Wednesday, February 29, 2012

new favorite holiday


so, today is OBVIOUSLY leap day
...and though it may just seem like just one extra day shoved into the year, every 4 years...
well, its so much more… actually not, it really it is just that.

But yet,
i don't know why, 4th graders find this day FASCINATING
apparently.

we researched the history of leap year, did leap year math, learned about myths, legends, and traditions of other cultures and even pretended that we were reporters back when julius caesar made this business official. 

it was quite an entertaining afternoon. observe:

*julius caesar organizes leap year in rome, 45 BC
  • of course BC brought up the whole 'before christ' series of questions, oh bother...
  • “miss ward, was julius a little dude? you know like... LITTLE caesar? Haha
*In Pirates of Penzance, the hero, Frederic, is bound by contract to serve as an apprentice until his 21st birthday. Because Frederic was born on Leap Day, he won't reach his 21st birthday until he is in his eighties!
  •  “miss ward that’s so depressing! how would you like to only be in your twenties but have the body of a wrinkly old person!”
*Women in Ireland have a special privilege on Leap Day: they can propose marriage to a man
  •       “ooh! Miss ward its like the movie! Don’t you just love her dress in that movie, oh and her ring, oh yes!?”  wow
*Over the centuries, rules were created for Leap Day proposals. A man who refused a woman's offer of marriage had to give her a small present. A woman was supposed to wear red if she intended to propose on Leap Day—fair warning to her intended.
  •       “MISS WARD IS WEARING RED!!! She is going to get MARRIED!” (dead serious…this girl got wayyyy too excited)
  •       “so you mean a girl could just propose on leap day to tons of boys just to get presents? stupid.”
  •  “miss ward you should do that!! Ooo can I come with?”
  • "i dont think this is fair. i do NOT want some girl proposing to me"
*In Greece, it is considered bad luck to get married in a leap year. In India, it is bad luck for a happy occasion to occur in a leap year or month. In China, superstitious people believe that more accidents and mishaps occur during leap month, and that children born then tend to be "difficult."
  •  “oh my goodness. Is anyones birthday in february? …oh phew! That would have been SO AWKWARD!”
  • “speaking of awkward, its spelled awk-WARD. Haha GET IT miss WARD?”'
  • "ahhh that must be why i forgot to eat breakfast this morning. bad luck..."
*We know that a year is 365 days, but it actually takes 365.242 days to revolve around the sun. That's 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. We can’t really add that extra quarter day to each year without messing up school schedules, alarm clocks, flight times, and just about everything else. Instead, we lump those extra quarter-days together into one extra day every four years to make Leap Year with 366 days.
  •   “how do even they know that? What, did someone sit and stare at the sun for 365.242 days? then all dramatically starts yelling, Oww my eyes are burning!”

clearly, it just may be the fact that all 10 year olds are CRAZY, but it definitely made for an entertaining day. Clearly i have the...Best.job.ever. 

also this is great. crappy sound, but great

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

a special, ooey-gooey, love-filled day

i just love this day.
its fun and pink and sugar filled, and just full of love.
love is good. love is great. love is grand.
no matter what kind.
i wrote this post last year, and i still stand by it.
this is a happy happy day, filled with love and joy.
and although i think spending the day with 4th graders gives me a reason to just love this day,
i think everyone should love this day. because its just awesome.

also, this secret video from mr mraz made my whole life...yes, i am that easily pleased :)
happy valentines!
and mark your calendars for april 17th :) EEK!

also, im posting this again...just because i can. and because i love it. and because i cant listen to it with out getting emotional. why? because when i do, i relive this moment...and that was one happy moment. ya, im a dork.


Sunday, February 12, 2012

oh yes.

ya, this just made my life...i am seriously laughing uncontrollably













Source: piccsy.com via Whitney on Pinterest


for now i will just spend my evening watching the Valentines movie marathon on FX...because i am cool like that

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Beethoven's 5 Secrets

this give me chills. Probably because... 
A. It's the cello, and I downright believe that the cello is the most angelic sound on the planet
B. Beethoven's 5th is my absolute favorite classical piece. ever. serious. 
C. I love love love a clever mashup
D. I just think The Piano Guys are downright stellar

Description taken from their youtube page-
Story behind the song:
The Lyceum Philharmonic (Youth Orchestra) and its director, Kayson Brown, approached us with this idea. We loved it. It combined two of the things we are working to accomplish -- inviting people to classical music and inspiring young musicians. Steven Sharp Nelson had soloed with the orchestra the previous year and loved the spirit and the talent that the orchestra showed at such young ages (ages 13-18!) Together we developed the concept of "Beethoven's 5 Secrets," combining OneRepublic's tune "Secrets" with melodies and moments from all four movements of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

We used 5 different melodies from the 4 movements of Beethoven's 5th Symphony (not including the "bridge" the orchestra plays in the middle). Try to guess where they are and where they come from!

What are Beethoven's secrets? He had many. His most prominent secret that he desperately tried to keep from the public and that caused him to be considered extremely eccentric, irritable, and hermit-like was his "weakness." He was deaf during most of his life. Imagine that...one of the greatest composers that ever lived could hardly hear. And yet, he wrote his life's greatest works after becoming deaf. He believed that art itself had "secrets" that had to be "forced into" in order to obtain art's highest level. There is no doubt Beethoven discovered many of the "secrets" of art -- people all over the world enjoy them every day. He was a true master of music, blessed by God. This piece and video are dedicated to him.

Perform "Beethoven's 5 Secrets" and the entire Beethoven Symphony No. 5 with Steven Sharp Nelson at Lyceum Music Festival this year! Work up-close and personal with Steven and other amazing professional musicians like the concertmaster of the London Symphony and Rotterdam Orchestra. Advanced players ages 13-21 are invited to audition. Visit http://www.LyceumMusicFestival.com for details


Sunday, February 5, 2012

this thing called adulthood

that very title is a blog label that i use quite often, but i have come to the conclusion that adulthood is a strange feeling that comes and goes and at the oddest of times. for example:

did i feel like an adult when i moved out of my parents house?
no, i just felt weird

did i feel like an adult when i went to my first college class
no, i just felt overwhelmed

did i feel like an adult when i moved to salt lake
no, i just felt further away from home

did i feel like an adult when i graduated from college
no, i just felt confused

did i feel like an adult when i bought a new car
no, i just felt poor

did i feel like an adult when i got a real life job
no, i just felt excited

did i feel like an adult when i got a costco membership
yes.

did i feel like an adult when i bought a couch last week
yes.

what is this thing called adulthood? i find it odd and confusing. so i am going to go watch some boy meets world now...yes i own the first 4 seasons. judge me if you must.