THIS is 3rd Grade?!

My daughter, M, is a pretty smart cookie, and is in the advanced math class at school. What that means is that she is in the 3rd grade, being taught 4th and 5th grade math. Now, I was also an advanced math student back in my day, so I can handle anything thrown at me for silly old 4th grade math, right?

Uh, no.

She had a test on the Wednesday and Thursday before Christmas, and was sent home with a review packet of about 8 pages on Monday. She missed school the previous Wednesday so that we could attend E's USMC graduation in South Carolina, and she missed some of the topics. So it was up to me to figure out how to explain things to her. No problem, right?

Uh, no.

Have you ever heard of a 'factorization tree'? Do you know how to figure the LCM (least common multiple, sheesh)? If you do, then kudos to you; I am apparently backwards in my understanding of today's math education, and had to look them up. Luckily we have good old Google these days, and I pretty quickly managed to find out what they are. In case you're dying to know, a factorization tree breaks down any equation into it's prime numbers, which can be multiplied in any order to get the answer, and while the definition of LCM may be pretty self-explanatory, the process isn't, and is waaay more complicated than I would have expected for even an advanced 3rd grade math class. I don't think I did anything like it until about 6th grade or so.

So, once we figured out what these mysteries were, M seemed to catch on pretty quick, and even thought they were 'cool'. That's my girl. She's really into magic, and loves the idea that math has a lot of 'magical' processes to it.

Me too.

PS - When I chatted with her teacher the following day (found out she aced the test, btw, woohoo!), I learned the charming mnemonic 'Dirty Monkeys Smell Bad', which they use to help with long division. I wish I'd had something like that to help me remember how to do stinkin' long division in Mrs Cadwallader's 4th grade class at Wake Robin Elementary School. Might have helped just a bit. Grrrrr..... I was and still am a 'math person', but I had a tough time understanding long division.

Ooh Rah!

E's platoon at attention during the graduation ceremony. The guy in the black belt is the Senior Drill Instructor, or SDI.

Ain't he handsome?

E wouldn't go near the infamous yellow footprints. He said he'd been there once and never wants to do it again. M&L, however, were happy to oblige.

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem. "
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985

He's Almost There

My oldest son, E, is currently in his last week of USMC basic training at Parris Island, SC. At this exact moment, he's on day two of the Crucible, the final challenge of boot camp. Recruits are led through a series of obstacles that test their strength, physical and mental endurance, and teamwork. It lasts for 54 hours, during which they get at most 8 total hours of sleep and little food. They march 9 miles back to base early Saturday morning, then are rewarded with the Warriors Breakfast, an all-you-can eat feast of pancakes, steak, potatoes, good food (probably makes a few sick after what they've been through). Most importantly, they also then receive their Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, the USMC insignia, and they have earned the title "US Marine". I wish I could be there to see him get his EGA, but I'll see him next week. Graduation is next Friday, and we'll be able to spend time with him on Thursday for family day.

I find myself constantly thinking "what's E doing right now?" It's impossible to put it out of my mind as I hope and pray that he makes it through this. He's come too far, and done too well, to not finish.

OOH RAH! I'm so proud of him.

Currently Listening to....

Ahh, memories. And great jazz, too. Thanks, Vince.

Seasons Greetings

Picture courtesy of M :)
(btw, I love the bling on the neck of fourth elf/caroler from the left. And also the fact that no one has a NOSE)

Congratulations are in Order

..... to my kick-ass little daughter, M, who became a red belt in karate last night. She and L both study a Japanese form of martial arts (self-defense oriented) that I can't ever remember the proper name for. Anyway, she's now only about a year or so from becoming a junior level black belt!

And she looked GOOOOOD last night.

I Won, I Won!!!!!

I just love saying that....

Since I've known my hubby, every Christmas, often only a week or so before the big day because we've been so busy, we've trudged out to some tree farm, chopped down our own tree, lugged it home, strung the #$(%&# lights (I HATE stringing lights), decorated it, then proceeded to watch all the needles fall on the floor because we're too lazy to keep up the watering. Then spent days picking the needles out of the carpet because they get firmly embedded. So I started broaching the subject of an artificial tree a few years ago, with "NO" as the definitive answer, and "because I like the smell of live trees" as the reason. Even after I offered to get live greens and wreaths for the aroma, he still held firm.

