May 2019 Orchestra Concert

This concert was a milestone for me because it was my first time playing principal cello for the Loveland Orchestra. Not because I got promoted--I got bumped up to that seat because Heather Cowan, who usually sits principal, had a scheduling conflict. But it was still an exciting new experience. You play differently when you are supposed to lead the section . . . you want to give the right cues and help everyone stay together. You need a tighter connection with the maestro as you watch every flick of his baton and work with him to execute clean entrances and cut-offs. 

The program was mostly movie music, but also featured the winner of our 2019 Young Artist Competition, which was organized by yours truly. Emma Johnson blew everyone away with her piece, "The Lark Ascending," by Vaughan Williams. She actually made one of the judges (Maestro Louie) cry at the competition because her playing was so pure and beautiful.

This show's movie music theme inspired a few fun costumes. Our second bassoon player's husband dressed up as a T-Rex (nod to Jurassic Park), and Mika dressed up as Rey from Star Wars.

After the show with my stand partner and dear friend, Anita Kufeld:

So long, Star Wars. Goodbye, Imperial March, with your relentless bass line. Adieu, Princess Leia Theme and Jurassic Park Theme--thanks for sharing your soaring melodies with the cellos. Will I ever see you again?

Preschool Field Trip 2019: Fire Station

Wylie's preschool field trip to the fire station was canceled this month, due to COVID-19. But he actually had the chance to go with Paula's preschool class back in May of 2019. Here are some photos that might jog his memory:

Kids plugging their ears at the sound of the fire alarm:

Fire Pole:

Fire truck tour:

Class Photos:

I have yet to regret taking a shameful amount of photographs of my children . . . not when they allow us to take a virtual field trip as consolation for yet another canceled event!

Ramona's 10th Birthday

Ramona woke up on her 10th birthday with a low-grade fever. She had to stay home from school, but felt good enough to practice her violin and get some school work done.

At noon, we did something unthinkable these pandemic days, and went to Freddy's for frozen custard within hours of Ramona's temperature reading. We didn't even wear face masks! How irresponsible is that?

Birthday girl opened her presents in the afternoon. 

The moment she met Randy the Racoon:

Dangly Earrings!

Instead of birthday candles in cupcakes, we did birthday candles in sushi rolls. Having a little cold didn't keep Ramona from her sushi.

Dear Ramona,

   These photos mark a decade of YOU! I know fourth grade was a rough year for you, marked with many disappointments and big emotions. You had to get braces, and you hated them. You didn't get to have your closest friends in class with you, there was a lot of friend drama at recess, and you were told there was no longer room for you in show choir after initially being accepted. You had to accept the difficult reality that schoolwork (among other things) triggers a large amount of anxiety in you. 

   But here were the good parts: Your fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Drage, ended up being your favorite elementary teacher of all time. You picked up the violin, and despite feeling plenty of frustration with it, you didn't give up on it. You got to work at the Bethke school store. You were a host for the Bethke KBOB show that included morning announcements, weather, and student birthdays. You were a ballerina on a big stage. You won an award for your mermaid costume at Halloween. This was the year you finished the Harry Potter series and got into Percy Jackson books. You accomplished a lot, learned a lot, and overcame a lot. 

   So even though you may remember that you had to be sick on your 10th birthday, I hope you will also remember that there was a lot of good to celebrate. There is a lesson in that: You can always find moments to smile, even when things aren't perfect. You are stronger than you know.

Love,

Mama

April 2019

Here is April 2019, minus Ramona's 10th birthday:

Storytime at the library:

Skipping home from preschool (this girl skips when she's happy)

Unicorn horn + light-up unicorn rain boots

Refreshments after an orchestra meeting:

The kids got one Friday off of school that month. We used it to take a trip to a granite supplier near Denver to choose our kitchen countertop. About this time we were getting ready to demo the entire kitchen and hire a contractor to make it pretty. Here is the countertop we picked out to go with the floor and cabinets:

After making our choice at the granite place, we stopped at Chick Fil A for lunch:

Then we went to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science:

Wylie got bored with the exhibits after a while, so he and I spent a long time going up and down the escalators. He LOVED that.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt (on a very cold Saturday)

Ramona with her friend April Ottley:

Ramona with her friend Izzy Sheridan:

Living room recital with Myers/Palmers

Somehow, it bacame a tradition for the kids to put on a play after our recitals. This time it was "The Gingerbread Man"

Easter: Kids woke up to a Hatchimal surprise (little eggs that have toy animals inside)

Egg hunt behind the Eccles' home:

Wylie lighting up his Hatchimal with a flashlight:

preschool easter party

Miss Stacie hid wooden letters inside eggs for an egg hunt

Paula + Wylie + Elephants

Wylie and his tools

He became especially interested in tools around this time, watching the kitchen demo take place. Here he is hammering on the pantry closet that we were getting ready to swap out for a double oven surrounded with some cabinetry:

Bethke Spring Showcase--

Ramona performing a dance with her friend Ella Coy:

Ramona operating her robot for a tech club demonstration:

She was disappointed to not make the lottery for show choir that year but tried to make the most of her extra time by joining this club. Initially, all fourth and fifth graders were invited to join the choir so we signed her up, but the numbers were so big that Mrs. Adams decided to put all the fourth grade applicants in a lottery, disregarding their previous acceptance. It was very frustrating at the time, but doesn't seem like that big of deal after being plunged into a pandemic. Pretty cool that Ramona got to play with some robots as a fourth grader.

Mika and Paula in the computer lab:

April 27 cello recital

This was my student Faith's last recital as a senior. She sent me such a sweet note afterward, I still keep it in my music cabinet.

Faith's note and graduation card:

Wylie got a bloody nose on the way to church one day. It was so bad we had to go home to clean him up and were a little bit late to sacrament meeting. Isn't he a handsome mess?

Something about snow on spring flowers is so beautiful. You feel sorry for the buds that pop up, expecting sunshine, yet admire their resilience for blooming, despite the circumstances.

Paula had an ancestral flag project in preschool, and we of course had to make a flag for Japan. Tiny red origami cranes in a circle with some glitter, set inside a piece of styrofoam:

It's strange posting this on the same day I sent Wylie to preschool with HIS ancestral flag project. I guess it further emphasizes how far behind I am on blogging. 😖