Hmm. November.
Marching Band season came to an end. It was rougher year than last. No endless string of sweeps and some stiffer competition. In the end, they placed second at state competition. Grandparents came up for the Friends and Family performance. Fortunately it was clear and fairly warm that night. This year they invited parents to come and march with them during one song on the field. Darin did it. He nearly got trampled.
Hannah and the fiddle group started putting together a CD this month. They still have a lot of recording to do and are working to concentrate their efforts on Christmas music. Hannah's been collecting and transposing traditional celtic carols for weeks.
First trimester of school is over. We're all relieved. Hannah got all A's on her report card after stressing about her first (and last) year back in public school. She did a psychology presentation that was kind of fun--her an a group of kids in her class had to do an oral poetry presentation on some psychological malady. They chose Hypochondrianism. Funny. This tri she has more college courses, which means buying more textbooks, which hits the pocketbook hard. Ouch. Fortunately you can find great deals on just about anything SOMEWHERE online. We ended up paying about $50 apiece for $150 textbooks. The textbook racket really steams my britches!
Did I mention we all had the swine flu? I think that was last month. At least all us girls. Everyone had SOME sort of sickness during that time. If the boys had it they didn't have it severely. Just a couple of days of not feeling all that great.
Anyway, back to November:
Thanksgiving with Darin's family this year--and it was a weekend FULL.
Wednesday we did the annual soup/pie night. It's GREAT! We each bring a pot of soup and a pie or two to share, then eat all the pie we want! No feeling stuffed after pigging out on Thanksgiving dinner and not having room for pie afterward! There are usually plenty of leftovers to feed people over the weekend.
Thursday, of course, we ate and played. Friday we played and ate. Darin's sister put together a Jeopardy game composed of information she had collected about the members of the family as well as information about some of the family ancestors. It was great fun. But NEVER, I repeat N.E.V.E.R. use those game show buzzers with a room full of small children and teenagers. I swear, I thought my head would explode! Saturday, the teens went to the temple to do baptisms for a couple dozen ancestors that the family geneaological team had uncovered. THAT was cool. We made it back to Ogden that afternoon JUST in time to get Ian to the school--the marching band was playing in the Christmas (oh, excuse me for not being Politically Correct) HOLIDAY parade that night. Sunday, we CRASHED!
Monday, much to EVERYONE'S chagrin, it was back to the old grind--school and work.
Christmas break is coming, people!
02 December 2009
27 October 2009
Catching Up
My, my, my, but it's been a long time since I posted. Naughty me.
So, where to start? I don't know, because I have no idea what I posted about last.
Wait, I'll go check...
September 20th. Wow. How very neglectful of me.
In my defense, I've been busy. I mean, school's started up, we have a kid in marching band, a kid in orchestra, a kid in soccer, plus the roadshow.
Oh! The roadshow! I guess that was the big thing this past month. Wanna see some pics? Here's one:
It was called 'Peter's Pan: a Mormon in NeverFound' and involved a cast of mermaids, pirates, fairies, Peter in search of his mother's lost pan, and a lost boy. We also had one boy play the door. It was kind of cool. This kid really wasn't interested in being involved. I 'threatened' him into coming to help out with the backstage stuff. At some point he wrote himself the part of the door and became my most faithful cast member from that moment on. He had exactly one line at the very end of the show: "SLAM!"
Wait. Here he is:
His sign says, "Second Closet to the Right and Straight On 'Til Sacrament Meeting."
It went really well. The audience clapped and laughed in all the right places. The kids worked hard (they DID the whole thing--from story, to script, to costume and scenery design and manufacture. It was THEIR show and they were very proud of it.).
We have yet to hear what kind of awards we won, or if we'll win any. From what I understand they're planning on doing it again in two years. Cool. I hope I get to direct again.
Maren played her last soccer game of the fall season Saturday. Phew. Long, hard season. Her team only had 8 legal players. At that age, they need nine for a team. We recruited someone's sister--an 8-year-old--to fill in, but we only ever had a full team when EVERYONE showed up or if the other team spotted us a couple of players--which happened more than once.
We'll see what happens in the spring. We either need to recruit more girls or we need to break up the team and distribute the girls to the other teams.
