My boys are growing up!
My sweetheart and I.
All my handsome men.
My high school senior.
My 8th grader.
On Friday Grant and I went to the Music Instrument Museum. I had heard about it from someone I met at a wedding reception recently. The museum was EXTREMELY educational. Although I was enlightened by seeing so many different instruments, I felt like I had an amazing geography lesson too.
The museum is laid out by continent. The first continent we visited was Africa. This picture shows that the Africans make instruments out of just about anything they can find. The instruments were very roughly made. As we visited each country of Africa, a video would play that would show people using the instruments or how the instruments were made.
Brent's parents served their mission in Lesotho, so I had to get a picture of the instruments from there.
If you are able to zoom in to the gun on the wall, you will see some crazy design work. Grant is modeling the headphones we wore throughout the museum. The device hanging around his neck picked up the video signals of whatever booth you were standing in front of and then you could hear the music play in the video. Very high tech.
These instruments are X-Rated. Do not let your kiddos zoom in ;) The top of the instrument is where the head is and the bottom of the instrument are the feet. You can fill in the rest.
I thought Toni would get a kick out of this large instrument. It is a large rattle made entirely from goat hooves. Toni, do you remember having to trim goat hooves? Now I know what people in the Middle East do with the goat hooves after trimming their goats.
These horns from Tibet are super long. I thought if Grant stood near them you could get a better perspective of just how long they are.
Interesting design work on this drum.
This instrument has gourds hanging from the bottom of it. Joe, did you ever see one of these while you were in Guatemala?
Yes, this drum is HUGE!
After you go through all of the exhibits, there is an "experience" room where you get to PLAY a variety of instruments.
We were even allowed to hit the gong. It is so cool to put your hand on it and feel the vibrations after you hit it.
I'm not sure what country this instrument is from but they look like copper pots that the lids can't come off of. Fun to play. This is the CRAZIEST instrument of them all. Listen to Grant playing it.
You've heard of the television station called Nickelodeon, well, this is an actual Nickelodeon.
In the back corner of our backyard, stood a large, 30 foot tall, Ash tree. I think its a pretty tree; however, Brent claims the root system of this tree are destroying other parts of the yard and are in the way of the shed he is going to build. We all want Brent to build the shed so that someday we could park in the garage. 
Here is the tree before the demolition began.
Grant was excited to help chop down the tree when he found out he was able to climb the massive scaffolding and cut the high branches. It was also exciting to watch Brent use the manly chainsaw.
After just two hours, this is what I found in my backyard. The tree was all over the yard and a large trunk was left.
Grant helped chop off small branches and separate wood that we would save for firewood.
Then the trailer was loaded and they made two trips to the dump.
The large trunk is gone. Here is the stump that is left along with the massive root system that stretches toward where the new shed will be. Tonight Brent is working on chopping the stump lower and burning it out. Maybe in a few months we will have a shed. :)Grant plays for the Pueblo Middle School band. On October 7th, his school band was invited to play with the Corona del Sol High School band. Aprende Middle School's band, where I teach, was also invited to participate. 
Before the program started, I went on stage to take Grant's picture. He was a little surprised I was there. I know some of the Corona del Sol band students because they were my former math students, plus, I knew many of the Aprende band students because they are my current math students. So I didn't think anything of it to go on stage while they were setting up for rehearsal.
First the Pueblo band played several songs. Grant was near the front with his bass clarinet. Then a few Corona band students played a song. Next the Aprende band took the stage and they played several songs. Then the entire Corona band filled the stage and played some great music. They had a fun variety. Lastly, the Pueblo, Aprende and Corona band took the stage to play a combined number. Grant enjoyed playing with the high school students. He also liked talking to some of my students.