Safe church...

Hmmm...  a bunch of us went for "safe church" training this weekend.  We learned all about protecting the parishioners; especially children, youth and the elderly, from all kinds of nasty abuse.  Yuck.

Then, on Sunday, our youth group met with our new rector.  And promptly knocked him flat playing a game.  Hmmmm... apparently safe church training forgot to cover protecting the rector from the youth!

Camp!

My little girl went to camp!

I know, I know... pretty typical.  Lots of kids go to camp.  But for our third kiddo, camp is a REALLY BIG deal....  This extra-special young person has extensive disabilities.  Lots of typical stuff is difficult for her.  Keeping up with her classmates... well, that is a dream for us.  But kiddo's 7th grade class was spending a week at Camp.  We sure didn't want Smiley to miss out on the experience!

The theme for the week was, "stretching your rubber band."  I do love that image.  Everyones' rubber band is different.  For some, going on the zip-line or swinging on the giant swing was stretching the rubber band.  For our kiddo, walking through the woods over rocks and roots was stretching.  So was staying overnight for two nights with her classmates (and mom). 

Keeping up to her small group for an hour-long game walking all over the campus with frequent bursts of running was a challenge.  Climbing 1/4 mile of a mountain... yup, that stretched the rubber band. 

And climbing part way up a ladder... BIG STRETCH!

 

I am sooooooo very proud of this kid!

See that smile?  We saw an awful lot of it last week!

And this smile?  Easy-peasy... we got all the *boys* to stand behind the photographer....

Yup, pretty typical girl, she is!

Have a happy day! 

totally random...

My kids never cease to amaze me!  This is 11-year-old's self portrait.  WOW!!!  She's always drawing and just pops out sketches like this!

She drew this looking in the mirror, but I took a picture of the kiddo to show you the amazing accuracy!  Ok... I know I'm biased, but I think she's a pretty phenomenal artist! 

And kiddo #3 loves looking at photos, but will seldom cooporate to take a picture.  I actually managed to catch her attention the other day and snapped several cute photos of her.  I love this one of the two of us! 

And one more quick, happy thought!  We had our first youth group meeting this weekend!  I love this crew!  Ok... the crew is considerably better-looking than this quick characterization, but I don't post photos of the group.  So I'm just leaving you with a sketch of the smiles that accompanied a whole lot of laughter!  And, yes, we have two thumbs up in the actual photo!

I'll be off camping most of the week with kiddo #3!  Think of us when you are snug and warm and it's 40 degrees and raining out there....

Have a great week!

Crazy 'bones!

Got trombones?

There must be some mutant, renegade gene that determines trombone aptitude.  So far as I can see, playing a trombone goes way beyond a certain musical style.  There seems to be a "fun" gene involved in the makeup of a trombonist.  Could you really choose to play an instument with that great slide if you had no intention of poking people with it?  And can you picture any goofier instrument?  Trombonists can take a note, dump it off its line, drop it several spaces, then swoop it back up to where it started again.  Without taking a breath.  Sometimes intentionally.  Sometimes while trying to remember in what position the note is really supposed to be played....  For a trombonist, there is a delightful inconsistancy to notes.  We can play any note a little sharp or flat.  Or a lot sharp or flat.  So much that it sounds like a whole different note, even....  We don't tend to take ourselves (or anyone else) too seriously.  Is it any wonder that there is generally plenty of laughter coming from the trombone section in a band? 

I'm glad to say that I have plenty of trombones (and trombonists!) in my life!  "Thing 1" (one of the guys from a goofy town band I play in) invited the rest of the trombone section over to his house this week. Where there is laughter, there is warmth.  Yup... lots of warmth in this section!