Well, again this year, I posed the question, and I don't know what he'd been smoking (kidding), but the answer was "as long as you take care of it, go ahead". Huh? Did I hear that correctly? Yep, go do it. So I headed out the next day after perusing the deals online and settled on this one:


Brought it home, set it up, and all I can say is - looks fantastic! Even hubby, who won't admit defeat even when staring it straight in the eye, said "damn, it looks really good". And it does. Once all the ornaments are on it, I doubt many people will be able to tell the difference.

And I DON'T HAVE TO STRING ANY LIGHTS!!!!!!!! Or pick needles one by one out of the carpet!!!! Or wait until a convenient, nice-weather weekend to go get it!!!! Happy dance.....

The Wonderful World of ...orthodontia

So it turns out that this face, as charming, adorable, cute, and quirky as it is, needs serious orthodontic help. I mean serious. The orthodontist got very solemn after examining him and said "just about everything that can be wrong with a mouth is going wrong here". GULP.

Step one: stop the thumb sucking. Immediately. If he doesn't stop soon, the damage he's doing will be untreatable via the usual orthodontic methods. By that I mean surgery. GULP. We had a long talk with L and told him the truth - that he would need an operation if he didn't stop with the thumb. I honestly haven't seen it in his mouth since. At night, we're wrapping his hand in an ace bandage, which he's been great about, and he's just not thumb sucking during his "usual" times (TV, computer, reading) during the day. So, yay for that.

Step two: We go back in February, and if he's stopped the sucking, we'll begin what will be a very long process of fixing his mouth. As best I understand it, he has misshapen his upper jaw so that it's not nice and round anymore - it's pulled forward. He has a serious overbite, with his teeth slanted forward, and his bottom teeth are moved over to one side, leaving no room for future permanent teeth to come in. GULP.

Oh, and M will need braces, too, but not to the extent that L does. She has an open bite, and once a few more teeth come in, we'll start with braces for her.

Neither hubby or I had to have braces as a kid, so we are entering totally new territory here, people. In fact, in my day, I NEVER heard of someone 8 yrs old having braces. They are doing them much earlier now.

Donations to the L Braces Fund are now being accepted.....

Indian Food

Normally, I'm not a real adventurous eater. I'm not picky, but I don't eat "weird" things. Well, I had a gastronomic adventure yesterday evening. After the Robert Dick Recital, a few of us took him to dinner, and the restaurant of choice was a vegetarian Indian place called Udupi Palace. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! Lots of things on the menu that I would consider yummy; I had trouble choosing! I finally settled on Dal Makhani, which is lentils cooked overnight on a slow fire with herbs (and curry). It comes with rice that you put it over, and a mild yogurt sauce to drip on top. It was soooo good! Everyone got something different, and all enjoyed their meal. If it wasn't so far away, I'd take the family. But maybe now I'll try to find an Indian restaurant near me. Yum.

Flutistically Yours

I don't know why, but I just felt the need to blog today. Lots has been going on. Yesterday, I performed Eric Ewazen's "Concerto for Flute" at the Charles Sumner School in downtown DC, as part of the Friday Morning Music Club's monthly recital series there. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this piece (in fact, Eric is composing a flute quartet, his first, for my flute quartet, Femme Flutale), and have so much fun playing it, I almost forget I'm nervous. Well, almost. There are 4 movements, and by the second, the nerves had worn off and I was just having fun. When I performed the piece back in April, the same thing happened. I can't tell you the high that comes from presenting an awesome piece of music to people, who have most likely never heard it before, since it's not a 'standard', and doing it to the best of your abilities. It is truly a rush. There were a number of people in the audience that were there JUST to hear my piece. All were flute players, one is in the National Symphony, and I was worried that that would make me more nervous, but it didn't. I tried my best to 'inhabit' the idea that they were there to hear me play well and support me, as opposed to being threatened or anxious about them being there. I continually work on my nerves while performing, and more and more, I am able to really enjoy the experience, and be "in" the music. It is addictive, really.

Today was another flute day. I went to a masterclass by renowned flutist, composer, and teacher Robert Dick. He is, to say the least, and interesting fellow. He composes music that really stretches the boundaries of what a flute can do, and is most definitely outside the limits of what we refer to as "normal" flute music. Lots of extended techniques that many call unmusical (including me at times), but there is always something to learn. His music is not my cup of tea, but I have the utmost respect for what he does. Tomorrow, he's giving a recital, and I'll be there, and I'm sure I will discover something new that the flute can do. Fascinating stuff.....

