Sorry. I don’t have time to make this all fancy and embed the video. Click on the link below to see Fiona’s part in the Pre-K “Mother Goose” play.
Jack and Owen have qualified for the MAWA Regional Tournament every year they’ve entered. That’s four years for Jack and three for Owen. Jack’s first qualification was in 2006 and his most recent was last weekend (we took 2009 off). Every time, they’ve either qualified in first place or second.
Here’s a little overview of Jack and Owen wrestling in the MAWA tournaments through the years: PHOTOS HERE.
“Good Dancing Restores The Community To Wholeness”
(African proverb)
The third grade at Germantown Academy has been studying Africa since they returned from Christmas vacation. Among the topics they’ve studied are masks, stories, food, culture, geography, music; but, mostly importantly, they studied DANCE.
The students have been working each week this year with Jeannie Osayande, director of the Dunya Performing Arts Company, and drummers from company.
Yesterday, just before early dismissal for yet another (!) snow storm, the third grade presented their dance performance to a full house of parents, friends and all the Lower School students in the arts center. It was a fabulous show.
There was even a surprise appearance yesterday by a Chakaba, a masked stilt dancer. The Chakaba brings blessings to festivities. There was also a demonstration of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira. And the show ended with a rousing dance by the entire Lower School faculty!!
Owen’s class did a dance from the West African countries of Mali, Guinea and Senegal called the “Mandiani.” It is performed traditionally in the celebration of ‘Coming of Age’ ceremonies. Mandiani is also performed at weddings and other social events and is also one of the fastest, most energetic and exciting dances of West Africa.
Then it was back to the Lower School and the third graders read aloud their original African fables. Owen’s was titled “How the Leopard Got Its Spots,” and was a beautifully illustrated and bound book that he had made. (He hasn’t brought his book home yet, but I’ll scan the pages and post when he does.)
We got her a kitty tower to climb on, but she prefers the bookshelves!!
Owen placed third in his first “real” (electric, not dry) foil tournament. He was amazing and the best thing was that he got exponentially better as the day went on.
The tournament was supposed to have two groups, 10 and under (Owen is nine) and 12 and under. But, there weren’t enough 10 and unders, so they combined the groups. Ten and under was supposed to be dry, but once they combined the groups, they decided to lend Owen electric gear so everyone could fence the same way. He was VERY excited about this because he’s only used practice gear.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have anything really small enough for him (the other kids were all experienced at tournaments and had their own gear.) Owen had to compete all day with a weapon that had a completely different grip from his (pistol, not French) and was two sizes bigger — and heavier. He said his arm, wrist and hand were really aching by the end of the day.
Owen had a rough start, losing his first pool match in overtime and struggled in the pool matches, finishing 1-3. However, once the elimination portion of the tournament started, he took off. He knocked off two MUCH bigger, older fencers (one who had beat him in a pool match) to finish third.
Let me say again, Owen was amazing. Because of school and other activities, fencing was put on hold for about six months. He’s only had three training sessions since his layoff. While he gained a lot of strength in his off time, he lost technique and fencing savvy (if he every really had any!! 
) However, what he might not have in official technique, he made up in agression, athleticism and speed.
A lot of what he does never scores, and he was frustrated by that. If his bouts had been true battles, I’m pretty sure all his opponents would be dead. Once he puts his natural physical skills with more fencing education, he’s going to be unstoppable.
Photos of Owen fencing are here.
(If you can’t tell which one he is in the photos, he’s always the
shorter fencer and he has neon green on his shoes.)
Here’s her new sleeping quarters….(we checked in the middle of the night last night, and she was still right there next to Fiona.) Notice that the cat is UNDER the covers with a PILLOW for her head. Sure beats sleeping in the garage in a box with old blankets!!!
I’m sure Granby is happy, but I think Fiona is probably even happier.
Meet Granby (named after a wrestling move.) She’s our new cat.
Granby appeared just before Christmas. We really didn’t want to encourage her, but it was in the middle of a very cold spell, so we fixed her a box in the garage with lots of fuzzy blankets and put out food and fresh water for her.
Granby is very friendly and quite social. She loves to cuddle and is amazingly tolerant and good natured. She’s put up with “dancing” the Nutcracker standing on her hind legs with Fiona and being worn like a scarf by Fiona without ever getting upset. She and Molly avoid each other, but she and Spartan always nuzzle when they see each other (I guess they have a lot in common, both are black, both eat rodents, both get bossed around by Molly).
Six weeks later she’s still around. We decided we either needed to find her a “real” family or take her in ourselves. She couldn’t live her entire life as an outside cat. It was torture to watch her looking in the window and to hear her mewing.
Guess what we decided?
Last night was supposed to be her debut as a house cat because we were getting back too late from a wrestling tournament to pick the dogs up from the kennel and she would have the house to herself. Because of a poorly organized tournament and white-out blizzard conditions for 100 miles, we got home much later than we expected and Granby wasn’t around.
Even though it was almost midnight, even though he had his pajamas on, even though (he claims) he doesn’t like pets, Kevin went out into the freezing cold night and walked around and called until he found Granby so he could bring her inside.
Welcome home Granby!! You’re already loved very much.
Someone reminded me that I never posted the link to the book we made for the football players and coaches at the end of the season. (I made one for Owen about his season as well, but it’s not “quite” done yet. I’ll post that when I get it printed.)
Here’s the link for the book. We had them printed at Shutterfly and they turned our really nicely.
.jpg)
