Heritage Language Competition

A few months ago, Rachel called me from the school, asking if she could stay after with her friend Tasiah.  I told her that was probably fine.  Then, she told me she had gone to Heritage Group with her friend and she really liked it.  She wanted my permission to go to the Heritage Language classes at school, and to go to the Heritage Group practices after school.  I think it is good for my kids to learn about the cultures they are surrounded by, and I believe it can be to their benefit to learn another language.  Grandpa Worthy speaks Navajo, and Rachel has been so excited to work on some of the things she is learning with her grandpa.

It wasn't long after that, Olivia asked if she could go to Heritage Language classes also.  Olivia didn't go to very many practices after school, though.  She just didn't want to miss an opportunity to play with her friends.  My good friend Jenifer Warren offered to make traditional dresses for my girls so they could perform with the group.  Olivia did not get to compete with the group in the San Juan School District Heritage Competition, though, because she didn't participate in the practices.  She was so excited to get a dress, and Jenifer and I brought her with us to the performance down at Monument Valley High School.  Jen warned me it would probably be boring, but since I have never experienced one of these competitions before, I thought it was fun and fascinating.

The funnest part was that our group won in every event they competed in.  They did awesome!

This is the group dance 

 Presentation (corn grinding, etc.)

Rachel swaddles the baby in a cradleboard.  It was fun for me to be able to tell her that my parents kept me in a cradleboard when I was a baby.

This is a skit they performed, reading in Navajo.  That is Rachel behind the monkey mask. 

The winning group.  They won six awards and had the highest overall score. 

And here is Olivia, posing with the group also. 

Jenifer did an awesome job on their dresses.  I didn't get a picture of the girls together, because Rachel had changed out of her traditional dress for the skit. 

I had to stop and be a tourist for a minute on the way home.

One of the judges, Nelson Yellowman, who is the San Juan School Board President, was curious about my little white girls performing with the group.  I just told him they love learning the language and they love being with their friends.  It was a fun day for all of us.  Thanks again, Jen.

Arsenic and Old Lace

Forgive me.  I know it is a lot of pictures.  I just couldn't resist.  It was such a fun play, and there were so many good moments.  Garrett played Dr. Einstein, and I think he had a lot of fun with it.  Other members of the cast included Becca Black and Kortney Johnson as the aunts Abby and Martha Brewster.  Wheeler Heck played Mortimer Brewster, and Liz Meyer was his cute fiancee, Elaine.  Koy Nielson portrayed Teddy.  Elijah Palmer enacted the role of Jonathon Brewster.  Dakota Adams was an unsuspecting old man (and a corpse).  Dominique Sherrow, Katrisa Ward, Talia Kyles, and Rachel Metzger were police officers. 

Elaine and Mortimer visit his aunts 

Elaine explains to Mortimer why she likes attending musicals with him:  "You said I have great legs, . . .and I do!"

The happy couple gets engaged 

Mortimer discovers his aunts' special charity 

In a panic, Mortimer sends Elaine away 

Mortimer almost becomes one of his aunt's "gentleman" 

Dr. Einstein and Jonathan stop in for what they hope will be an extended visit 

"You did this to me!" Jonathan blames Dr. Einstein for his too recognizable, messed-up Boris Karloff face 

Teddy refuses to be bossed around by Jonathon 

Dr. Einstein announces that in "Panama" there is an ace in the hole! 

The aunts conspire with Teddy 

Elaine catches a sneak-thief and almost becomes one of Jonathan's victims 

She is a bit hysterical 

Mortimer tells Jonathan it is time to leave, but Jonathan won't back down 

Officer O'Hara thinks Jonathan has a familiar face 

Jonathan and Dr. Einstein debate the number of Jonathan's murders. 

"They never leave Brooklyn and they have the same number as you." 

The aunts refuse to leave Teddy. 

Mortimer describes the foolishness of characters in plays, 

and ends up enacting that very foolishness himself! 

Jonathan is caught! 

Teddy is ready to go on an African Safari. 

Dr. Einstein tries to sneak past the cops. 

Jonathan taunts his aunts, "At least I know you cannot better me.  We will both only ever have 12." 

The aunts decide to try for number 13 with Dr. Witherspoon. 

And Garrett and Elijah take a bow.

It was fun to watch the actors' progression from the first night to the last.  I missed their final performance on Monday, but I saw the other three nights.  I think Garrett's best performance was Saturday night, but the entire cast had their best show on Friday.  We invited the cast over for a party on Saturday.  Root beer floats, banana splits, and a scary movie.  It was a fun time for all.

