Knee Injury

Yesterday, as Sylvia walked into English class and made her way towards her desk, her knee made a loud pop sound and gave out on her.  She found herself on the ground before she knew what was happening.  She got up after a few seconds and soon realized she had really hurt something.  A friend helped her walk to the nurse's office, and after the nurse checked her over she gave me a call.  We decided since it had just happened and there seemed to be a little swelling, we would wait before calling/seeing a doctor.  So, after a painful night, I got her an appointment with her pediatrician this afternoon.  

Doc McStuffins helped Sylvia feel better at her appointment.  Dr. T sent us downstairs for an x-ray.  It came back clear, which we figured it would as we didn't suspect anything was broken.  Now we are waiting for a referral to the orthopedic doctor.

I had planned to spend a big chunk of the day today grocery and very last-minute birthday shopping for Caeden, so we had to go to the store after Sylvia's appointment.  She was supposed to stay off her knee, but wouldn't ride in a motorized shopping cart, so we tried to make the best of getting what we needed.  She did find some comfort when she found a stuffy of "her boyfriend" Chewbacca.  She really loves that guy, and even has 3 small Chewbacca figures now.  She keeps one in her french horn case, one in her cello case, and one in her backpack!  

The last home football game was this evening.  Senior football and band members were recognized with their parents.  Addie and Allison sang the national anthem for the last time at a football game.  They did a beautiful job.  I didn't have enough battery to record it, and I knew both their moms were recording, so I snapped this panorama of the moment.  I sure do love those girls, and am so thankful I have had the opportunity to teach them music for most of their growing up years. 

Kim brought Adam, Jillian, and Samuel to the game.  They were bringing Samuel to us for him to spend Caeden's birthday with him!  But, their school doesn't have a football team, so they stayed for the game.  Really, they came to support Annah and the marching band.  It was really fun to enjoy the game with them.

It's been a busy couple of weeks for us, but lots of exciting things going on.

Sylvia was elected JH Student Council President! She is excited to serve her fellow junior high students.

Annah and Sylvia spent their Columbus Day off school auditioning for ILMEA district honor ensembles.  Annah auditioned for the orchestra on her violin, and not only was the only RHS instrumentalist accepted in to an ensemble, she will be playing the 1st violin part! She was shocked, and a little freaked out, but it will be an awesome experience for her!

Sylvia auditioned for both the choir and band.  She really wanted to sing in the choir, since she had the honor of playing in the band last year.  Well, when she got to school Tuesday morning, her band director hunted her down to tell her he got an email from ILMEA about her.  She made both the choir and the band!  She had planned to choose the choir if that happened, but she was seated as 2nd chair horn!  So, she called me to talk it through, and decided it was too exciting an opportunity to pass up.  She chose the band.  She will have tons of fun.

We are all really excited to watch and hear the girls perform in these concerts at Olivet Nazarene University on November 19th!

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This cracked me up every time I saw it floating around Facebook this week:

And, as I was scrolling through all the marching band pictures on Facebook this week, this one made me do a double-take.  This is my high school marching band, my senior year!

I've been crocheting as much as possible lately, and also completed a 6-class course through the American Crochet Association this week.  I'm pondering more and more the thought of what I would like to do with my crochet.  There are lots of opportunities, but it's tough for me to choose a focus.

This week, I made a golden yellow infinity scarf.  (The scissors were for an online forum post about my favorite crochet tool.)  This was the first time I had used the herringbone stitch.

And, I also made a really soft and silky Tunisian infinity scarf. This was also a new-to-me stitch.  Fun!

When I got out of the car the other evening, I noticed that the neighbors burning bush next to our garage is just starting to "burn" with a few red leaves!  It feels like the fall colors are really late to arrive this year.

Caeden is playing a fun wii game this week: Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal Wackyland. I reserved it for him from the bookmobile because I thought it looked fun, and he says it is.  

Annah, doing some Spanish homework...

