Glasses and Ponytail

Coming to you live from nap time!  So, this one is gonna be short and sweet. ☺

Jacob's latest favorite thing is my glasses.  I don't know when or how the obsession started.  I don't know why he's so into them.  What I do know is that he says his word for them starting the moment I walk into his room in the morning.  I also know he's talking about them throughout each day, whether I have them on or choose to wear my contacts.  If I'm wearing my contacts and we're home, he sometimes goes to our room to the place where the glasses are to ask me to put them on.  If we're out and about, he asks where they are (if I'm wearing contacts) or comments on them (if I'm wearing them).

The kicker?  After saying his word for them, he often makes the sound I make when I'm prepping them to be wiped off.  You know, the "h" sound you make when you're huffing on them to fog them up before cleaning them?  He makes that sound at any mention of glasses - whether he's the one doing the mentioning or he hears someone else say the word.  Again, I don't know how or when this started; only that, apparently, I clean them often...probably because someone is always getting tiny fingerprints on them...

The boy also loves when I have my hair in a ponytail.  I can't remember when this obsession started, either, but I'm pretty sure it was several months ago.  He loves to play with my ponytail.  He looks for it when my hair is down.  He gets excited when he sees me putting in a hair tie.

The reason I'm sharing these quips, other than their obvious adorableness, is this:

If I'm in "glasses and ponytail" mode, it's probably because my hair is on day 2 or 3 and my eyes were too tired for contacts, which needless to say, usually means I'm not "feeling my look" as much as I could be.  But, in Jacob's tiny, sweet opinion, these are my best days!  He loves glasses days, and he loves ponytail days, and when they happen on the same day, he can't get enough of his mama (even more than usual).  On these days, when I'm potentially down on myself for not taking time to fix my hair or put on eye makeup, he's looking at me with so much joy and excitement.  

Please don't read into any of the self-image/vanity/whatever stuff that may be associated with this post.  My intention is not to fish for compliments or make you concerned about my own self-image.  I'm simply sharing this little nugget of a lesson I'm learning in motherhood that's probably bigger than I realize (or have time to write about, at the moment).  It just makes my heart happy, and I thought it might do you good to hear it, too.  To me, it is such a picture of the love God has for us, despite our "dirty hair" and "unconcealed faces," if you will.  ☺

I had intended to keep this all to myself and just post a picture of Jacob's outfit on Instagram, because I thought he was looking especially cute today, but instead, I'm writing this post and sharing a picture of us both.  ♥

And some of him, of course...

Enjoy the weekend, friends!

Out of time to come up with a witty salutation,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

those precious red baby Chucks

my trusty Norwex optic cloth (ha)

the super generous b-day gift from my in-laws - a Cricut!  (this is what my margin time has been devoted to, lately)

Welp, I'm back...and back at it. ☺

Oh, hey.

My arms are a little sore, but I managed to climb back up from falling off the face of the earth - phew!

Seriously, though - who knew life could get even more crazy than it already was?!

Anyway...hello, dear friends.  I hope this finds you and yours well and enjoying what's left of summertime.

Here are a few highlights from the months I was MIA:

• June - Charlie's birthday (ha)
• July - was honored to be the Maid of Honor in a wonderful friend's (absolutely stunning) wedding; lots of trips south for special family time (one for my grandpa's beautiful memorial service); calling 200+ churches across the state to schedule the 14-15 Nebraska Brass season
• August - trip to the farm to see Grandma and Grandpa; still calling churches to schedule the Nebraska Brass season...

We started another term at the studio at the beginning of this month, and therefore, I started my fifth year of teaching there.  Crazy, right?!  I did the math about 4 times, because I really couldn't believe it's been that long, already.

In honor of my quinquennial year (don't worry - I had to look that one up), AND in honor of Harris Academy of the Arts' 10 year anniversary (wohoo!!), I have a few student stories for you:

One of my brand new students this year is a precious 4-year-old boy with dimples and melt-your-heart big blue eyes.  Not only is he adorable, but he's also doing a way-above-average job, so far!  We put tabs on the pages he's supposed to practice in his books, and when I asked him what color of tab he wanted the other day, he flippantly replied, "Eh, orange, whatever" with a shrug of his shoulder.  His mom, who was also in the room, gaped at him and gave me a shrug.  It happened again for the next page, too - I asked what color of tab, and without missing a beat, he responded, "Blue, whatever."  His mom just shook her head.  I proceeded to ask him what his favorite color was, and he said, "Orange...and blue."  No "whatever" about it.  ☺

There's a vocal instructor teaching in the room next to mine this year, so my students are getting used to ignoring all the vocal warm-ups and beautiful crooning coming from next door and focusing on their own playing, instead.  While listening to the instructor lead his student through warm-ups with the piano, one 6-year-old girl had to stop and ask what was going on over there. I told her there was a voice lesson taking place, and she proceeded to ask, "How did someone learn how to sing like a piano?!"  It took me a second to realize she didn't know there was a piano in the room, and thought the notes being played on the piano were actually coming out of someone's mouth.  She kind-of laughed to herself when I told her there was actually a piano in the room, too.

