Spa time....

Normally, Jasmine and I would have just gone home and taken a nap after all day at the park and music recital.... but nooooo! Jenny wanted us all to go to a spa and get manicures/pedicures-- along with the foot massages, which is the best part, and waxing!!! Jasmine now has pink toes with flowers, Gadiel has brown toes with dinosaurs, Abby has blue nails, Jenny's are pink and mine are just a boring French pedicure. It took forever because the place was completely *packed* on a Saturday night, plus there were five of us!

Jasmine and Gadiel waiting for their pedicures!

THEN, we went out for "dinner" at Applebee's. We were still eating dinner by 9PM and got home after 10PM. Jasmine fell asleep in the car literally 8 seconds after she got in..... Fun day!

Wiener Races....

After the music recital, we all went to the Wiener Races in Para Park... next to the zoo. Miss Wachtel's Wiener Dog, Bad Dog Bentley, was in the 7th Heat. He didn't do too well. He turned around mid-race and ran back to the starting line:)) We spent most of the afternoon there, watching the races and playing on the playground.

Abby, Melissa Wachtel, Bad Boy Bentley, Jasmine and Gadiel.

Let's Play Music Recital...

Today was our year end recital for "Let's Play Music" class. It was held at one of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Chandler, of which there are several. The teacher, Janalee Fish, chose 11 songs that summed up what the first year group had learned over the year. Great Big Red Balloon- From this song, they learned that the staff determines ascending and descending pitches... visualizing balloons going up and down the major scale. Do, Re, Mi... is not from The Sound of Music, but is a 100 year old method, used with hand signs (solfeggio) to teach how the notes move around on the staff. I Am Learning How to Skip- the staff on a large rug was used to teach skips, steps, and leaps. Dinosaur Song- Jasmine loves this song. It was a way of learning skips, steps and leaps on the bells. Primary Chords Song--learning all of the pieces of the primary chords.. I still don't have that one down. On Top of Spaghetti- using the primary chords. I've Been to Harlem- teaches the difference between major and minor chords. Are You Sleeping?-- that one teaches harmony... of course. Can't Bug Me- feeling and reading rhythm using jungle animals to subdivide the beat. BINGO- Clapping a rhythmic pattern by just hearing it in our head. The Magical Lamp Georges Bizet- Aragonnaise from Carmen- Classical music and distinguishing various instruments. I personally learned alot in the class, but still feel very deficient when it comes to music. Jasmine remembers more than I do:)

Jasmine and her Tuesday night classmates: Toby and Liam Wiscombe, Kennedy Lords, and Sierra Leone.

Jasmine and her teacher, Janalee Fish.. (very pregnant:)

Playing the scale on the bells.

Leading the puppet show. Jasmine's jobs, besides singing the songs, were to play the major scale with her Tuesday night class, as well as be the person to hold each puppet at the appropriate time for The Magical Lamp song. Jenny, Gadiel, and Abby watched the recital with us. After the show, each child received a graduation certificate, gave flowers to their moms for Mother's Day, and got a little "goody bag" with candy!, stickers, little games, etc. Then we had cupcakes and a little party.