Spring Break

Monday - heading out of the city in lovely spring weather:


First order of business: taming baby goats





Here are Nibble's quadruplets playing. Keep an eye out around :15-:20 where one of the babies flops backwards over the log.


and more playing. I recommend you watch without sound, so you won't have to listen to the wind (and the goofy background conversation that adds nothing to the video)

Festival of Strings

Just like the Pageant of Bands, the Festival of Strings is a concert for all orchestra students, grades 5-12. With the orchestra, even more than the bands, the progress the students make each year is VERY noticeable. Ainsley is only in seventh grade, yet she has improved tremendously! Here is a taste:

Fifth Grade



Sixth Grade (look for the cute redhead whenever Mr. Molina faces the students on the right)



Sixth Grade, Song Two



Seventh Grade (Ainsley is just to Mr. Molina's left)playing Shenandoah



Seventh Grade, Song Two



Ruskin High School Orchestra - Something to look forward to!

Pageant of Bands

Every spring we look forward to the Pageant of Bands. All of our school bands, from 5th through 12th grade, perform at the same concert. It is really a great opportunity to see how far the student musicians can progress in just a few short years. When I was the parent of a fifth grader, listening to the high school band gave me hope that it would not always be so painful! Now, as a parent of an 8th grader, I am surprised at how far my son (and his classmates) have come! And there is still room to grow.

Fifth Grade - Ode To Joy: One thing that was especially impressive this year was the SIZE of the bands. The Pageant of Bands was moved to the high school to accommodate a larger crowd and more students due to the reorganization of our district last year. So, instead of four schools-worth of fifth graders playing together, eight schools were combined. The fifth grade band was huge!



8th & 9th Grade - His Honor March: In this song, Jarom is playing the marimba. It's the first time we've been able to really see and hear him play on the marimba. He's played it many times, just usually at the back and very softly.



Triumphal Overture - Jarom plays the timpani in this song. Wow - we can see and hear him again! Mr. Tope, the director, mentioned before this song that many students had volunteered to learn a new instrument so their band would have better instrumentation. The young man playing the tuba (easily visible in a red sweater when I focus on Jarom in the video) is one of them, as well as the young women on bass clarinet.

Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words to Each Other

Just this morning, I read a great blog about arguing fairly in a relationship. It really hit home because often, in the heat of anger, I find myself resorting to tactics that I would not approve of normally. Shortly after reading the blog, I read about Congresswoman Gwen Moore's remarks last night in the debate over funding for Planned Parenthood. I can't find a full and direct quote directly from Congresswoman Moore, but Michelle Malkin summarized it here:

"Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Gwen Moore argued that abortion was better for unplanned babies than a life 'eating Ramen noodles' or 'mayonnaise sandwiches.'"

I went searching for the whole bit, wanting to see if I could find all of Congresswoman Moore's comments and put them in context. I could not find it in the time I have right now. I was really frustrated that I could only find catty responses to her remarks. I did find a nice biography about her that shows that she herself has struggled through life. She has also dedicated many years fighting to become a voice to those who are often ignored. She is not an awful, ignorant woman. She may have said something a bit ridiculous to make a point, but there is much to admire about this woman. It bothers me that she has been reduced to one ridiculous soundbite, so people (the blogosphere, the reporters, individuals who chitchat about it) spend their time ridiculing her comment rather than discussing the actual issue, which I *think* is, "is it right for the federal government to fund Planned Parenthood?"

One of the things that frequently bothers me in our political debates is the complete descent into nastiness and the complete disregard for decorum and civility. If we cannot ever see another point of view, we are in danger of being easily misled or misguided. If I can see and understand another person's point of view, then I can determine for myself whether I disagree or agree - but I will not be misled by my emotions or my prejudice. If I can promote my own ideas, without degrading anothers, then I know my ideas are worth promoting. Enough for now - out of time!

My Favorite Things

"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things"

Here are a few of my favorite things:

Holly performing "Rapunzel Rap" in her school program


Rebekah performing "Don't Eat a Poinsettia" in her school program (sound advice for all of us)


Ainsley playing the violin with the 7th Grade Orchestra


Jarom playing percussion with the combined 8th/9th Grade Band

My Book Review

I just wrote my first book review for Our Ladies Room. You can find it here.

A letter to my "representative"

Regarding your recent visit to Cuba:

Congressman Cleaver,

--Who provided your translator?
--Who planned your itinerary?
--Who invited you to speak in the Episcopalian Church? Did you seek out the church or did the church call you?

I am sad and sick at heart to hear you say, “We’ve been led to believe that the Cuban people are not free, and they are repressed by a vicious dictator, and I saw nothing to match what we’ve been told.” I ask myself, how can our congressman be so naive as to believe this? Did you not study communism in school? Have you forgotten what years of life and freedom have taught you? The problem with Communist dictatorships is that there is no FREEDOM of anything. Dictators can be as charming as anyone and they are experts at arranging pleasant, charming demonstrations of magnanimous gestures but they are not experts at allowing their citizens to speak freely or express dissent. Did you do ANYthing in Cuba that was not arranged for you by someone else? Did you ever stray from your schedule or speak with someone not provided for you by Fidel or Raúl? How is your Spanish? Do you know enough to know if your translator was truly translating or if he/she had instructions to only translate what was pleasant and polite? I won't drag this on any further, you understand my point. The next time you praise a dictator with, “He’s one of the most amazing human beings I’ve ever met,” please remember that many people felt the same way about Adolf Hitler.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ort
Spanish Teacher and Mother
Kansas City, MO