June Singing Group

In June, Julie and I met each week for a little singing group. In the group were Ahnika, Ty, Miriam, Cowen, Emeline, and our cute little neighbor down the street, Maisy. We had a fantastic time learning Take Me Out to the Ballgame, You're a Grand Old Flag, and Yankee Doodle. We threw in I Am a Child of God at the end per Miriam's request (adamant demand).

Many of the things that make Miriam such a difficult child make her absolutely the perfect child to take to a rest home to sing. She loves people. She's interested in them and loves them and assumes that they love her. It is why she has an adopted Grandma in every ward we've ever lived. Including the sweet little lady who lives down our street who Miriam goes and reads to every week and walks to Relief Society every Sunday.

The kids performed way better than expected. They sang with gusto and enthusiasm and nobody hit anyone with a bat. Yeah!

After singing at the two rest homes, we went to great-grandma Young's house and sang to her, great-grandpa Young and grandma Young. It was lovely.

This is Cowen as George Washington inspecting his troops.

Some Yankee Doodle marching. And that little girl on the right--that's Maisy. She's the same size as Emeline and she's five. She charmed everyone.

You're a Grand Old Flag.

I was going to take the children straight home afterwards as it was lunch time and great-grandma had just had shoulder surgery, but great-grandpa was fixing pipe with a blowtorch. Cowen was enraptured. He already adores great-grandpa. Who else takes him into this fantastical shed with all sorts of things that can cut off your body parts and emerges a little while later with a little wooden boat to paint?

But a blowtorch. That's pretty much nirvana for a four-year-old boy. Besides, great-grandpa let Cowen help him dig out the pipe. Yes, I just said that someone put a shovel in Cowen's hand and produced fire.

How could I tear him away from that???

I couldn't. Instead, I went and got a pizza, fed the offspring and their two cousins there, and let Cowen hang out with his amazing great-grandpa for as long as possible.