We're a couple weeks into the semester, now, so the rust is wearing off, and now that school has started, everyone's really getting back into the swing of things.  It's always touch-and-go at the beginning of the year, as you can imagine.  When they come into their first lesson after summer break, I semi-jokingly ask my students if they've touched a piano since I saw them last.  The reactions to that inquiry range from deer-in-the-headlights to a-chuckle-followed-by-a-"no" to confusion to of-course-I-have's, and many in between.  I was very impressed by one student in particular last week, though, because not only had he practiced ALL of his assigned pieces, but he also learned the words...and sang them in an opera-style voice!  I told him we need to get him in for a lesson next door, sometime!

That's all I've got, for now.

To all you students and teachers out there, here's to an awesome school year ahead!

As usual, thanks for reading! ☺

Enjoy the weekend,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

sleeping with the windows open in the middle of August - what?!

strawberry pretzel salad

garden-fresh produce

Don't worry...I'm still here. ☺

Hello, hello!

I'm taking a short break from the nearly 50 student evaluations I need to get done (a little over halfway there!) to make sure you know I'm still alive and well.  ☺  One of my adult students told me the other day that if I think time is going by quickly now, it only gets faster...which is really hard to imagine, at this point.  I'm doing my very best to enjoy each moment before it passes, though!

The holiday season, so far, as brought lots of quality time with friends, family, and loved ones - new and old, near and far - and I wouldn't have it any other way.  You all know relationships are second only to Jesus on my "life priorities list," so building/cultivating/growing them on any level just does my heart good.

A couple kiddo stories for you:
Before starting a duet, one of my students (the one who used to refer to duets as "dudettes," in fact) stopped for a moment to figure out how to count us off saying to himself, "Wait - what's the temperature?" as he pointed to the time signature.  I asked, "Do you mean the tempo or the time signature?"  He laughed and replied, "Oh yeah - the time signature - that's what I meant."

A few weeks ago, my favorite 4-yr.-old planned a trip to the Children's Museum and lunch at Noodles & Co. for our morning together before preschool.  When I thanked her for such a fun time together, she replied, "My pleasure."

Thanks for reading!  Sorry this was so short and sweet... Let me know if there's anything you'd like to hear/read about in the "scoop" - I'm always open for questions and/or suggestions! ☺

Stay warm out there!

Productively,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

having quite a few students miss their lessons tonight (even though this was due, in part, to illness, it was a huge answer to prayer, because I had my laptop with me and was able to fill the paid time completing some evaluations)

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

(memories of) Cocoa Gravy w/ Biscuits

The Scoop, lately...

Hi.  My name is Kensy.  I teach private music lessons, have a cat named Charlie, and live in a refurbished chicken coop.

For real, though - I feel like I need to reintroduce myself.  Thanks for sticking with me and reading, regardless of how often I hold up my end of the deal!

Lots of good things have been happening here:

• graduation parties for students I student taught 3 years ago
• acquiring new responsibilities and/or students at both work places 
• purchasing an iPhone 5 after going 4+ years without upgrading my non-smart phone (I'd been avoiding the switch, but was in the market for a new camera, as well as an iPod, so just went the smartphone route...got a free case and car charger out of the deal, too! You know how I feel about freebies... ☺) 
• whirlwind Memorial Day weekend, including wedding dress shopping with/for BFF from college in Norfolk, a visit from best friend from Topeka (shopping, Starbucks, painting nails, quality time with family and friends, etc.) and a visit from my super great brother (movie, iPhone orientation for both of us, day at the zoo and building Legos with the kids I nanny for, and Charlie time) 
• trips to the farmer's market
• hosting (and performing in) concerts for work 

Here's some photo evidence of some of the above happenings (all captured via the new iPhone ☺):

Sweet kiddo story:
The now-6-yr.-old I nanny for occasionally has things to share with me about various TV shows - specifically River Monsters - and always wonders if I've watched them, too.  I've had to remind him a few times that I can't watch most of the shows he talks about, because I don't have cable at my house.  The last few times I've told him this, he's said very matter-of-factly, "We have a million cables that would work on your TV - you could have one!  What's your TV look like?"  I told him, and he said, "Oh yeah, we have one that would work on that...they're pretty much new and just laying around."  I didn't have the heart to tell him it doesn't really work that way. ☺

I hope this finds you all well and you survived the recent storms and crazy weather.  Praise the Lord for the rain, but praying He blesses and comforts all who have been affected negatively by the it all.