Prayers for VA Tech

My stepson attends Va Tech, and I spent a lot of time there in college; even though I didn't attend there, my first husband did, and since we dated during our college years, many a weekend was spent on that beautiful campus.

My stepson is fine, but he doesn't yet know who the victims are, and whether he knows any of them.

Please say a prayer for the victims and their families; that they find peace. Such things just shouldn't happen.

Hello

"It's been such a loong tiime, I really must be going....."

I have a NEW camera! Woohoo! We were in NYC for a couple of days just after Christmas, and my yucky old Canon just sort of went kaput (well, okay, actually the battery died, and I was without a newly charged battery since it was the kind of camera that didn't use regular batteries). One simply cannot be in NYC at Christmas, with one's two young children who have never been to NYC, and NOT HAVE A CAMERA! Even numbnuts like me that usually forget to take their camera to important events.

So, DH bought me a new, very lovely little Nikon Coolpix that I'm oh-so-happy with. Might even get my photobug going. So here's a few to share.

Oh, and we saw 'Mary Poppins' on Broadway! Wonderful, wonderful show. The kids were spellbound the whole 2 hours 45 minutes. Especially M, who was really into the show itself; L, on the other hand, was probably analyzing everything he saw to figure out how they did it.

M and I made our pilgrimage to the American Girl store on 5th Avenue. What a place! Three stories of doll 'stuff'. M just didn't know what to make of the whole thing. She found some cool things she wanted for her 'Elizabeth' (see pic above), including a very nice bed, and we were on our way.

NYC at holiday time is amazing, but mostly just, well, crowded.

Time is a Subjective Matter

So, a long while ago, I agreed to be a wedding coordinator at my church. I've been to a gazillion weddings as a musician, so I thought maybe this would be something right up my alley. Until now, I haven't been able to do one (it's not like we have a ton of weddings at my church), but about a month ago I said I'd do it for this wedding yesterday. The bride and groom (B&G) are not members of my church, and are both recent immigrants from Congo. No problem; the ceremony was a traditional one, that I am familiar with.

However.......

I have come to understand that the concept of time is somewhat, ahem, different in Africa than here in the States. By that I mean that NOTHING, repeat, NOTHING got off on time. The rehearsal Friday night: they arrived an HOUR late. The wedding yesterday: they arrived an HOUR late. WTF?!?!?!?! Never mind how unbelievably RUDE this is to moi and the others involved in the ceremony - what about their guests?! Oh, but here's the kicker - even though they started an hour late, THERE WERE STILL GUESTS ARRIVING AFTER THE WEDDING STARTED!!! This is a cultural weirdness that I just don't understand. When you say you're going to do something at a certain time, do it then. Especially your own wedding, for crikey's sake. And there wasn't a damn thing we could do about it.... we just had to wait around until they arrived, watching our labor day holiday leak away from us.

I don't think I'll be coordinating any weddings anytime soon. I should just stick to playing at them. At least then I get paid if things run overtime.

Gold belt!

Last night, Molly had her karate promotion ceremony from a white belt to a gold belt. It was actually a bit of a surprise, as we only found out on Monday that she was going to be promoted. Her instructor has been out for a while with a broken foot, so when he came back, he evaluated her for promotion (he's the only one that can do that) and gave her the "red stripe" on her belt that means she would be up for promotion at the next monthly ceremony - which happened to be two days later! She did great. I seriously doubt that karate will be her big "thing" in her life, but I am really impressed by the self-defense lessons these kids learn as they stick with it, so I hope she at least stays with it for a few years.

BTW, Luke is also in karate, and has been for about 6 months longer. He's in a younger kids program called "Karate Kids", that have different belt colors. He's been promoted twice and currently has a yellow belt with a black stripe. Once he hits age 7, he'll move up into the regular program, but not as a white belt (the sign of a REAL beginner). He'll have a yellow belt with a white stripe.

Are you as confused as I am? It's taken me the better part of a year to figure out the belt colors of karate. Never mind all the different "degrees" of brown and black belts....

Now, 'wonderful' mom that I am, I FORGOT the frickin' camera, so I don't have any pics to share. You'll just have to trust me that she looked great. :)

FDOS

Day 1: Both of aforementioned goals accomplished! I was up at 6:15, saw E off on his 'last first day' (geesh, Mom, get over it), then did a yoga DVD (featuring, by the way, a very scantily clad young man on the beach; not a bad way to start the day). L was so excited about the FDOS that he was up at 7 am wondering how long until the bus came.

