February Family Update

 

1) On a scale of 1 to 10, how was your FEBRUARY?

8.

2) What did you do last weekend OR what are your plans for this weekend?

James' Pinewood Derby.  Going to help Sheri get her parents' house ready for being sold.

3) How is the extended family? 
4) How is job? 

5) How is health? 

I played Ultimate Frisbee outside a few weeks ago.  We were diving around in the snow.  I overexerted myself again, and I ended up getting all sneezy again. 

6) Did you go anywhere cool? 

Mall of America and Embassy Suites.  We got all-day wrist bands to go on all the rides at Nickelodeon.

7) What made you frustrated?  Sneezing after exercise, again.

8) What made you happy? Seeing James' basketball team win their championship game.  Going on a road trip with Madelyn and James to get free MOA wristbands from Sheri's sister in Woodbury.  We blasted music from my iPod through the car's stereo speakers.

9) Anything surprising?  While at the Embassy Suites Sheri, James and I went down to the coffee bar.  After Sheri and I ordered, James wanted hot chocolate.  We were thinking, "No, we're not going to pay close to $3 for hot chocolate."  The man behind the counter saw James' smiling face and he said, "I'll make one for you.  It's my treat!"  James sure has a knack for getting people to give him things for free!

10) Movies/TV shows you watched?  A few episodes of American Idol. 

11) Currently reading? Books on coaching youth baseball.  I am head coaching James' team this spring.

12) Something you made:  Banana Bread.

13) Do anything cool?  Listened to Eric Himy give a piano concert at our high school.  He is a concert pianist who has played all over the world.  We got to listen to him for $10 each! (actually it was less than that.  The kids were $5 each)  He played the same concert he played on MN Public Radio on March 1st to commemorate Chopin's 200th birthday.  It turns out the high school's piano tuner is a St. Anthony Village alum, and Eric Himy is a friend of his.  The piano tuner invited his friend to play a "warm-up" concert and his old high school, and Eric Himy accepted!  Who knows? Maybe listening to his playing inspired Madelyn.  Shortly after the concert, she memorized a piano piece that is four pages long.  That is a first for her.  The piece is Pachelbel's Canon, and I think she is going to play it for her piano recital this spring.

14) Anything bad happen?  James ran into a wall at our community center.  He was playing touch football, and was proud of how he scored a TD!  Unfortunately, he complained of still having pain in his arm a few days later.  We took him to a sports orthopedic, and he said that James has "Little Leaguer's" elbow.  He isn't supposed to throw or pitch the baseball repetitively.  Needs to wait for his arm to mature.  So, we won't be having him pitch for his team this season.

15) Any cool people you've met/reconnected with?
16) Any big purchases?

17) Something that inspired you.  The 3rd graders at James' school all do this music program called "Eldersong". Larry Long, a folk singer, leads the kids through a process of interviewing elders in our community.  Each classroom adopts one elder.  Then Larry writes a song about the elder's life.  About their accomplishments and volunteer service in the community.  These are very catchy songs!  At the concert, a couple students walk their elder down the aisle.  Then they give the elder a quilt they made.  Last, Larry and the kids sing the song they have been working on.  I think it's inspiring how much volunteering in the community can make a difference in kids' lives.

18) What are you looking forward to in the month of MARCH?  Watching the March Madness basketball games.  Drafting my team for youth baseball.

19) Not looking forward to?

20) Complete the phrase: "In FEBRUARY, I watched plenty of the winter Olympics and really enjoyed it."