Here she is:
We also went on a field trip over fall break. Me and the kids drove down to SL to the Tracy Aviary and the copper mine. Pics? Sure thing:
We also had our first snowfall. Don't make me remember the date. This pic shows snow up on the mountain, but we had some slush on our lawn from this storm:
Oh, and here's a pic of Hannah earning money street playing. Notice the lack of shoes. The sign says, "Raising Money for Valley of the Moon Fiddle School":
AND, HALLOWEEN IS IN FOUR DAYS!!
So, where to start? I don't know, because I have no idea what I posted about last.
Wait, I'll go check...
September 20th. Wow. How very neglectful of me.
In my defense, I've been busy. I mean, school's started up, we have a kid in marching band, a kid in orchestra, a kid in soccer, plus the roadshow.
Oh! The roadshow! I guess that was the big thing this past month. Wanna see some pics? Here's one:
It was called 'Peter's Pan: a Mormon in NeverFound' and involved a cast of mermaids, pirates, fairies, Peter in search of his mother's lost pan, and a lost boy. We also had one boy play the door. It was kind of cool. This kid really wasn't interested in being involved. I 'threatened' him into coming to help out with the backstage stuff. At some point he wrote himself the part of the door and became my most faithful cast member from that moment on. He had exactly one line at the very end of the show: "SLAM!"
Wait. Here he is:
His sign says, "Second Closet to the Right and Straight On 'Til Sacrament Meeting."
It went really well. The audience clapped and laughed in all the right places. The kids worked hard (they DID the whole thing--from story, to script, to costume and scenery design and manufacture. It was THEIR show and they were very proud of it.).
We have yet to hear what kind of awards we won, or if we'll win any. From what I understand they're planning on doing it again in two years. Cool. I hope I get to direct again.
Maren played her last soccer game of the fall season Saturday. Phew. Long, hard season. Her team only had 8 legal players. At that age, they need nine for a team. We recruited someone's sister--an 8-year-old--to fill in, but we only ever had a full team when EVERYONE showed up or if the other team spotted us a couple of players--which happened more than once.
We'll see what happens in the spring. We either need to recruit more girls or we need to break up the team and distribute the girls to the other teams.
Here she is:
We also went on a field trip over fall break. Me and the kids drove down to SL to the Tracy Aviary and the copper mine. Pics? Sure thing:
We also had our first snowfall. Don't make me remember the date. This pic shows snow up on the mountain, but we had some slush on our lawn from this storm:
Oh, and here's a pic of Hannah earning money street playing. Notice the lack of shoes. The sign says, "Raising Money for Valley of the Moon Fiddle School":
AND, HALLOWEEN IS IN FOUR DAYS!!
26 September 2009
Lessons from the Street-Hannah
I just got back from doing some street playing this evening. I made a total of 80$ in about 4 hours, which I did in two shifts. The farmers market down here was having a "Harvest Moon Festival" with lots of booths, lots of people, and lots of money.
I smell like hippies right now, this most recent shift was spent across the sidewalk from a hippie dude and his hippie girlfriend selling hippie memorabilia and henna tattoos, so now I smell like henna and incense.
Anyway, not only is street playing a fun way to make some money (and see hippies) but you can also learn a lot about people out there.
For one, the people that can afford the least, often give the most.
Children still have a sense of wonder and appreciation of beauty that most adults, in the hum drum of life, have forgotten. Some parents understand this and some don't.
Most people don't care about the mistakes, those that do are not worth your time.
Some people are more willing to give if you smile at them, some only care about the music.
Non-mormons will often give more than mormons.
Only one person in all of ogden knows that the song is called "Ashokan Farewell" and not "That Song from the Civil War"
Most people don't understand that you can't answer their questions and play the fiddle at the same time.
Hard work and time pay off.
People are generally good, giving, and appreciative.
It makes me realize that humanity is not as pathetic as I sometimes think.
It also makes me wonder how many random people have pictures of me on their cameras right now.
I smell like hippies right now, this most recent shift was spent across the sidewalk from a hippie dude and his hippie girlfriend selling hippie memorabilia and henna tattoos, so now I smell like henna and incense.
Anyway, not only is street playing a fun way to make some money (and see hippies) but you can also learn a lot about people out there.
