Band Bash

This evening, Brandt had a big band concert.  It was at Timpview and three different bands performed.  Brandt played with the sixth grade band, including all the sixth graders in schools that feed into Timpview (I think).  There were a bunch of them.  The Centennial Middle School eigth grade band performed a number, and then the Timpview band.  For the big finale, they all played together, 400 students.  It was impressive.  The songs were exciting, moved right along, and the concert was over in half an hour.

In preparation for the concert tonight, Brandt played both his numbers for Family Home Evening.  Initially, as he began to play, he was playing just one note and it blarted out and Blythe started to laugh.  He had a hard time getting going because he kept laughing, but when Blythe settled down, he was able to play.  He included all the rest portions when he wasn't playing, but counted so we knew something was still going on.  He was playing different notes, and we were impressed.

Tonight was really great.  It is so fun to see Brandt enjoying his instrument and the whole band experience.  He's participating in honor band which meets on Wednesdays from 4-5:30, and he's getting good instruction (from what he tells us).  It is wonderful to see the children developing talents and learning new things.  We love it!

There was a big crowd of band students!

 Getting ready to play.

 

Concert finished.

He blew us away!

I, too, would give the performance a thumbs up!

Maturation

Brandt had his sixth grade maturation program today.  Kent went with him.  Kent reported that Brandt confidently answered questions posed by the presenter.  They were talking about careers and when asked what he wanted to do when he grew up, Brandt said, "I want to work for my dad."  They asked what talents the boys had or what they were good at and Brandt said, "I'm good at putting together Legos."  They discussed how to treat girls and one of the boys volunteered, "Don't hit them."  The presenter said, "It's also probably not a good idea to tackle them on the playground.  If you like them, there's a better way to show them."  Brandt isn't super interested in girls yet, much to our relief.  He showed me a booklet he got, complete with a picture of the male reproductive system.  He was somewhat aghast at the whole thing, looking at it with wide eyes.  "Look at how big it gets," he pointed out to me.  He received a bar of soap and some deodorant, which we sincerely he hope begins using.  Thus far, our pleas for him to start  implementing regular use of deodorant on a daily basis have fallen on deaf ears.  We can get him to take a shower most mornings.  Our lad is growing up.  It's wonderful, wonderful!

Picture of deodorant and soap, but not male reproductive system.

A Family Reunion

Since our visit with Jamie, Brandt's birth mom, Brandt has been asking his siblings from Jamie.  He's got an older brother and two older sisters, plus a younger brother and sister.  We met the younger children a couple of years ago and need to see them again, but Brandt has never met his older siblings.  Seemed as good a time as any to renew/form those relationships.

We met at an ice cream shop downtown.  They have a large balcony area that can accommodate lots of people, and so we got ice cream then visited.  It was great!  Generally, I think most everybody is fairly reserved except me and Gayle, Brandt's grandma.  But we talked and got to know each other and laughed.  Andrew, Allie, and Katie have not had an easy time of it.  They were adopted by their aunt Cassie six years ago, but before that, they were on and off with Jamie and facing too much responsibility for young people.  Andrew and Allie have both graduated from high school and are working.  Katie is in 10th grade.  Brandt was a bit shy and didn't talk very loudly when someone asked him something, but I think for a first time meeting, it was a success.  Cassie has two other children, a son Jackson who is a year older than Brandt, and a daughter Martie who is six.  Blythe and Martie ran around (literately, as Blythe would say) while the rest of us talked, and when Brandt was finished, he and Jackson ran around with the girls.  I suggested we meet again when it was warmer so we could all run around together. 

Brandt was so pleased to have been able to meet Andrew, Allie, and Katie.  We were too.  It's nice to meet people you love from afar, even if you don't know them well.  We still have a couple other siblings for him and Blythe to meet, and we'll keep working on that.

Allie, Cassie, Gayle, Jackson, Andrew, Katie, Me, Brandt, Kent, Blythe, and Martie

Not pictured is Andrew's girlfriend Irlanda who graciously offered to take the picture.

Big kids and little kids.

Jackson was mad that he is older than Brandt but not as tall.

Brandt even looks taller than Katie.

Don't Go! Part 2

I was over at Mikayla's house today watching her kids while she was at the doctor.  Cora and Kal were having a nap, but Brick and I were playing games and watching Paw Patrol.  When it was time for me to go, Brick didn't want me to leave.  He stood in front of the door with this arms wide and said, "No, Grantie Kate, you have to stay here."  I'm glad that both he and Cora love me.

Field Trip Friday #85--Ice Castle

In the company of Eugene, Sharea, Makenna, Luke, Collin, Guy, and Brick, we went to the Ice Castle in Midway this evening.  Although it has been unseasonably warm this winter, it's been cold enough to make icicles, huge towering icicles.  We went up to stomp around in the ice and snow, and embrace winter.  There were lots of slides this year, big and small, more colored lit structures than we've seen, and the temperature was 30 degrees warmer this year than last.  All in all, a plus.  Both Blythe and Brandt said how much fun they had.  The pictures tell the same story. 

 Looking down from above on a portion of the castle .

It was snowing lightly as we wandered around, giving added ambiance to the whole experience.

  The lights on this ice wall changed colors.

Oooooh!

Aaaaaah!

 The kids came down a long cave slide.  

I was standing at the bottom, hoping to get a picture of them as they shot out.

Other people were standing there too.

Their children came out and they got a shot, 

but then they didn't get out of the way so others could take a picture.

One of the women said, talking about me, "I don't think she got her picture."

Nope, you and your group took your sweet time moving. 

But I'm not bitter.

Really, I'm not.

Look at all the other darling pictures I got of my darlings.

I forgive her.

I'll never say another thing about it as long as I live.

Snowflake on the lens, in spite of my best efforts to keep it spot free.

 Blythe and Makenna threw themselves onto the ground.

In the top picture, it looks like Blythe's spirit is leaving her body, 

as if she's died of  hypothermia in the snow.

She didn't.

  

 

Ice Window

I took a picture of this woman's ridiculous footwear, 

wondering what she was thinking when she put on these boots.

Who goes clomping around in ice and snow in suede high-heeled boots with fancy tassels?

I tried to take this photo discreetly, but she turned around and looked at me as the camera made a clicking sound.

I had been casual about the picture. 

I didn't have it up to my eye, focusing on her feet.

But I will admit I turned quickly away in shame.

But not so much shame that I'm not posting the picture.

I need to repent.

Again.

Yikes!

This was apparently a judgy sort of outing for me.