I Can’t Believe You’d Put Me in Band!

       Being in Oregon still feels so surreal to me – like at any given moment I will wake up and be in that cracker box house in West Valley.  Take this morning for instance.  It was definitely cooler than any day that we’ve been here since we had come out for spring break.

        I had dropped by the middle school to ask a few more questions.  The front door was open, and there was a light on one of the offices.  I think I heard a vacuum cleaner in the distance. It was before 9:00 am and perhaps was too early and so I decided to return at a later time.

        I drove to the pool which was still closed. I decided to sit on a bench and read until the instructor and lifeguards started filing in, and then walk down to do some water aerobic workouts.  I took a few pictures from my cell phone (as I had left my camera at home by the computer) before I notice the manager and then the instructor.  As I made my way over the hill and around the building, I couldn’t help thinking how none of this had existed for me just a month ago.  I wasn’t even aware of the existence of this part of the world.

        My aerobics start at 9:00 and go for an hour.  Jenna has swim lessons that start at 10:30. I allowed her to stay home while I was in the water and then returned home for her.  We had twenty minutes of waiting time and stopped at the school to ask the questions and I was also given the forms that I’ll need for registration. 

        After her swim class, we went to the music building which sits between the elementary and the middle school.  We introduced ourselves and I told the instructor that I was interested in putting Jenna in band.  He assigned her the clarinet and she had a four-minute instruction on how to put the instrument together and take it apart and gave her a first ten minute lesson on how to play each note.  He gave us a book and the clarinet and instructed us to return to the school to pay a rental fee. 

        Students are encouraged to practice the instruments during the summer so that they will be somewhat familiar once school starts.  I had been interested in starting Jenna in band when she was in the 5^th grade, but when the leadership program was introduced to elementary school she attended in Salt Lake, it appeared that they had dropped the band program.  Now Jenna has the opportunity – which at this time she is not at all happy about – but she felt that same way about my having put her in the dual immersion program and theatre and those turned out to be pluses and band will, too.

        The school district does not offer a foreign language program until High School, but I am happy to say that Jenna will not lose her ability to communicate in Spanish.  Halla, a student who moved to Myrtle Creek from Mexico, speaks no English and so the school plans to assign Jenna as Halla’s buddy.  I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

        Last night Jenna played with friends for the first time since we’ve moved here.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a program to girls ages 8-12 which is supposedly similar to what the boys get with scouts.  The program is called achievement days or activity days.  We had taken Jenna to the church last night and she and Casey decided it would be great to continue playing together after the activity was over.  We brought Casey home with us.  Jenna was sooooo excited to have a play date with somebody – finally.

        I think we had only been home just 30 minutes or so when Casey’s younger sister, Carly knocked at our door.  She had with her Casey’s friend, Callie.  So Jenna, Carly, Casey and Callie played together and Jenna was in her glory.  It’s the happiest I have seen her in a long time, actually. She was hoping her play date would never end.  Of course it did end.  The skies grew darker and Roland’s eyes became heavier and he suggested sending the girls home.  I told Jenna she could walk down the street with them and then return.  I went out to the street to watch her – but it was so dark outside I really couldn’t see them.

        I heard my neighbor across the street and yelled out to her, “Hi, Judy.”

        When she seemed to respond, I had to cross the street to ask her to repeat whatever she had said as I couldn’t hear her.

        I saw Jenna return to the house – along with the three girls she had walked down the street with.

        “You girls cannot walk each other back and forth to each other’s houses all night!” I yelled. 

        Judy started laughing.

        “Casey’s mom wants to talk to you.  She’s right behind us.”

        The girls started playing games on the front lawn before Callie and Casey’s moms walked across the street to join Judy and me.  We must have all been visiting for 20- 30 minutes before Josie and Tara collected their girls and each went in a different direction.  Jenna was beaming and excitedly asked me, “Can I tell you what we did?” and started in with every detail beginning with activity days. It was quite amusing to hear her trip over the names of the other three as she explained the details of “duck, duck goose” and “mother may I”.  I am so happy to see that sparkle back in her eyes!

        This afternoon I took Casey and Jenna to the library for an activity.  We met the mayor – who, as it turns out, is my neighbor from just up the street (next door to Judy) and there was a programs and gifts and prizes and Jenna received a free t-shirt from a drawing. 

        I had planned on creating this post while Jenna and Casey played together, but Jenna asked if I would play a board game with them – which I suppose was necessary as Casey wasn’t quite getting the joy of playing it.  After a while, Callie came over and the three girls played together.  Now Jenna is at an outdoor concert which I could have attended as well, but chose to write this post instead. 

        I did feel a few drops fall down from the sky.  Not a heavy rainfall.  It looks like it could rain however.  It really has been a great experience being here. 

South Umpqua Memorial Pool

There is a pool in Myrtle Creek.  We have been there a few times. As I have mentioned several times before, Jenna LOVES the water.  She would like to live in the water 24/7.  We went there yesterday, but I did not get in with her.  I sat on the side lines and mostly read, but every once in a while I would look up to see how she was doing.

