Peace at Last

I made it through my crazy weekend, although on Sunday afternoon when I was lying with the covers pulled over my head, trying desperately but unsuccessfully to nap, I had a moment when I was tempted just to stay there instead of going back out for one last thing. I'm glad I did emerge from the cocoon, though, because the Sunday night concert was a lot of fun, and after that and a bit of Christmas light viewing, I'm finally starting to be kind of in the mood. I may even get my Christmas tree up tonight.

The kindergarteners did a great job Sunday morning with their tambouracas. Here's their performance (as recorded and posted by a mom). Warning: There may be unbearably high levels of extreme cute.



I'm the one in the bottom corner, sort of directing. No small children were harmed in the making of this video, though some might have been psychologically traumatized. One of them seemed to be trying to test me and got to two strikes in the warning about getting her tambouraca taken away, but then she seemed to have decided that I was serious and it wasn't worth the risk to test me to see if I'd really do it. Fortunately, she didn't have enough time to come up with a plan to get another kid to test me. For the record, I totally would have taken it away if she'd disobeyed or gone against directions one more time.

I also found a way to make them be quiet about anything. I tell them we're sneaking up on people. We made it from the choir room into the sanctuary, while carrying noisemakers, without the slightest sound. I wonder how many times that will work. I also wonder if I should be worried that telling them to be quiet out of courtesy doesn't work, but telling them they need to be quiet so they can sneak up on people is highly effective.

Those who are musically inclined may notice that there were a few music theory lessons fit in there -- finding the rhythm by measure and then by beat, even though the melody was syncopated, and then (mostly) hitting a beat when there was a vocal rest. At least one parent caught that and was impressed. She was also impressed that enough of them were actually more or less on the beat. Now I just have to come up with something to do next semester.

Today, I don't have to go anywhere or do anything, and it's a good thing because I put on the Comfy Socks and therefore am unable to leave the house. I hope to get some work done and then do some reading and relaxing.