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.

In the Swing of Things

Now that our weekly rehearsal time with the orchestra is on hiatus, I need to find a new time devoted to this here blog. Sunday afternoon was perfect for that while practice was going on, but that particular window is now filled with private cello lessons and miscellaneous non-conducive-to-blogging type activities. So here I am on a Tuesday. *waves* This might actually work.

Meanwhile get comfortable, here's what's happening in Peepville:

Back on the orchestra topic, for next season our sweet Cellist Girlie has her sights set way up high and is looking to audition for the Grand Poobah of youth orchestras called the Philharmonic. And if that doesn't pan out, she's more than happy to return to the same group she's been with over the past year, Youth Conservatory. Total win-win situation either way. As long as she's happy and I get my Orchestra Mom chair back while Hubs and Younger Brother hang out at the homestead watching whatever sport happens to be in season, it's all good for everyone involved.

CCD class. Can you believe we are left with only 6 actual days of class and 1 final prayer service? I sure can't. While at times I did feel like the weeks were crawling along at a snail-like pace, reminiscent of slow running/Spyware laden computers I recall cleaning up back at the Mercy Sisters Assisted Living Center, the final days are zipping along all speedy on me. 7th grade has not been an easy one for any of us, but having a fierce co-catechist as a side-kick to keep the chatty types in line has been a serious blessing in disguise. In fact, we worked so well together that we're teaching yet another class next year, only next time 8th grade instead of 7th. Confirmation here we come!

So what else is new? Here's what: Yo Yo Ma. With the oldest turning another year older in a few days, what better way to celebrate than by taking her to see the Cello Master in real life. That's right, Girlie and I will be witnessing Yo Yo Ma as he teaches a Master Class at the music hall (not open to the general public) and then listen as he plays in concert the very next evening. Two days in a row of mind-blowing Yo Yo Ma - I know! Anyway, we'll also have a cake/presents celebration at home, because concerts are great and all but a birthday wouldn't be right without some sort of party involving frosting and wrapping paper.

Hold up... this means we're about to have a TEENAGER in the house.
Holy *expletive here*.

On that note, this one's for you Teenage-Girlie-To-Be:
Yo Yo Ma; Diana Krall, "You Couldn't be Cuter"

Music at its Ultimate Finest

That big Spring Orchestral Event came and went with a BANG, and so now I'm left to post video instead of the usual blog that would've been generated while in my Orchestra Mom Chair, which has mostly been retired to the school cafeteria day crowd. But don't worry. I'll be back to reclaim one of those spiffy lil' green/orange/plastic chairs soon enough. Meanwhile, enjoy this with me until next time:



*spine-tingle*

Bring on the Clowns, People

Here I sit in my lovely *cough* olive green Orchestra Mom Chair again, on a bittersweet day that is the final Youth Conservatory practice before the official concert, the one for which these fabulous musicians have been practicing since November 2009. The best part? Today is also Bring a Friend to Rehearsal Day/Final Celebration, so we're seeing all kinds of new faces in the group making it even more special. And being the mom who happens to care about the blessed youngsters' nutrition, I left a bag of cheddar Sun Chips on the food table. Chowing down to take place at half-time - let the excitement begin!

Now for the biggest unexpected news item of the week called Son Home from School Sick with Strep Throat. Poor guy made it through the school day on Monday, but then came home all feverish with a temperature of 102+ degrees. We monitored his temp, rotated Tylenol and Motrin every few hours, kept him home Tuesday, then took him to see the doctor on Wednesday where we found out he officially had a case of strep throat, surprising the doctor and me as we really just didn't think he had more than a flu-like virus. Then after unsuccessfully attempting to administer liquid antibiotics, son bravely opted for a penicillin shot nipping that illness in the bud at lightning speed. Hindsight is everything? Absolutely.

Hey, remember that circus field trip mentioned in my previous blog post? Well, yeah. Son just so happened to miss attending the Shrine Circus with fellow classmates, so I made good on my promise to take him on my own by heading out to the Civic Auditorium on Saturday. This plan worked out perfectly for all of us; because Hubs, who wasn't all that interested in going to the circus anyway, had to go out of town on business that day and Older Sis chose to hang out at home to exercise her newfound freedom to be without adult supervision. Meanwhile, Son and I had a blast bonding together. Heck, I even made a new buddy, Grandma/Retired Nurse, who sat beside me with her grandson critiquing the circus junk food and aerialist who, for safety purposes, should NOT have been hanging by her foot from a rope upside down like that.

You go, Grandma.