         Public swimming is from 1:30 to 4:30.  I was surprised to see her willingly get out of the pool and wrap a towel around her and met her on the side.  It wasn’t until then that I learned she had NOT gotten out willingly, but had been kicked out along with everybody else.  I decided to sign her up for swim lessons.

         As I stood reading over the schedule, I noticed that water aerobics is taught 5 days a week.  3 days offered Mon, Wed and Fri at 5:30 (which is when the sun is still blasting down) and Tues and Thursday at 9:00 am.  I figured Jenna could wait an hour for me and then I would wait a half hour for her.

         I enjoyed the intimacy of the pool and the amount of space in which the class was allowed to travel.  It has actually been a while since I’ve been to aerobics (not since I lived in Kearns) and I enjoyed the workout and the welcome to the class. 

         Unlike the pool area in Kearns – which always seems dark to me – the class was held outdoors in the bright sunshine and there is an awesome view of Oregon and there was a nice breeze and I really loved being there.

         Jenna seemed uncomfortable with the swimming level I had chosen for her, and so we changed it to a different level that will go for two weeks, and then I can probably put her back in the level she was in this morning and then to the next level after that.  Thus by the end of summer she should have three levels completed and know how to actually swim instead of just being able to save herself from drowning (which is good – but not as complete)

         Here’s to an incredible summer!

 

Princess M

As mentioned in a previous post, Jenna’s favorite princess is Merida.  She loves her because she seems somewhat unkempt.  She doesn’t like to follow the rules if it seems to take away from the freedom of being her.  Jenna and Merida have a lot in common.  But I think she has way more in common with Princess Melody.

Princess Melody is the offspring of Eric and Ariel from Little Mermaid.  Ariel was a mermaid who wished to have legs while her daughter was opposite – a human who wished to have fins.  If Jenna could live in the water 24/7, she would.  She has always liked water.

The last area where we spent the night was in Beaverton.  It had a fountain and it had a pool.  Unfortunately the pool does not open until Memorial weekend – and only if the weather permits.  Jenna was very disappointed with our second choice of lodging.  Roland and I were both very tired by the time we checked in.  Roland had driven more than 500 miles.  I just don’t do well on concrete beds.

I never sleep well while on vacation.  I can’t sleep flat.  Doesn’t matter the price of the room.  From my experience, all the beds I’ve slept on with paid lodging have felt like concrete.  Beth’s guest room bed may have been softer – but then she couldn’t offer a pool for Jenna or a spa – which is something that she says she and Graham miss.

Even if the pool had been opened, we probably wouldn’t have let Jenna go as neither one of us wanted to – even for a spa.  The lodging offered a breakfast, but it was not pick and choose as the first one had been.  Jenna was disappointed with that as well.  It was a good day for us to check out and return to Salt Lake – at least for the time being.

April 5: Tillamook, Pacific City

            After we left the cheese plant, we went to the Blue Heron Cheese Company for more tasting and petting zoo.  Roland purchased some pet food to feed to the goats – one greedy goat in particular

every goat for himself - this was the greedy one I think in every picture

            After leaving Tillamook, Beth directed us to the Pelican Pub parking in Pacific City so that we could see the ocean – and feel the ocean – and the sand. 

            Jenna had taken her shoes off, but I had not.  And the tide pushed over my sneakers and my clean shoes were no longer.

shoes looked and felt worse than shows

No FRY in Friday - Yesterday was WET and Cold

          I don’t know why I didn’t notice that Jenna didn’t have a hat on when we left the house.  It was drizzling.  I did have an umbrella.  But we hadn’t used it before we got on the bus.  We did when we got off. 

Wet rain fell upon the umbrella that somewhat shielded us both.  I was willing to walk her to the front doors of the school, as I knew she would be allowed in the building yesterday.  But she didn’t want to go inside.  I asked her if she would like my hat.  She said no at first but then changed her mind.  So did I.  I kept the hat and let her keep the umbrella.

It was a gamble on my part.  Last year her umbrella got stepped on and broke.  She lost my green one that I let her use.  We both got umbrellas at the beginning of this school year.  The wind tore the fabric from one of my spokes.  She misplaced hers.  We used my purple one today – despite the uncovered spoke.

I came home soaked.  Well, my hat and sweatshirt were.  When it came time to return for Jenna, both hat and sweatshirt were still wet with moisture.  I kept the hat but traded sweatshirt and pulled my long coat from its hook.

I had to let Highness out – just long enough to go to the bathroom and then I’d let him back in.  Unfortunately a back gate had been left open.  It took less than a minute for him to discover and disappear.  I couldn’t afford to look for him.  I needed to walk to the bus stop.

