories about her life.  She enjoyed conversations about the "olden days" of life on a Mid-west farm and travels to the West. About her siblings, about her father and mother.  To think of all that she witnessed from 1912 to 2010 ~ I know we all enjoyed her stories.  I will miss hearing them replayed over and over.

She also enjoyed telling fabulous stories about my dad to my brother and I.  I specifically remember looking over at my dad, who would be sitting on the couch of her living room, while she was engrossed in the stories of naughtiness and mischievous situations that he got himself into as a boy. And he would be rolling his eyes with a half smile and a half smirk.  I would giggle.  My Grandma would catch on, turn to him and say, "Don't you remember that?"  He would come back with a funny line about perhaps it wasn't exactly as she had told.

My Grandma wanted to be sure that all of her children and grandchildren were taken care of.  Always, she would ask each one of us during a visit how "so and so" was treating us.  Whether it was a friend, a boyfriend, a fiancée, a husband ... she had to know that her Granddaughter was in a healthy and good relationship.  Right up to the last time I visited with her, sixteen years of marriage, was "Is (insert my husband's name) treating you okay?"

(summer 2007 - Grandma, her best friend Dave, and me)

(Grandma loved to hear her Grandchildren play her organ.  My children's turn the summer of 2007)


Berry pies, ice tea, loads of geraniums and pansies, cherub angels on her walls, bibles and hymnals, singing and organ playing, rose petaled dishes, lace, knitting, crochet, laughter, songs, lipstick and high heels (up to age 96!), always skirts and blouses, lots of jewelry, perfectly manicured nails, beauty parlor hair always in order, hugs that lasted what felt like eternity, perfume, soft-soft skin, faith, friendships, games, caring, loving, funny, grace, stories, stories, stories, stories.

I love you, Grandma! May you be singing among the Angels of Heaven for the rest of eternity; playing the organ, directing the choir, having your solos, until we meet again.  Always in my heart.  Thank you for your never ending love and peace that you shared about life.  I love you, Grandma!