Finally enjoying skirt and flip-flop weather,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

meeting new people

fresh asparagus from Mom's garden

these flowers from one of my students:

Out of the Mouths of Babes: Part 4

My apologies to those of you who don't find as much joy and humor in my "kiddo stories" as some do - I promise to write about other topics in future posts.  These can't go without sharing, though:

About 10 minutes after explaining to the 5-yr.-old I nanny for that the library was closed due to Veteran's Day, he asked, "What's Barbarian's Day?"  It took me a second to understand what he was asking, but then I realized that because he pronounces his "v"'s with a "b" sound, "Veteran's" got mistranslated in his head as he kept thinking about what I'd said.  It took me a second to re-translate...

After telling one of my little 4-yr.-old girl students the piece she was about to play was written by Ludwig van Beethoven, she asked, "Does he like mac-and-cheese?"

I've had a few introductory lessons with new students, lately.  During one of them, I asked the first-grader what his favorite color is.  He replied, "Blue and black."  I said, "Both?!"  He explained, "Blue is my favorite color because I like blue things, and black is my favorite color, because when I make a mistake, I can just color over it in black."

Our studio's student recital is coming up, so we've been doing lots preparing for it in lessons.  One of my kindergarten students had to sign up to perform during a time that I won't be in attendance at the recital, and he is aware of that.  After he played his pieces for me this week, I asked if he was excited for his first recital.  He said, "Yeah...but I'm not excited you're not going to be there..."  Melted my heart!  (I'll be teaching during the time he's performing...and I'll be wishing I was there to hear him!)

The same kiddo informed me that he was getting drums for Christmas (after using our legs as pretend drums in our lesson).  "Aaand I'm getting real powers...like to turn into a dog...or a cat," he said.  This was followed by a lengthy explanation of how he'll still be him and will be able to turn back into a human when he wants, but he will be getting real powers, because that's one of the things he put on his list to Santa.  I said, "Real powers, huh?"  He replied, "Yeah.  I'm using my imagination - that's what my mom says.  But I'm still going to be able to turn into a dog."

☺

I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving and safe travels, if you're headed out of town.

Thankfully,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

productivity

the movie "While You Were Sleeping"

family time!!!!

Out of the mouths of babes: Part 3

These have been accumulating for a couple weeks, now.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

When introducing one of my students' new songs titled "Rodeo," I asked him if he'd ever been to a rodeo. He said, "No, those only happen out West." I don't think he believed me when I told him there are rodeos right here in Lincoln. ☺

One of my students stopped before playing a piece for me the other day, saying, "I have something I want to give you." He started pulling things out of his pocket (chapstick, lint, etc.), finally found what he was looking for, held his hand out, and gave me these:

2 nickels and a penny

I asked if he was sure he wanted to give those away, and he said, "Yeah - I want you to have them. These are the ones I don't need anymore." I said, "Well, that's very nice of you - thank you!" He said, "Well, they don't go in my piggy bank, and I found them, so I thought you should have them." The conversation then turned to whether or not pennies and dimes are the same size, and of course, why.

One of the little girls I taught this evening was telling me about games they got to make at school today.  "They're like real board games, but they're just on flat paper," she said.  "And we get to eliminate them and take them home!"  My response: "...do you mean "laminate" them?"  She laughed at herself and replied, "Oh yeah - whatever." with a flip of her hand.

When asking a student to fill out a teacher evaluation form for me, I was telling him he could list things he likes or doesn't like about what I'm doing or things I could do better. He asked if he could write his Christmas list on there (I take it he stopped listening after "List things you like..."). Before I could explain, "No, that's not what it's for," he went on to list the things he wants: "A race car, a rocket launcher, the moon, a spaceship, 162 baby kitties - no wait, my mom's cousin is allergic to those, so I probably shouldn't get them...unless I get ones so small no one could see them...but then I'd step on them...so I would probably keep them in the fish bowl with my fish." I said, "In the water?!" He said, "No...that wouldn't work, either. I'd keep them under my globe on my dresser." Good luck, Santa.

I was prepping one of my new little students about what is going to happen at the recital, because I won't be in attendance during the time he'll perform.  It will be his first recital, but he's watched his siblings perform before, so he knows what it's all about. During this discussion, I started to tell him where he'll be sitting, and he said, "Yeah - and I'll probably be wearing my beautiful shirt and probably my beautiful pants." He has such a sweet little voice, and I was just cracking up at his word choice.

