Yesterday I made a trip to the happiest place on Earth... no, not Disneyland... IKEA! I just love IKEA and consider myself to be an expert on maneuvering in the store. I know where all of the secret passages are and always carefully plan my route before even going through the doors.
Jeff, however, hates going to IKEA. As much as I love it, he hates it. So I've learned that it's much better to leave him at home when I go. Apparently other women have learned that as well...
My purchases yesterday included a giant mirror, 3 ft. x 4ft., weighing about 35 or so pounds. It was a little unwieldy. As I stood in the parking lot pondering how I was going to fit the mirror into the trunk of our Saturn, a very nice woman walked by.
"Say, that's a pretty big item for a pretty small car! Would you like some help?"
"Wow, thanks! That'd be great! My husband bowed out of coming today."
"Oh, well I purposely go when my husband is at work," she replied. "Otherwise, I'd just kill him."
12.31.2008
12.19.2008
Walking in a winter wonderland
We had a snow day today and everything was cancelled! So we went for a walk around the neighborhood and enjoyed winter's splendor.
We love this house... it's for sale... any takers?
Home again for tea and fresh bread. What a great day!12.18.2008
Well, no, but it kind of looks like it, doesn't it?
Recently Jeff was a guest musician in my Saturday Young Musicians classes. He was there to demonstrate the soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones.
With the 3 year olds, I like to use comparison words to help them build vocabulary. So I'll ask them things like, "Which saxophone is bigger?" and "Which saxophone sounds lower?" I also think it's useful to ask follow up questions so they have a chance to explain why they think that. Sometimes I get unexpected, but clearly rational, answers.
Jeff brought his prized vintage alto (a great jazz horn) to show them. It was made in the mid-60s, so it looks pretty used. There are large patches where the lacquer has rubbed off and the brass is exposed, and some of the lacquer that has remained is turning a little greenish or orangish in places from oxidation. After playing and talking about that horn, he held it up next to the tenor, which was made only about 5 or 6 years ago. It's in pristine condition. Beautifully shiny, no visible scratches, and a uniform color all over.
"Which saxophone is bigger?" I asked.
"That one!" they shouted and pointed at the tenor.
"Which one is older?"
A short pause, and then "That one!" as they pointed at the alto.
"How do you know?"
A longer pause and then one girl finally said, "It has mold on it."
With the 3 year olds, I like to use comparison words to help them build vocabulary. So I'll ask them things like, "Which saxophone is bigger?" and "Which saxophone sounds lower?" I also think it's useful to ask follow up questions so they have a chance to explain why they think that. Sometimes I get unexpected, but clearly rational, answers.
Jeff brought his prized vintage alto (a great jazz horn) to show them. It was made in the mid-60s, so it looks pretty used. There are large patches where the lacquer has rubbed off and the brass is exposed, and some of the lacquer that has remained is turning a little greenish or orangish in places from oxidation. After playing and talking about that horn, he held it up next to the tenor, which was made only about 5 or 6 years ago. It's in pristine condition. Beautifully shiny, no visible scratches, and a uniform color all over.
"Which saxophone is bigger?" I asked.
"That one!" they shouted and pointed at the tenor.
"Which one is older?"
A short pause, and then "That one!" as they pointed at the alto.
"How do you know?"
A longer pause and then one girl finally said, "It has mold on it."
12.07.2008
Christmas Tree Day!
Today we went to Runyan's Christmas Tree Farm to find the perfect tree! It was a beautiful, and totally freezing, day.
Jeff is holding the 2 implements needed for Christmas tree selection: the measuring pole and the saw. I picked out about 12 trees that I loved that were all taller than the measuring pole.
Too bad...
I liked this tree a lot, but it was too small.
Jeff was having fun burying his feet in the snow. He does this when he wears snow boots.
See how happy he is?
Could this be the one?
Yes! Love at first sight!
Jeff was in charge of the sawing portion of the trip. It took a little while to get through the trunk, but....
Success at last!
Yay, Jeff!
Say, I can't feel my toes...
Um, maybe you shouldn't bury them in the snow...
Dancing with the tree.
Jeff is holding the 2 implements needed for Christmas tree selection: the measuring pole and the saw. I picked out about 12 trees that I loved that were all taller than the measuring pole.
Too bad...
I liked this tree a lot, but it was too small.
Jeff was having fun burying his feet in the snow. He does this when he wears snow boots.See how happy he is?
Could this be the one?
Yes! Love at first sight!
Jeff was in charge of the sawing portion of the trip. It took a little while to get through the trunk, but....
Success at last!
Yay, Jeff!
Say, I can't feel my toes...Um, maybe you shouldn't bury them in the snow...
Dancing with the tree. 12.06.2008
And then they kicked the Sugar Plum Fairy's ass...
Today in my Young Musicians classes we talked about ballet, specifically The Nutcracker, as the season is upon us. First we listened to the dances on a CD and made up our own choreography and then we watched a video of the ballet.
When we got to Waltz of the Flowers, out came 10 ballerinas in fluffy layers of ankle-length pink tulle followed by 2 ballerinas in purple.
"Oooh....," said the girls collectively.
"Pink's my favorite color!" they cried.
"They're so beautiful!"
"I want to be a ballerina, too!"
Just then the ballerinas made a large circle as one more ballerina, dressed all in white, slipped into the the middle. The pastel-colored group fluttered around Dew Drop, their pointe shoes moving rapidly.
"What do you think is going to happen?..." I whispered to the group.
"They're going to fight!" said a little boy.
I laughed at the thought of 13 tulle-clad ballerinas duking it out on stage, and laughed a little harder at that boy's fervent hope that something interesting was finally about to happen.
When we got to Waltz of the Flowers, out came 10 ballerinas in fluffy layers of ankle-length pink tulle followed by 2 ballerinas in purple.
"Oooh....," said the girls collectively.
"Pink's my favorite color!" they cried.
"They're so beautiful!"
"I want to be a ballerina, too!"
Just then the ballerinas made a large circle as one more ballerina, dressed all in white, slipped into the the middle. The pastel-colored group fluttered around Dew Drop, their pointe shoes moving rapidly.
"What do you think is going to happen?..." I whispered to the group.
"They're going to fight!" said a little boy.
I laughed at the thought of 13 tulle-clad ballerinas duking it out on stage, and laughed a little harder at that boy's fervent hope that something interesting was finally about to happen.
12.03.2008
Is it possible that 1988 was really 20 years ago? No....
So today in a lesson, I was showing my especially astute student a piece in one of my books from my student days. It had the date, minus the year, written on the top.
Me: Oh, look! I was working on this piece on December 3rd, too, when I was in 7th grade. Hmm... let's see, what year would that have been?... I graduated high school in 1995, so -
Student: (giggling)
Me: What's so funny?
Student: You graduated high school the same year I was born! (short pause) Wow, you're old.
Me: *sigh*
Me: Oh, look! I was working on this piece on December 3rd, too, when I was in 7th grade. Hmm... let's see, what year would that have been?... I graduated high school in 1995, so -
Student: (giggling)
Me: What's so funny?
Student: You graduated high school the same year I was born! (short pause) Wow, you're old.
Me: *sigh*
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