Most of you know we changed piano teachers this fall, because our previous beloved teacher had to stop teaching. So, 10 weeks in and we've had 10 lessons and one recital this Sunday. The video may be static-y, but try to enjoy nevertheless.
Q7 played Jumping Jazz Cat and Down By the Bay. She sang Down By the Bay, too, and that was lovely. If you can only watch one, watch Down By the Bay (2nd)
C9 played The Hammock and Ice Dancing. Both really lovely pieces. She did a nice job. She cracks me up, she was up and ready to get in the spotlight the instant the last player was done.
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
End of October
The end of October brings Halloween and Halloween activities. Q7 got a few more than C9 this year because HES cuts the fun off for kids over 2nd grade.
So, first, the pumpkin patch! The 2nd graders (and K and 1s) walked down to the park to "pick" a pumpkin from the field. Not really like a real field, but fun never the less.
We took Lucy Dog to the dog park for a dog Halloween party. See, she has a bandana around her neck. But the whole thing was horrible. Too many people, too many dogs.
The 2nd graders (and K & 1s) also got to do a parade on Halloween. Not a Halloween Parade as in former years (See here. And here. And here.) The kids made masks and paraded. They were cute. Q7 and H7 here, H7 is the awesome peacock, and Q7 is the fancy cat! They were all wearing red because it was wear red day to thwart drugs or something like that.
The actual night of Halloween came, and we'd finally gotten costumes together. C44 took C9 to the thrift store to buy some purple items so she could be Marcia Overstrand, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard from the Septimus Heap series. She got a rather large purple sweaterdress and a purple scarf that we converted into a cape. I'm sure nobody knew who she was, but she was who she was.
And Q7 wore a horse costume from a friend who was a cowgirl. Cute!
So, first, the pumpkin patch! The 2nd graders (and K and 1s) walked down to the park to "pick" a pumpkin from the field. Not really like a real field, but fun never the less.
We took Lucy Dog to the dog park for a dog Halloween party. See, she has a bandana around her neck. But the whole thing was horrible. Too many people, too many dogs.
The 2nd graders (and K & 1s) also got to do a parade on Halloween. Not a Halloween Parade as in former years (See here. And here. And here.) The kids made masks and paraded. They were cute. Q7 and H7 here, H7 is the awesome peacock, and Q7 is the fancy cat! They were all wearing red because it was wear red day to thwart drugs or something like that.
The actual night of Halloween came, and we'd finally gotten costumes together. C44 took C9 to the thrift store to buy some purple items so she could be Marcia Overstrand, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard from the Septimus Heap series. She got a rather large purple sweaterdress and a purple scarf that we converted into a cape. I'm sure nobody knew who she was, but she was who she was.
And Q7 wore a horse costume from a friend who was a cowgirl. Cute!
Monday, October 28, 2013
For Pep
Just now the girls are watching The Sound of Music. I think they love the movie as much as I do. We just got to the part where Maria and the children ask the Captain to sing for the first time. He demurs, but eventually reluctantly takes the guitar.
At that moment, Q7 does a mini fist-pump and says "YESSSS! My favorite song!" and the Captain proceeds to sing Eidelweiss.
At that moment, Q7 does a mini fist-pump and says "YESSSS! My favorite song!" and the Captain proceeds to sing Eidelweiss.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Words Cut Most Deeply
"Sticks and stones may break my bones
but words will never hurt me"
Q7 is reading I Saw Esau which I bought a few years ago (or asked for) after hearing about it on NPR. It is a collection of childhood poetry, often silly, rhyming, jumprope-type songs. Q7 is up there enjoying some of it. But she called me up a minute ago and read the above poem to me and said, "Mumma. I think it is actually the other way around. Because words stay inside you," (tapping her sternum) "and a little hit?" (tapping her arm) "Remember my stitches? They hurt, but it doesn't hurt any longer."
Monday, October 21, 2013
Independence and Pre-Halloween
Q7 and C9 -- but especially Q7 -- have been doing a lot by themselves lately. Going to the dog park with the dog. Well, sort of a dog park. There is an empty school 2 blocks from here with a lovely fenced in playground. Neighbors use it as a dog park ... it is fantastic. Can let the dogs off leash and away they go. Lots of socialization and exercise. For the dog and the kids. But Q7 is willing to go by herself with the dog. I am hesitant about that, but she's done it twice now. Both C44 and I have talked to some of the other dog owners and they are fine with it. The girls are courteous and respectful (phew). But still, Q7 is only 7. But she seems to enjoy it.
So today, Q7 was riding her bike up and down the street and got bored, so she rode over to K7s house. When she got back she asked if I could photocopy a flyer she'd gotten from school so she could post it all over town. "No" was the short answer. She wanted to DO something on the bike. Like deliver papers. So I asked if she wanted to go buy me something at the store (about 1/4 mile away across 3 streets). The answer was a definite yes. Of course I instantly regretted suggesting that she do that by herself, but if she WANTS to do it then I think she is READY to do it. The streets she has to cross are not busy, and there are crosswalks.
So, Q7 then decided she wanted to buy candy in order to give it away. C9 loved that idea and got her money, too. This felt better, they could both go.
Both girls brought $3 to the store and headed out on their bikes.
I sat home and played computer games to distract myself. I gave them 20 minutes (until 4) to get home. By 4:05 I decided to walk Lucy to the store after them. As I got to the corner they were coming back. Yay!