Finally, two conversations with the 5-yr.-old I nanny for:

• He was eating sardines for lunch (and repeatedly exclaiming how good they tasted and how he liked them so much), and afterward said, "I need to go brush my teeth."  I asked why, and he said, "Well, these sardines sure give you a stinky breath, and I can't go to school like that!"  He made his way to the bathroom, and then I heard him groan and say, "Oh great!"  I went to see what the problem was, and he told me, "I can't get any toothpaste out of here, and now I have to go to school with such a stinky breath!"  Have no fear - I helped him squeeze a little bit of toothpaste out, and he went to school with a minty fresh breath.
• He came to me the other day saying, "Guess what?!"  As usual, I started guessing ridiculous things, "Umm...you just ate a worm...you're joining the circus...etc., etc."  He said "No!" to them all, then I guessed, "Umm....you love me a lot."  He paused and frowned, and I said, "You don't love me?!"  He replied in a very calm, reassuring voice, "Well, let's not worry about that right now." 

Thanks for letting me share these!  I know they're probably not as great second-hand, but I probably shouldn't carry around a video camera...  ☺

Youthfully,

Kensy

P.S.  I haven't ever posted about politics, and I don't plan to, but can I just say how much I dislike the extent to which some individuals and groups get so caught up in disagreement and argue about various issues, etc.?  I get annoyed by all the back-and-forth that goes on, but mostly, I am saddened to see friends and family members arguing and relationships being severed over a single issue/candidate/etc.  Don't get me wrong - I am incredibly thankful for our freedom, and I respect individuals' rights to express their opinions.  It's just sad that so often it comes with the consequence of conflict...on so many levels.

Favorites of the day:

b-day celebrations

free pie

opening the sunroof in November!

Another smile (or two), courtesy of some sweet little ones

Hey there!

I have a few kiddo quotes that can't go without sharing:

One of my students was getting ready to play a song titled "Chimes."  He read the title (silently), and said, "Aren't those the green things you put on baked potatoes?"  I wasn't sure where he was going with that, until he said, "Oh wait - those are chives.  haha - that would've been a silly thing to write a song about!"

While driving downtown on our way to the Children's Museum, we passed a man in a suit.  My 3-yr.-old friend said from the backseat, "He looks like church!"

Another "funny" from the same little girl: 
We were eating at Noodles after visiting the museum, and after our waiter asked if everything was "noodletastic" (the kids got a kick out of his word choice), she asked, "Does he have underwear on?"  I wasn't able to keep a straight face in this situation, but composed myself enough to explain that it wasn't necessarily appropriate to discuss such things, especially in public, but that yes, it was probably safe to assume that he did.

I am increasingly amazed by the generous and talented people I am so blessed to have in my life!  This weekend, I did a small (and fun!) favor for a family whose boys I teach, and this is how they thanked me:

It's a homemade Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake with pretzel crust...and it was delivered as a surprise during a long evening of teaching.  (The other half is in my freezer.)  Though their kind words and hugs would've been thanks enough, this wasn't something I was going to turn down...  ☺

Lastly, I have a couple additions to my birthday post:
-I forgot to mention that my actual birthday started with "birthday cake" pancakes made by my roomie before she headed to work in the morning!  I'd been craving pancakes for awhile, and these were "funfetti" ones...and really yummy!
-My brother sent me a very thoughtful b-day package (that arrived after birthday week and weekend...thus prolonging the celebration ☺) that included, among other meaningful things, a capo for my guitar!

I hope this finds you all well...and gearing up for the supposed cold front!

Loving fall,
Kensy

P.S. I don't know what the highlighted background is all about...and I'm not going to retype all this to try to get rid of it.  So...enjoy it, for now!  haha  ☺  Thanks for reading!

P.P.S. I'm potentially in the market for some cowgirl boots.  Any suggestions as to where to get a fairly quality pair at a reasonable price?

Favorites of the day:

new clothes

catching up with old friends (and making new ones)

the song "After All (Holy)" by the David Crowder Band

It's the most wonderful time of the year (in my opinion)!

Happy September!

Most of you probably know that fall is my favorite time of year - I love the weather, the smells, the activities...everything!  I just finished putting out fall decorations and got out the fall candles.  My electric blanket is also on my bed and ready for open windows on crisp, cool nights.  (The only thing I'm not ready for is the end of flip-flop season...but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)

The end of August brought some pretty quality kiddo stories and a couple other really fun activities I'd like to share with you:

We sang a song at church called "Praise Like Fireworks" (check it out here) a couple weeks ago.  The band leader asked around for some help with the song, and our Sunday school class was volunteered.  So, at the end of the service, the band started playing/singing this song, and about halfway through, we went on stage with sparklers to sing and dance and praise Him with fireworks!  It was such a fun, unique experience...and cool to be up there feeling the energy of everyone else worshiping.

