Winter 2006

Hey, I Grew a Moustache! (December)

This December at school we studied early 20th Century history. Each student in class was instructed to choose a famous person from the period, research that person, write a paper about him/her, and then, with a group of classmates, role-play that person at a class-time "dinner party" for which the group had written a script that would discuss some of the era's most important issues and highlight the researched characters' thoughts and perspectives.

Theodore Roosevelt interested me because he accomplished so many important things. Our group received an A for our presentation [above, from left, Sabrina Hseih, me—with major moustache, Alanna Saunders as Alice Paul, Ken Narita as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Kevin Twitchell as Mark Twain, and Amanda Ly as Mother Jones].

This was the most fun project that I've done in 8th grade so far. I learned a lot about the people and innovations of the 1900s, and although it was hard work and sometimes a drag, the final product made it worth while.

Musical December

In December I was busy blowing my horn, even though I’d just gotten braces November 30th. The Jazz Band played at the school’s annual Dad’s Breakfast on December 8th (7:00 AM!), and the Symphonic (8th grade) and Jazz bands also played at the Winter Concert, on December 13th. Best of all, the Symphonic Band took a field trip to the Seattle Center on December 15th. We played for 45 minutes in the Center House, and then we had a couple hours on our own to eat and entertain ourselves. I mostly hung out, played mini-golf, and generally had a good time. We didn't get back to school until 6:30. It was a blast.

Then on Christmas Eve at Grandpa Paul’s I played an improv version of Let It Snow! for the kids’ musical “pageant” [right]. It turned out pretty well even with the braces. As usual, Christmas Eve was chaotic with all the aunts, uncles and cousins, but I don’t see them very often. I liked helping Sofia open her presents, and Grandpa and Bonnie surprised me by giving me $100! I put it in savings ‘cause I’m saving up for when I can drive. (Less than two years away! Yeah!)

Christmas, December

The musical theme continued on Christmas Day. I woke up early at Dad’s, and Brennan and I had a blast ripping through packages. Two of my favorite—and musical—gifts included a Hummer-shaped clock radio/CD player—with remote control operation—and a Hummer portable CD player. I also really liked a Seahawks shirt. Breakfast consisted of the world's best homemade cinnamon rolls, prepared by my Grandma Joyce.

About 10:00 I went over to Mom’s, where Sofia had only just begun opening her stocking and a couple Santa gifts. Once Grandma Joanie arrived, the pile was really big! It took us a while to make our way through them because gift opening at Mom’s house is always slower paced.

The most awesome present—a continuation of the musical theme—was an MP3 player, a Sandisk Sansa [left]. Mom also gave me six CDs, all trumpet music (Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis, Al Hirt, Doc Cheatham, Dizzy Gillespie, and classic trumpet solos), which I ripped and put on my MP3 player in the next few days. Grandma gave me a sturdy folding music stand and the Miles Davis CD I’d asked for, Kind of Blue.

However, the present I probably had the most immediate fun with was not musical. It was a Skyrail Suspension marble track with motorized elevator that “Santa” left me. (Because Sofia is so young, I’ll be getting Santa gifts for a few more years.) I spent Christmas afternoon putting it together while we watched the movie March of the Penguins, and I worked on it the day after Christmas, too. When it was finally finished, it took up half the room and looked like a sailing ship [right]—but it really worked! Then I tore it down and made my own design. Pretty cool.

We had a Christmas salmon lunch at Mom’s. Later I returned to Dad’s for a beef roast dinner. (All that traveling was more back-and-forth than usual, but it was also good to be with everyone on Christmas.) With all the family, presents, and food, it was a full-filling day, in every sense of the word.

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