That was rather traumatic.  For the thunder clapped too close to the lightening flashes.  And then sky  hailed.  Frozen rain pelted at my face each time I tried to search for the bus.  I could use that umbrella now.  Highness would be getting pelted, too.  Perhaps he’d return home before we did.

    My coat was drenched as well as the bottom of my pants which are light blue, but appeared to be periwinkle below the knee where the rain and hail were biting me.  I don’t know why I kept my hands in my pocket – well, because I didn’t have gloves.  But I think the wet pockets made my hands seem even more ice cold.  The cold moisture also pierced into my shoes and made my feet wet.  But I didn’t have time to return and change my shoes.  If I missed the bus I would have to wait for the next one and school would let out before I arrived.

  

After I got off the bus, I walked up the street and passed several puddles lakes and rivers that hadn’t been there that morning.  As I made my way nearer the school, the rain eased up a bit.  I walked all the way to where her class is located and stood outside under the shelter of the brick eaves.

 She did have a hat on her head as she exited the building, but had her jacket around her waist.  Really?  We walked a few steps before she hurried to catch up with Noreen.  Her umbrella was a lot larger than mine.  They walked down the field and parted ways and then Jenna ran ahead to be with some other friends.

As we were headed up the driveway, Highness followed from behind.  At first I did not recognize that it was him.  He had a stick board in his mouth. He was even willing to play fetch.  He has NEVER been playful from the moment we got him.  I think the weather must have made him delirious or something.

A Very Small Amount of Water Transportation

If I had to gander a guess, I would say there are more forms of transportation in the water than on the land.  But I’m just guessing.

There are tugboats, canoes, kayaks, yachts, ships, motorboats, sail boats, house boats, ferry boats, water taxies, steam boats, rafts, jet skis, paddle boats, surf boards and submarines to name a few. 

Most of the water transportation that I’ve been on have been rides at amusement parks – rides that may very well work without the water, so I don’t guess they count – though the Water Skeeters at Lagoon and the Canoe Ride at Disneyland did require physical work unlike the tugboat kiddie ride or Tom Sawyers raft.

So, outside of the amusement park I have ridden a ferry – well a few of them rather.  But the ferry in British Columbia was quite different from the said ferry that takes passengers on a guided tour.  We (or dad, rather) actually drove our car onto the ferry in British Columbia and disembarked at another destination.

The thing I remember the most is being in a lock chamber – that is when water levels were raised or lowered to accommodate boat to fit with the water level on the other side.  That was interesting.

I have also been on a cruise ship.  It was when I was single and had money.  For the most part I was okay with it.  I recall only one night being sea sick.  I went with my mom and her mom on a princess liner cruise to Alaska.

Two of the side trips we took were going down Mendenhall River on a raft and enjoying the Misty Fjords in a float plane.  It was actually my birthday when we visited Misty Fjords. That was cool.  I don’t know many people who have been on a float plane during his or her lifetime.  Mom and I actually stepped out from the float plane after we had landed on the water, but grandma remained seated inside.

I’ve also been river rafting with the young men and young women down the Snake River. We had three rafts – one of mostly leaders, one of young men and one with young women.  Or perhaps there were only two rafts and one that had only one guide whose raft carried the food and supplies. We’d alternate after we would stop to camp.  On the last day one of our young women was shivering so hard that the boat would move without our having to paddle.

I had always thought that the sailboat looked like such a relaxing form of transportation.  It wasn’t! The hardest work I have ever encountered on water transportation was not due to a paddle, oar, or pedal.  I thought the water transportation demanding the most physical work was with the sail.  Perhaps the elements were off that day.  I don’t remember.  I have only gone sailing that one time and I remember being exhausted and not relaxed at all.

The young men and young woman had decided that they would like to spend a day on the lake – either water skiing or just riding in the boat.  We had almost the same amount of leaders as we did youth as those who drove the boats had brought their partners.  There ended up being two motor boats and a sail boat.  More than half the youth had gone with the motor boats and most of the young women were left with the sailboat – which held only three.  And since the only experienced sailor was Alan, he was always one of three, and thus the rest of us could go only two at a time – which made the experience filled with long waiting.

The girls felt gypped as the water activity ended before they were given the opportunity to ride in the motorized boats or water ski.  And so a make –up activity was allowed for those who hadn’t had the opportunity to ski and we took another week to venture out on the boat with just those young women who had missed out.

I don’t know how long we were out.  I think each of us had a turn to water ski or to be pulled in the tube.  I vaguely remember riding in the tube.  The boat moved only a little bit and then it stopped. I don’t know why we were stranded or how I got back into the boat. Either the driver miscalculated how much gas was in the boat or else a part came off or got wrecked or something.  We couldn’t move.

The highlight of the trip for the young women was not water skiing or being in the tube.  The highlight (for most of them) happened after we got stranded and a boat full of boy scouts offered to pull us into shore.  You would think that all of the boy scouts were heart throb celebrities from the reaction the girls had on their faces.  How exciting and memorable that make-up trip became for them.