webbisodes: 11.09

11.20.2009

11.17.2009

Just wanted to say, the primary program went SO WELL! I don't know if people were trying to make me feel good, but a lot of people said it was one of the best they've ever seen. The kids did so good on their parts and their songs.

Plus, I am not a crier, but I cried at the end. It was awesome.

Love those kids!

11.12.2009

developing talents

During my last year of junior high, I decided to play the cello in school orchestra instead of the violin again. There were two reasons for this. (1) There weren't enough people playing cello that year; in fact, I think there may have only been one before I switched. (2) I was bored playing the violin; I'd been playing the violin since I was 4 years old, and most of the other orchestranders (I just made that up, can you tell?) had only been playing since...the beginning of junior high. So the music was pretty easy for me. So I switched over to cello with a few other violinists. I had so much fun with the cello, but that was the only year I played it.

A few weeks ago, during primary, a sign-up was sent around for stake orchestra. Every year, our stake does a big Christmas program. For this program, they usually put together a little orchestra which will play a few numbers, and accompany the choir when they sing the Hallelujah Chorus. When this sign-up was sent around, I signed up. I put that I played the violin and the cello.

WHY DID I DO THAT!?

Not sure. But they actually asked me to play it. At least I have a cello, right? My mom has been helping me practice for the past few days, and tonight my little sister played her violin part while I played my cello part.

Amazingly, I had it fairly good the first time I played it, and by tonight I'm feeling like maybe I can pull this off. I know that it's not all me. There is NO way I could ever learn to play the cello in 3 days unless the Lord is helping me. And for that I am eternally grateful. He has blessed me for my moment of stupidity in saying I could play the cello when I couldn't. Kind of funny!

11.10.2009

where is my phone charger?

Last night I was looking for my phone charger (for obvious reasons). I had left it plugged into the wall by our couch, but it wasn't there. So I asked Jon where he had moved it (for he is, after all, the only other person in our household). He said he hadn't touched it, but I thought it was obvious that he had. So we went back and forth for a bit (not fighting, just being adamant that we did not move the charger).

Finally, after looking everywhere for it, I found it on the stairs that lead to the downstairs. We don't use these stairs, because we are only living on the top floor.

That left just one culprit.

The cat (who has now been named Molly).

She'd yanked it out of the socket and taken it down the stairs.

At least she didn't chew it up!

11.05.2009

freerice.com

For the last hour and fifteen minutes of my job, I am in charge of the afternoon computer rotation. I get three different groups of kids for twenty minutes each. The first group is made up of 6th graders, the second of 4th and 5th graders, and the final of 2nd and 3rd graders. We alternate math games and literacy games every other day.

Today I was looking for some fun math games that the older kids could play. I remembered that freerice.com (if you've never visited this site, head there now!) had a few different subjects you could pick from. When the kids came in, I told them that they could either play games at multiplication.com or practice multiplication tables and donate rice to people who need it at the same time. I had thought that most of them would choose the games (which is why I gave them the option), but almost every single child chose to help feed the hungry. I explained to them a little more about what they were doing, and as they were playing, I would hear a, "I feel so good about myself," or a, "This is a really cool thing!" I was so proud of those kids, working hard to get the multiplication facts right so they could donate more rice.

And when it was time for their next rotation, none of them wanted to leave. One kid said, "If you make me leave now, your making me let people die!" They loved it so much that I'm trying to find a way to keep track of all the rice they've donated so they can see how many people they've helped to feed.

11.03.2009

our family is growing!

Haha! Gotcha! It's just a little kitty! She's so cute, too! And she really wants to eat our hamster. She's a year old, and super obedient. The first night we brought her home, she jumped up on top of the hamster cage. I said, "NO," and she got right down. She's such a good little kitty!