Locks of Love

Big day for Katie today…

Each of my girls inherited their father’s blonde hair. They have thick, healthy, straight blonde hair. And until this afternoon, Katie had quite a lot of it.







Katie had been thinking about the possibility of donating hair to “Locks of Love” since the summer. A few of her friends had donated hair, and it is truly a beautiful gift to be able to help another child.

Unlike most children, Irish dancers are uniquely familiar with wigs. Wigs are OK for a special look at a special event, but it’s awfully nice to not have to wear one everyday. And if needed, natural hair wigs are much nicer than synthetic wigs.

Donating hair wasn’t an easy decision, and there were several moments of doubt, especially yesterday. It had to be Katie’s decision, not anybody else’s decision.

Christmas is a nice time of year to be generous.

Well done, Katie… That was a beautiful gift.

For more information: locksoflove.org

School Christmas Concerts

‘Tis the season.

Elementary school Christmas concerts are simultaneously endearing and… well... endured…



Katie is playing clarinet this year in the “Beginner Band”, who performed their debut concert last Tuesday evening. Our school (a parish Catholic school, grades K-8) is blest with an outstanding band teacher. The Beginner Band consists mostly of 4th graders (youngest permitted to join) who were first introduced to their instruments mid-September (yes, merely two months ago). The well-planned concert featured three VERY brief songs by the Beginner Band (which were met with genuinely appreciative applause by polite parents), and then continued with a few numbers from the Prep Band, and several very enjoyable pieces presented by the 7th and 8th grade Concert Band.



I’m not sure that we have a future star clarinetist in the family, but Katie sure does enjoy it, and band is a great experience.

But that concert was last week.

This week's adventure was the School Christmas Concert, in which the even grades participate (K, 2, 4, 6, 8). Ellie is in kindergarten and Katie is in 4th grade, so we had much to enjoy.

The school’s music teacher is equally as talented as the band teacher and prepared a very nice program with a lot of variety. That said, there’s really only so much one can do on a Catholic school budget with a group of rural-suburban grade-schoolers who are performing mainly because it’s mandatory. (It’s part of the music program. Odd year grades are required to perform in the Spring Concert.)

First up was the kindergarten class…



The song “Tiny Little Angels” was my favorite. In fact, in the spirit of generosity, I’m even willing to share our recorded version of this treasure!

Please excuse the slight camera shake. During the close up views, that shake can mostly be blamed on the zoom. During the rest, my barely controlled hysterical laughter is to blame. If you can hang on until near the end (or skip to about 2:25 on the timer, if you feel the understandable need to fast forward), there’s nothing quite like a group of 5- and 6-year-olds attempting “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”…



Note: Really, it’s OK to laugh (or cringe) as you watch this video! A kindergarten music performance is part of the “endurance” that all parents are required to develop. Think of this video as great training! These kids are so darn cute that it actually permits tolerance of the… er… “singing”!

The kindergarteners were followed by the second-graders who performed an interesting hip-hop rendition of some tune about reindeer. Their costumes were complete with sunglasses and antlers. The fourth-graders then performed two numbers, the first of which was a “North Pole” broadway song (to the tune of New York, New York). The 6th graders offered an interesting array of “Jingle Bell” rhythms on items such as pots and pans, brooms, (root) beer bottles, skateboards, jump ropes, and bouncing basketballs. And the eighth grade rounded out the evening with a beautiful reenactment of the nativity story.

Given as this blog is categorized as an Irish dance related blog, yes, there is a reason that I have shared this year’s Christmas concert with readers…

The fourth-grade class’s second number was a performance of the song “Masters in This Hall”.



Even the “mandatory” school shows give kids invaluable character-building experience of performing on stage. And then, when a music teacher asks a student to consider performing something special, sometimes that kid will have the confidence to give it a try.

Yep, I’m awfully proud of these two little miracles named Katie and Ellie… so much so that even school concerts are fun!

Merry Christmas!

Post Oireachtas Poetry

Tis the week after Oireachtas
And all through my home
Nothing is decorated
And dust bunnies do roam.
The pumpkin still sits
On the front porch, you know,
And Wednesday was covered
With four inches of snow.
I must now switch gears!
Must be ready on time!
Break out the dark chocolate!
Break out the red wine!
There are cards to be written
There are presents to get!
But instead here I sit……..

…writing poems on Dancenet…