For one, the people that can afford the least, often give the most.
Children still have a sense of wonder and appreciation of beauty that most adults, in the hum drum of life, have forgotten. Some parents understand this and some don't.
Most people don't care about the mistakes, those that do are not worth your time.
Some people are more willing to give if you smile at them, some only care about the music.
Non-mormons will often give more than mormons.
Only one person in all of ogden knows that the song is called "Ashokan Farewell" and not "That Song from the Civil War"
Most people don't understand that you can't answer their questions and play the fiddle at the same time.
Hard work and time pay off.
People are generally good, giving, and appreciative.
It makes me realize that humanity is not as pathetic as I sometimes think.
It also makes me wonder how many random people have pictures of me on their cameras right now.
20 September 2009
Canning
We canned yesterday.
I still have 50 or so quarts of tomatoes, salsa, and tomatoe juice sitting on my picnic table outside.
For those of you who can, here's a SWEET tip--can on a camp stove on your back porch. Keeps the kitchen cool, keeps the mess to a minimum.
I really should be bringing the jars in instead of posting on my blog. But I probably won't. I'll probably make the kids do it tomorrow.
I still have 50 or so quarts of tomatoes, salsa, and tomatoe juice sitting on my picnic table outside.
For those of you who can, here's a SWEET tip--can on a camp stove on your back porch. Keeps the kitchen cool, keeps the mess to a minimum.
I really should be bringing the jars in instead of posting on my blog. But I probably won't. I'll probably make the kids do it tomorrow.
10 September 2009
Pimp Your Phone
Just for fun, I decided to 'pimp' my new phone.
Then Hannah wanted hers done.
Then Maren wanted hers done.
So--mine:
Hannah's:
Maren's:
Nail polish and toothpicks, folks. And a steady hand.
Then Hannah wanted hers done.
Then Maren wanted hers done.
So--mine:
Hannah's:
Maren's:
Nail polish and toothpicks, folks. And a steady hand.
Our Fiddling Fools
Hannah and her Ogden High Yet-Unnamed Fiddle group played their first paying gig last week--a performance for a ward party in the canyon. It was GREAT!! They played a bunch of fun tunes, talked about the instruments, entertained nicely. Hannah is really coming into herself and being a great teacher and leader. Oh, and she's not half bad on the fiddle either.
Ian amazes me with how quickly he changes from one instrument to another and how fast he picks up tunes. His finger fly over that penny whistle.
And yes, that's me on the Irish drum. Their percussionist couldn't make it that night.
Ian amazes me with how quickly he changes from one instrument to another and how fast he picks up tunes. His finger fly over that penny whistle.
And yes, that's me on the Irish drum. Their percussionist couldn't make it that night.
That Time of Year
Hannah's rubbing the fact that fall is coming in my face. Curse her.
She keeps pointing up at the mountains and the first yellowing leaves. Doesn't she realize what that means?
First of all, school. No more sleeping in, no more doing absolutely nothing all day.
Second, harvest time, which means picking and washing and scalding and canning and freezing and making a giant mess of the kitchen, and since we're busy picking and washing and scalding and canning and freezing and cleaning up the kitchen, the rest of the house goes to pot.
But it needs to be done.
I have nectarines and peaches ripening on the tree, tomatoes turning a lovely shade of red, beans and squash and cucumbers out the freaking ears. And in between all that, the lawn needs mowing (we made the mistake of fertilizing) and the garden needs weeding--BADLY. I THINK there are still vegetables out there. ;-)
She keeps pointing up at the mountains and the first yellowing leaves. Doesn't she realize what that means?
First of all, school. No more sleeping in, no more doing absolutely nothing all day.
Second, harvest time, which means picking and washing and scalding and canning and freezing and making a giant mess of the kitchen, and since we're busy picking and washing and scalding and canning and freezing and cleaning up the kitchen, the rest of the house goes to pot.
But it needs to be done.
I have nectarines and peaches ripening on the tree, tomatoes turning a lovely shade of red, beans and squash and cucumbers out the freaking ears. And in between all that, the lawn needs mowing (we made the mistake of fertilizing) and the garden needs weeding--BADLY. I THINK there are still vegetables out there. ;-)
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