Grand Finale of Concerts

Here's yet another video of Peep Girlie's final band performance of the year (yes, she's also a clarinet player) taken with our new Sony Camcorder, also known as my Mother's Day gift extraordinaire:

*sniff* Where's my hankie?

Go Big Red!

Now with a video of the youngest Peep as he plays his heart out to the tune of Hail Varsity with the elementary band:



Thanks for making us proud, Dude!

Yo Yo Ma Casualty

Strange, but it's like déjà vu all over again as I blog on a Tuesday with a feverish child in the family room staying home from school, this time the oldest Peep. Here's what I think happened: Too much Yo Yo Ma. That's right. Last week, Girlie and I spent 2 evenings at the concert hall experiencing world famous cellist, Yo Yo Ma, first as he taught a Master Class then as he performed on stage with pianist, Kathryn Stott. All that mind-blowing music was too much for a middle schooler to handle, hence the feverish down-time.


So in honor of Peep Girlie's recovery time, here's a little blog quiz from Blogthings.com called 'The Scribble Circle Test'. My result (and yes, it mostly fits):

You Are Trustworthy

Of all the types, you are the most responsible and loyal. You take your duties seriously. You thrive when you are able to do something practical and productive. You hate to waste your time. Some people say that you are a bit neurotic or cautious, but you believe it's better to be safe than sorry. You do your best to live a engaging and important life. You want what you do to matter.

Getting a Grip

With August 2009 ending tomorrow, here I sit at orchestra rehearsal thinking back over the month while attempting to wrap my head around all of the goings-on, hence this blog. The biggest happenings popping into my head involve school, CCD, music, and business clients – but not necessarily in that order. So now a blurb or two about each just to show the extent of the whole head-wrapping process:

• School – both Peeps have us going all crazy as we run between 2 different schools all week, yet everyone's adjusting way better than expected. The youngest is especially content with having the oldest's former teacher, one whose teaching style we appreciated repeatedly in the past. Basically, that guy absolutely rocks the Elementary School Teacher Department, and we thank our lucky stars the principal welcomes student placement requests from parents. Hubs and I were all over that.

• CCD – I'm teaching one CCD class this time around, and coincidentally, the oldest child is in it. (Actually that's a giant perk in volunteering to teach, along with not having to pay tuition.) The biggest difference in the classroom this year? A co-catechist signed up to be my side-kick, helping with whatever the class and I need. So I've appointed her as Disciplinarian Co-Catechist, aka that SCARY-person-whom-CCD'ers-must-visit upon acting up making my teaching life difficult in class. And let me tell you, Scary Disciplinarian Co-Catechist has stricken complete fear in the eyes of at least 5 boys, the same guys who've enjoyed testing me over the last 2 years. Ha! The joke's on YOU now, dudes. :)

• Music – this year we have only one stringed instrument player in the family with our youngest dropping viola and taking up baritone and with the oldest continuing on with cello. The bad news? Now we've got not one but TWO big huge instruments to lug about town. Actually, that's really not such bad news if you consider the strength-building opportunities involved and, of course, free concerts throughout the year. Total win-win situation for everyone.

• Business Clients – keeping me busy outside all of these wonderfully fun family activities is business work with existing clients and also... a new one! This client is a former colleague with a business startup but without an online presence – fancy words for SHE NEEDS A WEBSITE. Not only that, but another new client is in the works. More later, don't want to jinx it.
  

So much for head-wrapping. Why does it suddenly feel like I'm wearing a turban?