We really are grateful that there is a drama program at San Juan High School, and I sincerely hope it is something the district will be willing to continue.  Not every kid can be a student athlete, and I think it is good for these young people to have options.  Not to mention, it is so fun to be entertained by such talented youth!

The Elementary School Christmas Sing-Around

Last night I had a dream that I missed the girls' Christmas Program at the elementary school.  I was really sad, and a little bit panicked that I could have let that happen.  When I woke up, I still felt a little bit guilty about it.  But, after we had family prayer, I realized it was happening today, and I could go after all!  Britt and I got to the school a little early, but we were surprised to discover that they were hardly any parents there.  Then, the lunch room at the school began filling up with kids, kids and more kids, and we kind of realized why.  There was just no room for an audience.  I guess the students were supposed to be their own audience.

Still, I was happy to be there, even though it meant missing Zumba--sorry, Kd.  It was really fun to watch those kids perform.  And I even got some of it on video with my new camera.  Unfortunately, I have not figured out how to load it onto my computer so that I can post it here.  Oh well.  Maybe later. 

Rachel shines 

Tyler is too cool for pictures 

Olivia was so happy to see us.  Unfortunately, she was in the very back behind a lot of other first graders, so when it was time for her to perform, we could not see her at all. 

My nephew, Thomas Perkins 

Rachel performing with the Fourth Graders 

And this is Rachel performing with the Heritage Performers.  She has recently started attending Heritage Language, where she learns Navajo with some of her friends.  They sang three different songs today in Navajo.  It was really fun to watch.  In case you didn't know, Rachel's Grandpa Worthy speaks Navajo.  He learned the language many years ago when serving in the Southwest Indian Mission.  He still speaks Navajo today, and is famous for his Navajo Children's Song Recordings, which are used often in the local school district.

Okay, I am going to bed.  And I don't need any more dreams where I wake up with a sick feeling.  Santa is ready to come.  I deserve to relax!

Tyler is okay

I am not posting a picture, because if I were Tyler, I would be mortified.  But then, if I were Tyler, I would probably have insisted on not going to school at all today.  After all, when you are in the fifth grade, your looks matter a lot to you and to everyone else.  Tyler is my daughter who has always fought me violently whenever I have tried to do her hair, and now she is begging me to do it.  She is definitely more conscientious about how she dresses and all of that now, too.

So, when I received a text from my mother yesterday--which I couldn't view because I was out of data range in Arches National Park at a business retreat--and a voice mail from the school principal describing Tyler's injuries, I was very concerned but pretty much helpless.  Thank goodness they had been able to reach my mother and she had a vehicle to get to the school and pick up Tyler.  Once I was able to call Tyler, her usual perky, mile-a-minute voice answered me back like it was all no big deal.

No big deal that she had a split lip, bleeding gums, a monster goose egg and swelling right side of her face, not to mention a developing black eye and two very scraped up knees.  She wasn't crying; she wasn't complaining.  Actually, she sounded like she was thrilled to be getting some quality time with her grandma, especially since she was able to finagle Grandma into helping her start another quilt project.  She wasn't even really upset about what had happened to her.

What happened to her?  Those of you who didn't already hear or who weren't there when it happened are probably wondering.  This is the story told to me by Tyler.  She was playing kickball with a bunch of kids at school.  As she ran to the base, a boy threw the ball at her to get her out.  He hit her legs, tripping her and knocking her right into the base, which happened to be a metal pole.  Personally, I am thinking having a metal pole for a base is not such a good idea.

She was pretty bloody then, between the scraped knees and her bleeding mouth, not to mention the goose egg making her face swell.  Grandma Gail got her home to her house, cleaned her up and kept an ice pack on her face for a while.  Tyler didn't really want to be bothered with it, but Grandma said it did help bring the swelling down.

Once I got home, she was developing a pretty large black eye, above and below her right eye.  Her lip was not bleeding, but it had swollen quite a bit, as had the entire right half of her face.  A friend of hers was encouraging her to take ibuprofen to reduce the swelling, but since she wasn't really in pain at that point, I didn't think it would be that helpful.

This morning, she looked like she had been on the losing side of a terrible boxing match.  I told her she didn't have to go to school, but she wanted to.  She is braver than me.

Thanks, everyone who called to make sure she is okay.  She really is.  She is kind of like the Energizer Bunny, you know.  She just keeps going and going.  I think she is even enjoying the fame and attention she has been receiving since it happened.  I love my Tyler.

It's Crazy Hair Day Time Again!