They bought candy, and a neighbor also gave them candy. Random, I know, but he is a big Halloween person. And then they put it together....
.... labeled it up,
and headed out to deliver it.
I'm waiting for them to return now. I told them they could do three stops this evening. They should be home soon.
So today, Q7 was riding her bike up and down the street and got bored, so she rode over to K7s house. When she got back she asked if I could photocopy a flyer she'd gotten from school so she could post it all over town. "No" was the short answer. She wanted to DO something on the bike. Like deliver papers. So I asked if she wanted to go buy me something at the store (about 1/4 mile away across 3 streets). The answer was a definite yes. Of course I instantly regretted suggesting that she do that by herself, but if she WANTS to do it then I think she is READY to do it. The streets she has to cross are not busy, and there are crosswalks.
So, Q7 then decided she wanted to buy candy in order to give it away. C9 loved that idea and got her money, too. This felt better, they could both go.
Both girls brought $3 to the store and headed out on their bikes.
I sat home and played computer games to distract myself. I gave them 20 minutes (until 4) to get home. By 4:05 I decided to walk Lucy to the store after them. As I got to the corner they were coming back. Yay!
They bought candy, and a neighbor also gave them candy. Random, I know, but he is a big Halloween person. And then they put it together....
.... labeled it up,
and headed out to deliver it.
I'm waiting for them to return now. I told them they could do three stops this evening. They should be home soon.
Monday, October 7, 2013
More horseback riding
C44 took Q7 to her lesson this past weekend. Q7 came home talking about having trotted (on purpose, this time!) which was fun to hear about. C44's new camera is reeeeaaallly nice.
Monday, September 30, 2013
September Summary
School has started and we've settled in after some discomfort with new teachers, new routine. We also have a new piano teacher as well, not by choice. Ug. But we are past all that, the tears from the first weeks of school are over.
So we've tried to do a few fun things in addition to school.
Horseback riding lessons. We have found some cheap and not so far away riding lessons for Q7.
C9 has also come to lessons, but not for the horses. For the possibility of going to Michael's (the craft store), for my tablet (the games), and for the dog (seen here in a stall ... he's big and slobbery).
Pontoon ride on the Anacostia. The Anacostia isn't the cleanest river in the world. Or Maryland. Or Hyattsville. But it does have a lot of history. We took a pontoon boat ride from Bladensburg waterfront down past Keniworth Aquatic Gardens and to the National Arboretum where we turned around. I really wasn't sure the girls would enjoy this, but they did. Even the guy behind us enjoyed it!
This was the view from our seat:
Corn maze! I love these things, but the kids were not as keen on this activity. Q just wanted to get out, I think she didn't like being "lost." C had a pout for some reason. Lucy did enjoy it. After the maze we took a hay ride, had some ice cream, and dug for gems in one of those cheezy gem-dig things (and that actually took probably 45-60 minutes of their time, they loved that most of all!)
Bugs. We walk home from school almost every day, and sometimes we see some good things. Like these two dying bugs.
One more thing. C9 eats an apple burrito every day for lunch these days. It is a flour tortilla, peanut butter, cream cheese, apples, and raisins. Yum, right? Except for when we run out of raisins. So one day I put those teeny-tiny currents (I have a giant bag from making current scones ... they use fewer than you'd think!) in. C9 got upset, because she doesn't like currents (who are these kids?). So I told her they weren't currents, they were baby raisins. Oh, OK, that works. A few days later, Q7 was upset about getting currents in something instead of raisins, and C9 patiently explained that they were baby raisins, not currents. Oh, that's OK then, and Q7 went along with it. Awesome.
So we've tried to do a few fun things in addition to school.
Horseback riding lessons. We have found some cheap and not so far away riding lessons for Q7.
C9 has also come to lessons, but not for the horses. For the possibility of going to Michael's (the craft store), for my tablet (the games), and for the dog (seen here in a stall ... he's big and slobbery).
Pontoon ride on the Anacostia. The Anacostia isn't the cleanest river in the world. Or Maryland. Or Hyattsville. But it does have a lot of history. We took a pontoon boat ride from Bladensburg waterfront down past Keniworth Aquatic Gardens and to the National Arboretum where we turned around. I really wasn't sure the girls would enjoy this, but they did. Even the guy behind us enjoyed it!
This was the view from our seat:
Corn maze! I love these things, but the kids were not as keen on this activity. Q just wanted to get out, I think she didn't like being "lost." C had a pout for some reason. Lucy did enjoy it. After the maze we took a hay ride, had some ice cream, and dug for gems in one of those cheezy gem-dig things (and that actually took probably 45-60 minutes of their time, they loved that most of all!)
Bugs. We walk home from school almost every day, and sometimes we see some good things. Like these two dying bugs.
One more thing. C9 eats an apple burrito every day for lunch these days. It is a flour tortilla, peanut butter, cream cheese, apples, and raisins. Yum, right? Except for when we run out of raisins. So one day I put those teeny-tiny currents (I have a giant bag from making current scones ... they use fewer than you'd think!) in. C9 got upset, because she doesn't like currents (who are these kids?). So I told her they weren't currents, they were baby raisins. Oh, OK, that works. A few days later, Q7 was upset about getting currents in something instead of raisins, and C9 patiently explained that they were baby raisins, not currents. Oh, that's OK then, and Q7 went along with it. Awesome.
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