This line of questioning continued at about 2 minute intervals until about 8:30, when we actually left to walk down to the bus. Goodness, that kid can be a nag.

Everyone got off for FDOS school on time, and well-equipped. And I didn't even have any fleeting moments of sadness/mourning/wistfulness/longing for another baby when the school bus picked them up, as I have in prior years. This is an old routine by now; they even have the same bus driver, who btw, was E's bus driver as well when he was in 5th grade seven years ago. I sure hope they get off the bus this afternoon as jazzed as they were this morning. :)

Update to follow.

The Last First Day

Hello, remember me? After a long period of brain dry-rot, I'm back. And this time, I hope for good. My goal(s) for the new school year:

1. Blog every day, even though I know there are about 2 people that MIGHT read it. Oh, and be witty, creative, full of deep meaning, and poetic all the time.
2. Get up at 6:15 every weekday morning to see E off to school, exercise (!), and get showered/dressed before little ones get up, so that I can get to 'work' sooner in the day.
3. Don't set more goals than I can handle.

As for the title of this post, tomorrow is E's LAST FIRST DAY of school. He's a high school senior this year. This little factoid occurred to me while driving home from the bridal show I played at this afternoon. Put in that context, it really makes me sad. E could care less - 'whatever Mom'. He just wants to be done with school forever.... and ever. But how did my first baby get to be a SENIOR?! Graduation, portraits, all that stuff? Did I mention that I am simply NOT old enough to have a kid that's a senior in high school. Uh-uh. No way.

SPEAKING of bridal shows......oh Lordy, why did they invent such a thing?! Thousands of bridezillas-to-be (often with mom in tow) roaming the aisles looking at cakes, invites, dj's, tuxes, mortgage companies (?!), and of course classical musicians that are playing the Pachelbel Canon over.... and over.... and over..... and over.... and over. Yes, it is a pretty piece of music, but WHY does every bride in this nation have to have it played at her wedding? Come on girls, be creative, and do your wedding musicians a favor.

Tagged!

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? Nope, thank goodness.

2. Do you close your eyes on a roller coaster? NO WAY! Except one time when a bug flew in my eye, and I had to keep them closed the rest of the ride. Totally ruined it for me.....

3. When's the last time you've been sledding? So long ago I can't even remember, unfortunately

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? Alone, but don't tell hubby. He snores.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? I think they are possible, but I'll believe it when/if I see one (which, frankly, I hope I never do). But I do believe that angels watch over us, so if they are considered ghosts, then so be it.

6. Do you consider yourself creative? Strangely, no, since I'm a musician, but I can't 'create'. I can only interpret what others have already created.

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife? Yes. Slimeball.....

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie? (silly, I know ... but very "now") Hmmm, I'm a little tired of Jenn's "good girl wronged" act, but Angie Baby is sort of out there. Don't have an answer for this one.

9. Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics? Other than the fundamentals, no. And I hope to keep it that way, honestly.

10. Do you know how to play poker? I know the rules, but not how to play. I would frustrate the hell out of anyone who actually knew strategies and such, because I wouldn't follow the expected route.

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? No, no, no, no. I love/need sleep and don't think I've ever even gone 24 hours without sleep. Besides, that's really dangerous.

12. What's your favorite commercial? Yowza, don't know. A while back, there was a commercial for a vacuum cleaner that started with a cat on some steps. The cat sneezed, fur went EVERYWHERE, and a very droll voice said "SLIGHT SHEDDING PROBLEM?". For some reason, that one just slayed me. Maybe because I could relate. I hate animal fur all over the place, however I have a dog and a cat.

13. Who was your first love? Kevin, who, it turns out, is gay. But still one of the greatest people I've ever known. I still see him occasionally.

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around you, do you run a red light? No (very boring, I know, but someone once told me "character is how you act when no one is looking", and that's always playing in the back of my mind.)

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you? I don't think so, but I'm not sure. I can't keep secrets of my own all that well, so I probably would have told at least hubby by now.

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees? Neither, go Nats! (Washington Nationals)

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating? Once, in high school. Interestingly, a recurring dream of mine is me ice skating effortlessly around a rink doing all sorts of tricks. Anyone care to interpret?