I really don't have enough words to describe the evening.  We laughed, we talked, we joked, sorted blueberries, made pie, played music.  But it was the little things that made the evening special.  Like the birthday hat on the mailbox marking the driveway.  Or the two blueberry pies due to an animated discussion about the merits of grahm cracker crusts verses traditional crust.  (Not to mention crumb topping or crust top and the question of how much sugar is neccessary for a blueberry pie...)  It was the music we played.  'Bone-caroling.  Christmas music in August.  It was the comfort of sitting with friends, chatting and sorting blueberries.  Or swapping trombone mischief stories.  The peacefulness of standing on the deck looking over trees and a treehouse.  Or trying the myriad of very strange and wonderful instruments that "Thing 1" and "Moe" had with them.  Joking about breaking kids.  Or very big shoes.  Or "Curly" going back for her third and fourth pieces of pie.  The random jokes that make us all grin.

Another piece of the evening... friendship.  Shared experiences.  This was Lucie's trombone section.  She would have loved the evening.  It was bittersweet to gather without her.  Yet she, of all people, would have been quick to proclaim, "sweet!"  And it was. 

                

My funny bone is temporarily not ticklish.  The last week has been full of ups and downs.  Good times and hard times.  Laughter and tears.  Leaving me in an unusual, contemplative mood.  And I don't feel like sharing.  Hmmmm... and yet, I blog.  So, today's post sounds a lot like the trumpets at our last concert.....................................................................................................................................
Sorry for the silence.....

Trumpets? Trumpets?

Have you ever experienced a band concert with no trumpets?  We had four measures in the middle of one piece that sounded kind of like.............................................................................  Ummmm... yup.  That's what it sounded like!  Then the trombones came back in with the counter-melody.  But what I want to know is, why did the audience clap for the invisible trumpets and stop clapping for the trombones???  I mean, c'mon!  Always clap for the trombones!  We're sensitive.  (Did you fall for that one?)

Hmmmm... band director #2 announced that I have enough sass to make up for our missing trombonist...  During the concert even.  Sass is good, right???  Must be 'cause trombones are full of it!  And when we have our full section back, we'll really whup those trumpets!  (Whup would be the musical term for "play a lot louder".  Trombones are also well know for whupping at "pp" signs...)

By the way, I love concerts!

I get to pretend to be a grown up!

Right down to my toes!

Well... almost!

And one more quick kidbit...

Apparently, the wait for pie was a *little* too long for kiddo #3...

Have a fun day!

Kid-bits!

I love it when the kiddos blurt out a bit of "mom-trivia" that makes me grin!  A few days ago, I was brushing my hair when kiddo #4 materialized behind me... "mom, you're beautiful."  I chuckled and said, "no, not really, but thanks!"  The youthful little eyes behind me got all big and wide.  The eleven-year-old-unbelievably-horrified look.  "No, Mommy!  You really ARE beautiful!"  Gotta love the world according to youngest kiddo's rose-colored glasses!  And, hey!  I am beautiful to my kiddo!  I'm happy :o)

And last night, oldest kiddo and I went for a late-evening drive.  With the sole purpose of Mickey-ing a buddie's car.  Oh, such a stealthy mission!  We parked a little past his house, were careful not to slam the car door, and worked under the cover of darkness.  As she hopped back in our car and we made our get-away, my kiddo laughed and blurted out, "I'm so glad you're my mom!  Not many parents would think it's ok to go out at night for something so fun!"  (Just for the record, Mickey is a bright pink antenae-topper.  Not the more sinister, Webster's definition of Mickey-ing something!)

Then there is kiddo #2, who is playing around with a new look.  Lots of black, funky sneakers, colorful hair, wild prints, homemade chain neclaces, bracelets, anklets.  Really a pretty cool look!  But it is tweaking a friend of hers who is horrified by all the black.  Kiddo 2 has been wishing for black lip stick.  She knows it will get tweaked buddy going!  And she thinks it is "cool."  (Or whatever today's word for cool is...)  So, while at the big-W-store, I picked up the darkest lipstick I could find for her.  Not quite black (might have to wait for Halloween), but dark enough to become mom-of-the-moment!

I'll enjoy being popular while I can!  Soon enough I'll be pestering them to do their homework.  Then my popularity might decline significantly...

Well... enough silly for today!  With the kiddos all off to school, it is time to get back on the work-wagon! 

Have a happy day!