While having some special time with the 5-yr.-old I nanny for while his sister was at school (his classes hadn't started, yet), he brought up a couple interesting topics:

-He was talking about various kinds of snakes and snake bites and was speculating as to how much blood is lost due to a snake bite.  Then, he said, "You know, snakes and guns are the same...because snakes cause blood and guns cause blood...so, they're the same."  I couldn't argue with that.

-I was wearing dangley (I don't think that's actually a word) earrings that day, and he noticed the end of the long post was touching my neck.  He asked, "Doesn't that hurt you?"  I assured him it didn't and let him feel that it wasn't very sharp.  Then, he asked, "Were you born with holes in your ears?"  I shook my head and he asked, "Well, how do people get pierced ears?"  Needless to say, I was able to offer more explanation to this question than the conversation about snake bites.

One of my first grade piano students broke his arm a few months ago.  When I was explaining a new song I assigned at his lesson last night, he said, "I should probably wait a couple weeks to play this - I don't want to break my arm again."  I asked what he meant, and he explained, "Well, it says to play it forte, and I don't want to play too loud and break my arm again.  I should probably just wait to play it."  I still assigned the song, and we agreed that he'd just play "forte" carefully.

This past weekend was sooo very wonderful!  My best friend from home came to visit, and we treated ourselves to a day at the spa (including a facial, a massage, and pedicures).  Neither of us had done something like that before, and it was fun to do so together...and it was very relaxing and refreshing for us two teachers!  My family was also in town, so I got to spend some quality time with them.  They stayed with my aunt and uncle, and their neighbor cat had kittens a few weeks ago (and they've basically adopted my aunt and uncle's front porch as their home).  The already awesome weekend was made even more great by these four, precious, tame, playful baby kitties:

This is completely unrelated, but someone posted this video an elderly man made after his wife passed away, and it's definitely worth watching!  Click here to watch.

Okey dokey - that's all for now!

I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week and enjoy the weekend!

Thanks for reading,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

iced coffee (homemade)

not having to plan meals for the week (thanks to leftovers from Mom and a pretty great aunt)

witnessing budding relationships

God's ceaseless and abundant love

Where did the month go?!

Somehow my summer "break" during the month of July always turns into a do-everything-and-see-everyone-you-can-while-you-have-free-time sort of frenzy.  So...I'm going to attempt to play catch-up (not ketchup...though I do love ketchup) in one post.


Since I last wrote to you, I have:


-hosted a game night.
-gone to a kickin' 3rd of July party...and earned 4th place in the backyard games tourney, thanks to the help of my very capable teammate.
-taken a trip home (to Topeka) which included: best-friend-pool-time (as well as crispitos & slushies and Chick-fil-a & shopping), quality family time (including games, grilling, and homemade ice cream!), lunch with Dad, trip to see Mom's new workplace, and a reality check for Charlie (he had to stay in the hot garage for awhile, and I hope it made him appreciate the fact that he's an indoor cat).
-attended a wedding and super fun reception.
-hosted/coordinated/attended quite a few events for various groups through work...most of which have been outside.
-visited my good friend near Yankton, SD (this trip included lots of lake/beach time, good food, games, s'mores, grilling, and much-needed catch-up chats).
-replaced the rugs in the bathroom after Charlie shut himself in there overnight while we were gone.
-led Bible study (discussion centered around Ester and Job, because I'm currently reading through the Old Testament).
-spent an entire day and evening at home alone (with Charlie, of course) - got a whole lot done that day!
-learned enough chords to play a few songs on the guitar!
-taught some lessons (by appointment) at the studio.
-picked the first of (hopefully) many cherry tomatoes!
-attended my roomie's sister's baby shower - the first of many for this season in my life, I'm sure!
-finished reading a "blook" about dating/relationships.  My brother shared it with me months ago, and I've been reading it little by little.  Check it out - it's worth a read!  Even if you're fairly far removed from the dating game, as I am.  ☺  Here's the link: http://thedatingblook.wordpress.com/
-accumulated a couple kiddo stories:

• I had a summer cold/cough at the beginning of the month and had to miss a day of nannying.  When I saw the kiddos the next week, I received quite the greeting (absence makes the heart grow fonder...?) and the 3-yr.-old told me, "If you're ever sick again, I will be a doctor and fix you up on your face!"  I don't quite know what she meant, but it was followed by a smile and big hug.
• When I was letting a kiddo pick out a sticker for passing a piano song, he picked one with lots of smiley faces on it.  This soon-to-be 1st grader counted the smileys on the sticker by 5's (after figuring out they were in rows of 5) and declared, "There are 35 smiley faces.  No wait - 36!" and pointed to my smiling face.  I said, "I think there are 37!" pointing to his smiling face.  ☺

I am continually amazed at all I've been blessed with and grateful for the people and relationships in my life.  I spoke in the Bible study I lead about the phrase "for such a time as this" found in Ester's story.  I believe God has been preparing my heart "for such a time as this."  Though I sometimes wonder when the next "season" of my life will come, I am embracing this one and the opportunities I am able to partake of that I wouldn't be able to if I were otherwise "attached" or had anyone but me to care for.  He is continually teaching me to live in the present and strive to bring Him glory in all I do.  