Sylvia is sewing aprons for Annah's fall play.

This morning, I came home from dropping the kids off at school, and it was 39 degrees.  As I got out of the car, I noticed my pink lilac bush had these blooms on it!  It is supposed to be 84-90 degrees on Monday.  I can't tell if it's Sumtumn or Autmer.

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Metamora Competitoin

The Marching Mustangs went to Metamora today for a competition.  The music boosters made them breakfast at school this morning before they hit the road!

Love our 12 band seniors

While we watched the first several bands in class 2A perform today, I admit, I worried that our kids would be completely overshadowed by the rest of the bands.  But!  I was wrong.  They looked and sounded really good, and totally held their own!  The percussion line got 2nd place, and the band would have won if they'd been in class 1A.  

(I should point out that none of these still photos are mine.  I only took video today.) 

Sylvia and Caeden and I sat all the way at the top of the stands on the 50 so we could see the sets.  Good job, Mustangs!

VIDEO:

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Annah has been working on a paper quilling project for her Art 2 class.

 Here's a closer look at the detail of some of those little paper quills...

This evening, Caeden played his guitar for me in the kitchen while I made supper. 

VIDEO:

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He could not handle the heat of the buffalo chicken sandwiches I made.   We had to text Daddy to get more milk from the store on his way home!

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The first marching band competition of the season for the Marching Mustangs was today at Eastern Illinois University! Our family had a great time with Annah's band fam!  

Alexis and Annah, in uniform in the parking lot, ready for warm-up

Woodwind friends:

Shelby, Annah, Alexis, Taylor

Band buddies, the more the merrier!

Annah and her friend Lauren

Sylvia chatting with our friend Nikolai (aka Carl).  

Addie and Sylvia

Though Sylvia is eagerly anticipating her chance to be in high school band next year, many of her friends are seniors this year and she won't get to be in with them.  

Annah being photobombed by one of the greatest, Mr. Marchese...

Addie, pepping up the band...

The clarinets

Marching off to warm-up...

Jeremy helped Shannon with the backdrops and other equipment today.  It's a lot of work setting them up and tearing them down and storing them back in the trailer.

Warming up

Our friend, Jessica is a Marching Mustang alumnus and current member of the EIU colorguard, so she was the band's hostess and guide for the day!

Heading to the field!

Looking good while waiting their turn...

I think it's cool that Annah gets to be the first person on the field after the drum majors this year.

"Ridgeview Marching Mustangs, you may take the field for competition!"

(Annah is on the right end for a lot of the show.)

One of my favorite moments of the show is when Charlie Brown and the other characters (the color guard) come out to "play" from behind the backdrop.

And my very favorite moment in the show is the iconic football flop...

Doing their "Monster Stomp" after marching off the field...

It was about a mile walk from the parking lot to the field for the band and those of us toting the backdrops and podiums.  Whew!  Jeremy pretty much drug me along and I wasn't really helping push the backdrop at all.  I think next time I won't offer my "help," but rather just stay out of the way and watch from the stands.  I really appreciate all the work Jeremy and Shannon and some of the other band parents do to make sure the band is looking good and staying hydrated and healthy too.

Group photo after the performance...

This one cracks me up, as Mr. Marchese and the EIU guy trying to arrange the kids pop in and out of the animation!  Haha!

Hot, thirsty, exhausted high schoolers, scrambling to get out of their uniforms and put their instruments away so they can get a drink and a snack before going to watch the other bands...

The band had to compete in Class 2A today because they have more than 50 members.  More than 1/3 of the high school is in band, which is great!  But, it does seem strange and unfair that they are forced to compete against schools that are much larger than they.  (It would seem like they should compete against the same schools their athletic teams compete against?  I'm unsure why the standard is different for band.)  But anyway,  our Mustangs sounded good today, and they've greatly improved with every performance this season!  That is what it's all about--and, they had fun!

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