We LOVE Crazy Hair Day!  Lucky for me this year my girls gave me some warning about Crazy Hair Day and even asked me to get them up early to give me time to get their hair done.  And lucky for me, they were all willing to let ME do their hair.  And as much as I really don't like the new district-wide stupid Tuesday schedule, today it was lucky they had more time since school starts at 8:30 on Tuesdays. 

  I was also lucky that I had an idea of what I wanted to do and easily found pictures on the internet when I googled it.  Tyler's do is actually featured on the Adopt A Do site which is down there on my sidebar.  It was prettier before we added the colored hairspray, but crazier with it, right?

 She loves it!

 Rachel and Olivia's hair was a little trickier, but I think it turned out cute.

 Too bad it didn't stay sticking up like it was supposed to.  Oh well.

I am so lucky to have such adorable little girls who look beautiful even when their hair is crazy!

P.S. Tyler's hairdo was still intact when she got home!  I didn't know she could be calm enough not to have it completely trashed by the time the day was over.  I guess she IS growing up.  Of course, is it really a good thing to be able to maintain a bun mohawk all day long?  I don't know.

P.S.S. Olivia won a prize for her hairdo.  I guess the principal saw her coming in late this morning (yeah, my youngest two girls barely made it to school at 8:32 a.m.).  Yay, Olivia!

Eighth Grade Football Games, Parent Teacher Conferences, Root Canals and other fun stuff

 I don't mean to give the impression that I classify watching eighth grade football with root canals, 'cause I don't.  It has just been that kind of a week.  Add into that trying to keep up with homework--Suddenly I am the Algebra expert?  How did that happen?--getting the oldest eligible for Cross Country and drama activities, talking with teachers all day Tuesday trying to find out what I need to do to help the kids succeed in school, attending extra-curricular activities, getting kids ready a couple of times while Britt was out in the morning hunting with Cole (Cole drew an elusive bull elk tag), and working on a couple major projects for Britt at work, by the end of the week I was something beyond exhausted.

These pictures comprise two football games Cole played in.  The first was Thursday, September 15 against Moab.  It was a tough game.  The boys are still kind of figuring out how to work together as a team.

 Time out on the field

Stop him!

last minute instructions 

 Almost the final score (since they turned off the scoreboard last time before the game was over, I wasn't taking any chances)

 caught

but we couldn't quite make anything happen.

The team's game this past Thursday the 22nd (Happy Birthday to my brother Drew and my Aunt Nancy) went a little better:

 Cole's on defense

 Oops!  He just missed this tackle

 still on defense

 Go, Mustangs!

 Cole was frustrated that he spent so much of the game on the sidelines.

 But you know he had missed part of some practices during the week because he was elk hunting.

 We held them to no score until the final play when the clock ran out and our defense just let their man run into the end zone.  It was craziness.

But we still won.  Yay!

And I was in pain the whole time.  That morning a back molar that has bothered me slightly for several years (like since I was a teenager) really started hurting.  Thursday night I went to bed in moderate pain.  Early Friday morning, like 3:00 in the morning, I realized there was no way I was going to get any sleep with the sharp shooting pain penetrating my jaw.  I asked Britt if he had anything stronger than Tylenol and he gave me some old pain medication.  Then I asked him for a blessing.  That Friday, he and Cole went out early to hunt again.  I called Garrett on his cell phone and had him get the kids up and fed.  They came into my room for prayer.  Then Garrett drove to school (yes, he has his learner's permit) and I made it home safely on my own.  I spent the entire day "sleeping" and taking pain medication.  Tried to eat, threw up a couple times.  By late afternoon that day, I decided I would rather eat than take pain medication.  And I was actually okay without it! (for a few hours, anyway)

My dentist was able to get me into an emergency appointment later than night for a root canal.  By then, I had decided that I wasn't hurting that bad anymore, so I didn't really want to do the painful procedure. But I wanted to be able to sleep that night, so I figured I better just do it.  He said my nerve was actually dying and that was why it wasn't hurting as bad at that point.  But, he said eventually it would have abscessed and got infected and then I would have felt worse.  I have to say, that was the most pleasant root canal ever!  No joke!  It was such a relief!  And oh yeah, I slept like a baby that night (even without my husband who was camping out in hopes of finding some elk early in the morning--no such luck).

Saturday was a busy day between a cub scout baptism, the Stake Relief Society Humanitarian Project, and the General Relief Society Broadcast, which was so worth attending!  Sunday, I spent the whole time after church trying to create a DVD of our motorcycle trip for my father-in-law Joe.  I have never done that before, so it turned into quite the project.  Just got it done today.  I am also still working on some projects for Britt.

The fact is, I am tired.

But life doesn't slow down even for a root canal.  We just have to keep going.  And that's okay.  We'll get there eventually.