Life. is. good.  (In spite of the heat.)


I hope you all are staying cool and enjoying the last of your July.


♥,
Kensy


P.S. Charlie sends his love.

Favorites of the day:

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts

unexpected notes/mail

dinner dates with Jesus

Those were the days...

As I sit here with my toenails drying, everything checked off my to-do list, practicing trumpet for the fun of it, and of course, writing a blog post...just because, I'm thinking that there will (probably/hopefully) come a day when I look back on these times and think, "Those were the days..."  You know the song, right?  We had it on a player piano roll, and it was one of our favorites!  Click here to refresh your memory.


Anyway...this evening, I'm cherishing this season of life and trying to not take it for granted.  Though there are days when I long to be married/starting a family/etc. as so many of my friends/peers/acquaintances are, I really love setting my own schedule, doing only what I want to do (and when I want to do it), being able to see/help/hang out with friends as often as I please, the list goes on and on!  I also love knowing God has me right where He wants me...and though I'm ready for whatever comes next, I'm also content to stay in this "place" for a bit.


A couple entries for my "nanny diary":
While the 5-yr.-old was playing out an intense chase scene involving a semi-truck (cattle carrier), "The Lion King" (little plastic Mufasa figurine), and Scar (another plastic lion figurine), he was not only narrating the story, but giving it its own theme music.  I couldn't quite decipher whether or not it was original or something he'd picked up from a show, but it was definitely meant to intensify the scene he was creating.  It reminded me of "The Emperor's New Groove."  (If you don't understand this reference, watch this video.)


After complimenting me on my painted toenails, the 2 1/2-yr.-old asked, "Can you do those on your kitty?"  Meaning, "Could/do you paint your cat's toenails?"  This came completely out of the blue, and I had to laugh out loud before explaining to her why I don't and will never do so.


Mmmk - that's all, for now.


Happy Father's Day (almost) - especially to my dad!!  ☺


-Kensy

Favorites of the day:

being sought out (for a variety of reasons, but in this case, to play trumpet at church)

young men who notice your "foggy" headlight and offer to do a restoration treatment on it

grocery shopping

Cool/precious/enjoyable/interesting

Hello!


The crazy-busy couple of weeks is over!  Now, it's a fairly normal schedule till the end of June when my summer "break" begins.  


Congrats to those of you who just finished up a school year, as teachers or as students!


My last couple of weeks were full of blessings and good things, but what topped it all off this weekend was the celebration of the marriage of two of my good college friends.  Another good friend and her boyfriend came down for the weekend/wedding, and it was great to spend some quality time with them in addition to seeing everyone at the ceremony and reception!  These types of gathering/celebrations in life are so very special, and I'm thankful to have been able to attend (and be a part of the ceremony!) and see so many "old friends."  


In other news, I had the privilege of witnessing a partial solar eclipse last weekend!  Did any of you?  God is so awesome...and creative!


Stories from my life as a nanny:
On the way home from her second day at "school," I asked the 2 1/2-year-old I nanny for if she'd gone potty at school (so I knew whether we'd make it home, or not).  She said she had, then her 5-yr.-old brother asked, "Did you go poopy?"  She defensively said, "No!"  Then, he asked "Did you fart?"  I waited for her response before telling him that kind of question was inappropriate.  She hesitated, thinking about her answer, before replying, "Umm...yeah, I did."  Obviously appalled, he gasped and said, "(insert her name here)!!  You're not supposed to fart in school - it's against the law!"  I explained to them both that this isn't true - accidents happen.  She seemed relieved, but he didn't believe me.


Earlier in the same afternoon, after we'd dropped his sister off at school, my 5-yr.-old friend and I stopped to put some gas in the car.  When I got back in the car, my backseat passenger notified me of a bug on my arm.  After I shooed it away and we got back on the road, he asked me, "What happens if you don't have enough blood?"  A discussion of the circulatory system, donating blood, how we don't die from minor cuts, etc. followed.  About 45 minutes later, and after many unrelated conversations, he came back to the topic saying, "I want to give you some of my blood."  When I asked him why, he responded, "Because that mosquito took some of yours and I don't want you to die!"  Apparently, the bug from an hour earlier had resembled a mosquito...and the precious kiddo was concerned about my loss of blood.  