18. How often do you remember your dreams? Only if I consciously move them into "awake" memory. Then I'll remember them for a very long time.

19. What's the one thing on your mind? Concerns about hubby (won't elaborate) and my house renovation.

20. Do you always wear your seat belt? Absolutely; even across a parking lot.

21. What talent do you wish you had? Athleticism.

22. Do you like Sushi? Bleck.

23. What do you wear to bed? Jammies, never a nightgown 'cuz I hate the way it bunches up.

24. Do you truly hate anyone? Other than Osama bin Laden and the people responsible for 9/11 and other terrorist acts through history, no. There is a person that I once thought I hated, but realized later what was going on and realized that he/she really deserved pity, not hate.

25. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be? If you mean "sleep" (wink, wink), I really can't think of anyone I'd admit to that wouldn't make me seem shallow. But I am very partial to brown hair and brown eyes (as has hubby).

26. Do you know anyone in jail? No, thank goodness.

27. What food do you find disgusting? Scrapple, sunny side up eggs (which the rest of my family loves), organs of any kind.

28. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back? Sadly, probably yes.

29. Have you ever been punched in the face? I don't think so. And I think I'd remember.

30. Do you believe in angels and demons? Yes. As I mentioned above, I do think angels look out for us, and I think every human being carries around their own personal demons.

Whoa, my brain hurts; too much self-reflection for one day.

Donuts from Heaven

Yah, yah, I know - I haven't posted for over a month. I don't have a good reason; how's that?!

Anyway, we're on our annual vacation down in Southern Maryland, which we do for the first two weeks of every July since I've known hubby. Lots of fun stuff - kayaking, swimming (but NOT in the Chesapeake Bay. Due to the very dry spring, they are the worst I've ever seen; huge, and there a bazillion of them. Yuck), reading lots of books, practicing, making homemade ice cream, and letting the kids be kids. But dial-up Internet access. Boy, how I miss my cable at home.

So, we thought that tonight we'd do something special and take the kids for ice cream. However, apparently people in Calvert County just don't go to ice cream parlors - none exist. We were told, though, of a new Baskin Robbins fairly near here, so we headed down to check it out. Turns out, the Dunkin Donuts/Baskins Robbins store isn't actually open today - tomorrow is the grand opening. BUT, they were doing a thing all day today where they were 'practicing', and were GIVING away the ice cream and donuts. By the time we got there at 8:30 pm, the ice cream part was closed, but the GAVE us a dozen donuts, about a half dozen muffins, and some bagels. There is a God, and he likes donuts, apparently.

Diet? What diet? Free donuts contain absolutely no calories, as anyone who has ever watched the caloric intake knows. ;)

A couple of proud mommy pics

Okay, so I do have four (!) kids, but I'm also mommy to two really cool four-legged kiddos, so I thought I'd share a couple of cute pics I took the other day. Gracie is our chocolate lab, the SWEETEST dog on the planet. I say this, and I'm a die-hard cat person, not a dog person. But Gracie is just the greatest dog. We adopted her about a year and a half ago, and she has blended seamlessly into the family. Not a bad dog-habit in her - she doesn't chew or climb on anything. But any ball she finds outside is automatically hers - basketballs are her favorite. She'll play fetch with a tennis ball until she just can't walk anymore. And she's very good at chasing all the elephants and giraffes off of our property. I challenge you to find even a one.


Mozart is my kitty-baby. He's the biggest people-cat I've ever known. He just has to be around one of us, usually me, whenever he can. He purrs constantly. His only fault has been a minor "not using the litter box properly" problem, and, until we had him declawed, he tore up some very expensive furniture. But personality-wise, he's the greatest cat I've ever known. He has recently taken to laying on this couch in the sun; he loves the warmth, but doesn't like the sun in his eyes.

My Guys

E went to his girlfriend's Senior Prom last night. He's only a junior, and this is his second senior prom! Things were a little iffy as to whether they would still be together to go, but I guess it held together and they had a good time.
















Thursday was L's 6th Birthday! We had family over for cake & ice cream, then we're planning a trip next Sunday to King's Dominion, an amusement park near Richmond. His big gift was this "Green Machine"; sort of a Big Wheel/bike hybrid. He's had a great time running it around our driveways, at least until he jackknifed it last night and fell, thus scraping his hand and knee. All is well, however, and he's decided that he again likes it.