The Orchestra Concert and the Spelling Bee

Kindyl was in a Spelling Bee and neglected to tell me about it. She is such a low keyed kid. This is how I found out:

I get a call from my friend Melanie, I don't remember what we were talking about. She says, "I've got to go, I'm at the school to see Mariah in the Spelling Bee". About 5 minutes later I get a text from her: "You didn't tell me Kindyl was in it too!" This is because I didn't know, and I tell her that. She texts me back,"That little stinker! There are only twenty kids in it in the whole school!" Kindyl is in 4th grade, so it should kind of be a big deal to her.

She gets home, and I ask her about it. "Oh, I think I told Dad and told him to tell you". Ooooo Kkkk. Silly kid. How did you do. "well I didn't win, but I got pretty far." How far. "I don't remember there were a few kids after me. " Who won? "a sixth grader" Of course.

what word did she get out on? "mosque"

Can your ten year old spell "mosque" off the top of her head? Can you?;)

I heard from a couple of parents that she got a little gypped. Some kids that made it past her got much easier words. What can you do? Kindyl was unfazed. Cool as a cucumber.

Let me tell you what happened when I was chosen for a Spelling Bee in Elementary School. I think I was the only one chosen from my class. I was given a master list to study from. I studied from it a little, but intended to memorize the whole darn thing. I proceeded to procrastinate, a problem I have to this day. The day of the Bee I was mortified that I hadn't memorized it all. So I faked sick and stayed home from school. One of my regrets in life. And I was really annoyed about it too, because that was the day we got fake snow trucked into the school. I was really sorry to have missed it. Those are the consequences when you chicken out.

Good thing Kindyl does not have these same problems;)




That same week Rachael had an orchestra concert. I was tired and Ab was cranky and I was tempted to skip it. I ended up being really glad I didn't. I absolutely loved hearing her play. Music has the power to move me, and it is even more moving when it is your own child on stage. I was very thankful she has had the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument.



Her first year in strings I talked her in to playing the cello. I love love love the cello. Its deep tones are so beautiful to me. And it is much easier to get a music scholarship with a cello because not everyone plays it.

But it was a serious pain to lug back and forth to school.

I had an aversion to violin music, and I'll tell you why. When I was a kid my little twin sisters started taking violin at the age of three. And they practiced. and practiced. And practiced.

Callie gave it up after a while and took up dance, but Cassie persisted. I want you to imagine a 5 year old playing the violin. Not songs, but chords and such. And she practiced. And practiced. And practiced.

As a teenager I had no patience for such things. I didn't like the violin. It was too high and screechy for me. No offense Cassie. She actually plays beautifully now. She has for years. She went to BYU and majored in music. She can pretty much play any instrument you hand her. She is amazing, and I love to hear her play in an orchestra.

I still had an irrational aversion to violins. But Rach did not want to play the cello anymore. So she has been playing the violin for two years.

I must say I was surprised that it didn't annoy me when she started practicing. She had very rudimentary skills at first, yet it still didn't annoy me. I loved it! I loved hearing her play music, and I still do.

It is funny how that happens. I think it is similar to changing your own kids' diapers. It is never as bad as changing someone else's kid's diaper. Oh Cassie is just going to love that analogy!;)

Something genetic makes me enjoy my children's music in all of it's forms. And the night was amazing.