One last story about these guys:  When they play "Cowboys and Indians," they call it "Cowboys and 'Indianans.'"


Lastly, I've been meaning to share this for awhile: I'm reading through the Old Testament, and came across this story a couple weeks ago (2 Kings 4:38-41):

Death in the Pot

³⁸ Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”

³⁹ One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.⁴⁰ The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

⁴¹ Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

I don't remember ever hearing of this story before, and I had a hard time knowing what to make of this - I think I laughed out loud when I first read it.  Am I/are we supposed to be taking something from it?!  Flour makes everything better...?  Does anyone else remember ever reading it, and/or do you have any thoughts about it?


Hope you all have a relaxing and reverent Memorial Day!


Stay cool,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

dancing!!!  (So much of it last night - and sooooooo much fun!)

Hawaiian Pizza from The Isles 

catching up

♥ = full

Hello, hello!


First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers (and mothers to be...and future mothers) out there!


I've been busier than usual with some extra "music librarian" duties (by the way - add "clock battery changer," and "calendar flipper" to the list) at Arts Inc.  These have included scheduling and making visits to middle and high schools in Lincoln to tell music students about all the opportunities offered through our groups.  It's kind-of fun, but time-consuming...and makes for longer days than I'm used to.


Anyway, as a result, I have some kiddo/student stories I've been dying to share.  Please enjoy...


I don't remember whether or not I told you all about this when it happened, so I'm going to tell you (again?) before I add to the story:

A few months ago, one of my students (whose mom regularly sits in on her lesson) brought an iPhone to show me a video...and was VERY excited to do so.  With no explanation, I watched, and gasped/shrieked fairly loudly.  The video was of their family (her and her two younger brothers) looking in their oven and finding a bun.  It was the video they were showing family and friends to announce her mom's pregnancy.  Then, last week at her lesson, she brought an unmarked shoebox and was beside herself with the anticipation of me looking inside.  I opened the lid to find two rolls/buns with googly eyes and pink bows.  I probably had an over-reaction to this news, but she was soooo excited to show me and I am soooo excited for her/them!  I also just loved their creativity in sharing the news.  ☺



On our way home from taking her brother to school, the 2-yr.-old I nanny for said, "I wished I could be a bird."  I said, "How come?"  She replied, "For fun.  I'd be a pretty bird, so then, everyone would say, 'Look at that pretty bird!'"  I said, "Yes, that would be fun, but you're already a pretty girl!"  She giggled and said, "I guess it would be fun to fly, too."


In the CMA (Children's Music Academy) class I teach, we chanted the "Fuzzy Wuzzy" story near the beginning of class.  Then, toward the end of class, we used our keyboards to tell stories.  My example was a caterpillar down low on the ground (low notes) becoming a butterfly who flies high in the sky (high notes).  One of the students wanted to share his story next.  It started with a caterpillar in the forest who ran up a tree and back down again a few times trying to outrun a bear who was chasing him.  Then, the caterpillar stopped on a branch above the bear and started pulling out the bear's fur, one piece at a time.  Eventually, the bear had "no hair," and his name was "Fuzzy" (as in "Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair)!  And they lived happily ever after, he said.  I was astounded by the connection he made (he's only 4!) and his ability to bring the class full-circle.

Now, to get you up to speed on this weekend:

We had our student recital for the studio yesterday.  All my students did such a wonderful job, and it was so fun (and rewarding) to sit back and listen to them share what they've learned.  

I received flowers, gifts, compliments, and lots of hugs...and I wasn't even the one performing!

Then, today, I took a spontaneous trip to Manhattan, KS.  Two reasons for the trip:

1. surprise Mom for Mother's Day

2. meet Norman (my brother's pet baby goose)

There are no words...

We were instant friends...he was preening me.

Who knew birds could be so cuddly?!

My heart is so full after this trip.  For some reason, I really felt the need to spend some time with the family, no matter how brief, so I just went.  Meeting that precious goose was pretty great, too!  ☺


One more thing:  While I was on my drive this morning, I passed a cemetery in the middle of the Flint Hills.  As I drove past, I noticed an older man sitting near a headstone in a lawn chair...alone.  Whether he was visiting his mother or his wife, I do not know.  Either way, though, the sight instantly moved me to tears...and made me even more grateful for the opportunity to spend time with loved ones.


