Grade 10 Band Trip 2014

Ron and I were able to chaperone Ellie's grade 10 band trip to a music festival in Chilliwack this week.  There were 41 kids, 4 chaperones and the bus driver.  Ellie did all she could to avoid the camera lens.

We had a great time and were once again impressed with the talent displayed by our band.  We listened to another grade 10 band from the lower mainland perform right before our group.  I was reminded of what I remember about most of the high school band performances that I have heard in the past; a few squeaks, slip-shod appearance, and OK music. The adjudicator then proceeded to attempt to correct them, while they squirmed and tuned him out.  When our kids' turn came, they were very professional in both appearance and sound. The adjudicators were blown away and gave our group a "gold" rating- The options were "no score", bronze, silver or gold.  The bus driver was very impressed and told us he felt so moved by the performance, he was on the verge of tears at one point. When the adjudicator gave our group their critique, they engaged with him and were asking questions and performing as he suggested.  The adjudicator had to be reminded time was up repeatedly and went over time by about 15 minutes with our group.  I am always amazed when I hear this group play. They are a joy to chaperone, as they are also very respectful, all around good kids with a teacher who does a wonderful job with them.

Of course, it wasn't all work!  On our way there we stopped at Science Wold in Vancouver (AWESOME!), then Gilford Centre for some shopping, where there are these really beautiful living walls planted under the glass studded ceiling.

 The next morning (yesterday) was mini golf, arcade games and Go Karts before the afternoon's performance followed by the trip home today.  We saw a HUGE pod of dolphins from the ferry on our crossing back to the island and we were blessed with gorgeous weather the entire trip.

OK . . . when and where is the next one?

March 9th . . . wait, uh, what happened to February?

 

Spring appears to be springing in the backyard.

The month of February slid past, with the Olympics on TV inside and the somewhat unusual snow outside it seems almost like we skipped a few weeks.

The kids are just as busy as ever, even with Kaili and Elizabeth passing a cold/flu/sore throat thing back and forth for weeks now. It seems I have been calling the school to excuse an absence almost every day for one or the other of them. I have finally caught it myself and spent the last week laying low in an effort to kick it ASAP-there is another band trip coming up that is in need of chaperones.

From the missionary- Adam has been transferred from Steinbach, Manitoba to Kindersley, Saskatchewan this week. Google Maps has come in handy the last year and a half.

I have pruned the old apple tree (severely) and the detritus from that is still in a heap waiting for me to get it tamed, there is also a pile of lumber and sawdust (thanks in part to a very generous friend- for the wood, not the mess) sitting in the middle of the living room carpet halted mid-project.  Both of the aforementioned wood piles, the current quilt under construction, the lavender seed starting experiment and everything else are stalled while I wait for the fire in my throat to die away and the energy to return to the rest of my body.  I am finally beginning to feel a titch better today, thankfully!

Hopefully, I will have a completed project or progress on something to post soon.