With love,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Coldstone

Norman

"guy" time

quality car time (and the Passion 2012 speakers on CD)

Results of being done

Oh no!  I just realized I never actually posted this!  Sooo sorry for an even bigger lapse between posts - this was supposed to be posted a couple weeks ago.  Oh well!


Hey, hey!


My free time at home the past couple of weeks has been consumed by filling out student evaluations...and now, I'm done!!  The process was much more drawn out this time around (because I was ahead of schedule, rather than unintentionally behind, like last year), and it was nice to be able to spend quality time evaluating, suggesting room for improvement, and praising each student in writing.


As a result of being done, I've had time to catch up on various videos I've been meaning to watch.  Here are some of them:

• Here's a video of a blind kitten playing with toys for the first time (this one choked me up a bit): http://www.wimp.com/kittentoys/
• This is one of a man with no arms who plays the trumpet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt6oc1frNsQ&feature=share
• Finally, here's one about an orchestra in Congo...it's definitely worth your time: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7404678n&tag=api

 In other news...

We went to Titanic in 3D...a few hours after I posted about hoping to do so.  It was everything we hoped for, and more! 

We had another photo shoot for the studio on Saturday.  What was supposed to be a few head shots and "ensemble" shots turned into this...(as well as shots of us as carolers in Charles Dickens-esque costumes - products of those to come soon, I hope).

Also, because I took one of the kiddos I nanny for to preschool the other day, he, his sister, and I had the following conversations:
(They're fascinated by my car (a red Honda Prelude).  Their parents drive big cars (an SUV and a truck), so they're not used to little 2-door ones, like mine.)
4-yr.-old boy as he was getting into the backseat of my car: Do you ever travel in here?
me: Yes, every day!
him: No, I mean far away...like Minnesota.  (They have relatives there and have taken road trips there often...it's our default destination when pretending to take a trip.)
me: Yes, I have.  Why do you ask?
him: I was just wondering if you could fit a suitcase in here.
me: Well, yes, I could, but I could also put it in the trunk.
him: Oh yeah!  Cool!


2-yr.-old girl as we're stopped at a red light: Whatcha waiting for?
me: I'm waiting for the light to turn green, so we can go.
her: Oh yeah.
...
her, at the next stoplight: Whatcha waiting for?
me: It's a red light.
her: Oh yeah...it matches your car!




I think that's all, for now.  Hope you enjoyed some or all of this post!


Have a great rest of the week!


-Kensy

Favorites of the day:

the movie "50/50"

having an unexpected day off (I was supposed to sub today till I heard otherwise late last night)

running errands

Surprising!

Hey, all!  I was making a list of things I wanted to blog about this week, and they all fell into the theme indicated by the title of this post.  Guess it was meant to be!  ☺


I saw the Google Maps car downtown this morning (11:45 a.m.)!  I was going the opposite direction, so eventually, I think you should be able to see me on the street view of O Street between 15th and Centennial Mall.  Luckily, I'd just washed my car!  (You're welcome for the rain that came this evening.)  I don't know how often they update their street views, but be on the lookout for my red Prelude!

I happened upon these in the grocery store yesterday.  I'd gone down the wrong isle, but was glancing at things, and did a double-take when I saw these!  How long have I gone without knowing of their existence?!  You'd better believe I got some...especially since they were on sale!  

There were pink peppermint ones, too, but I don't think they'd be nearly as great as these.

I was on my home late last night, and heard "Colors of the Wind" on the radio.  Guess I should turn the radio on at 11 p.m. more often!


Sonic has sweet potato tots.  I have yet to try them, but it will happen...soon.


When I was nannying yesterday, I had this conversation with the 2-yr.-old girl:
Her: I like your pink toes!
Me: Thank you!
Her: Who painted them?
Me: I did them myself.
Her: Why didn't your mom help you?
Me: Remember, I don't live with my mom, because I'm a grown-up.
Her: Oh yeah.  Why didn't your friend help you?
Me: I didn't ask her to - I just did them myself.
Her: Oh.  You shouldn't have to paint your toes all by yourself.
She. Is. TWO!


How many of you have ever played the word "qi" on Words With Friends and/or Scrabble?  Of those of you who have, how many of you know what it means?  ☺  Here's Wikipedia's definition:
In traditional Chinese culture, qì (also chi or ch'i) is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. The literal translation of "qi" is breath, air, or gas.
Now, you don't have to feel like you're cheating when you play it.


I made some mini strawberry cupcakes for a luncheon tomorrow.  Click here for recipe.  Here's the surprising part: They have some granulated sugar in the frosting, so it's kind-of crunchy.  Not sure, yet, how I feel about it, but it tastes good!

Thank you, 4-H cake decorating classes. ☺

Ok - I think that's all, for now!


Have a lovely spring weekend!


Surprisingly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

too many to list