Earle L. Louder, euphonium soloist with the New Columbian Brass Band, has been acclaimed by colleagues around the world as one of the finest euphonium virtuosos of all time. In addition to his performances with the New Columbian Brass Band, Louder is the assistant conductor and soloist with Leonard B. Smith's Detroit Concert Band. He has also appeared as principal euphonium and featured soloist with Keith Brion's New Sousa Band in concerts throughout the United States.

Louder achieved national prominence during his tenure with the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. As a member of the Navy Band, Louder served as Head of the Brass Department and euphonium soloist for 12 years.

Louder completed his undergraduate work at Michigan State University, where he studied with the renowned euphonium artist, Leonard Falcone. He earned his doctoral degree at Florida State University, and achieved the distinction of being the first person ever to complete the Doctor of Music degree in Euphonium Performance.

Since leaving the Navy Band, Louder has been resident artist and Distinguished Professor of Music at Morehead State University in Kentucky. He is in great demand nationally and internationally as a guest euphonium soloist, clinician, adjudicator, and conductor. (2/94)

My daughter asked me, "How do I get to Heaven and where it is?" I am sure it is all around us, but understood that my three year old Jenna may not understand this concept So I said what most of us parents say, "Up in the sky". My daughter looked up and then said, "Mom, I'm getting' my shoes, be back soon". Being that I was puzzled, I asked, "Where you going?" She looked at my baffled and said, "Well I am going to climb the highest hill of course." I just laughed and explained you can be with God no matter where or who you are, just ask him. She didn't go for it thou. She tried to find the highest hill, but gave up after she found a slight slop outside our home. She then looked up to the sky and knew that no matter what, she is one darn special kid. She is mine but I share her with the creator and I am happy that I was chosen to be her mother.

This is so cute, my Jenna is so funny, watch this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZHmEar6O0 , I know I know, I can not help but make funny, smart, beautiful and charming children. OK, so all of us parents think this, but she sure is a doll!
Thanks for taking a look!
The picture is not the video on youtube, just needed to brag more!
Me

Since I will be out, I am re-listing my Adventures in Parenting that most did not see.  I have so much college work, updating my book and website and working on my inventions. So after I am back I will be posting away. I have to play catch up after being sick for the past several weeks. Thanks to all for being so kind for keeping me in your thoughts. As a note I really miss you Shelly and Nancy!

Adventures in Parenting! Stinky the Plumber

Please excuse all my spelling errors, it is late.

It is official my son said his first word today. Yes, at 18 months I can say he said his first clear word beyond the regular baby words such as: bottle, baby, Mom, Dad, Sissy, etc...

It went a little something like this:

For the last week I have had problems with my stupid bleep-a-bleep-darn-bleeping tub and sink drain being clogged up. So after trying to play plumber and slipping into the tub several times, I decided it best to hire a plumber. This man we will refer to as "stinky". Upon entering my house a cloud of stench began to gloom over my state of Michigan; specifically in my house. Well, I will give him the benefit of the doubt because he had been working all day. (Please excuse me for being mean, I am not a mean person, it just adds to my story and what I really was thinking; ok, maybe I am mean) Well anyway back to the story. Stinky and his muddy boots made their markings all the up to my second floor where my tub and sink are located. Behind him and I trailed my Little Man "Brendan", who seemed to think that Stinky was just the coolest man that he had ever seen. (Ah.......) My sons eyes gleamed with amazement as he peered at Stinky's tool belt (really I do not know his name, so yes I must call him Stinky - I still have the air filter going). As my sons eyes were fixated on this mans tool belt my eyes desired some type of oxygen and or eye drops as they began to tear up (you have no idea the control I had to sustain being that I was in the bathroom, right next to the medicine cabinet). My son seemed to have some type of kinship as he began to bond with Stinky and all of his smelly forces. My son believes himself to be a bonafied conisure (sp?) on stench as he has seems to always find pleasure in placing his hands down his pants and then quickly smelling his hands as if to test which smells better to him number 1 or is it number 2.  Stinky then says,  "Ahh... it is time to get my giant snake out".....and then he pulls out.................this strange instrument ...............out of a duffle bag (thank God). Stinkys eyes had become immune to the cloud of smog as they were ogling me up and down. Ok, let's just say after he was done, it was a good the sink drain was fixed as I filled up with my discontent (you may use your imagination for this). Anyway, this gianoumous (giant), sweaty, stinky, and dirty  "man",  then bends down to "unclog my drain", and how could this get any worse, well it just so happens that Stinky is also Hairy......ahhhhhhhhhhhh....., I have seen the recent footage of the sacquatch that has been spotted and not yet found. OK, I found him. When I say hairy, I use this term loosely as he is hairy in places that I whished were not brought to my attention. Yes, my son even noticed Stinkys' bushiness. Yes, that is right my son, pointed as Stinky's butt (with crack exposed, of course!) screamed "BUTT" as if he were terrified and then began to cry. That made two off us: A, because of my detached retinas and B the bill.

I am currently having the mud tracks evaluated.

Adventures in Parenting: My intercepted prayer to God

My intercepted prayer to God.

It went a little something like this:

While in my bedroom behind one very thin door and closed.

"Dear God, thank you for my children they are".......... (suddenly a scream Ashlynn the oldest says, "Mom Jenna has bad breath"; I promptly respond through the door, "Yes, Honey (her nickname) I know she was sick last night and threw-up most of the night"; The typical kids response "Yuck, euuu, you have Kuti-Bugs", Jenna with a wrinkled up nose says, no I don't you do. And as all kids must do, the famous rebuttal, "No, you do" then somehow she got to this one " I know you are but what am I" phrase as the two of them were "fighting". I then pull them apart and I said "what you are is in trouble". Both then were sent into exile and had to sit out in the hallway to THINK about what they did wrong. (hmm, I wonder if kids even consider these thoughts; because it was not long before..............)

Back to my prayer:

"Dear God, thank you for my lively children, they are".............. (Ashlynn pipes up again: "Mom, she is bugging me and keeps on touching me, I just might get the deadly kutie bugs virus") "OK, kids break it up" I say".  "But Mom she is breathing on me." So I open the door and to my surprise my 3 year old is on top of my 9 year old in a headlock (courtesy of my husbands training) no less, with her mouth over my 9 year olds mouth huffing and puffing away (all the while cracking up). "OK, I have had it, STOP this and get off your BIG sister you little bully you", I tell her. Jenna my youngest (the bully) then looks up at me with her beautiful and big cutie I love you and you know I can do nothing wrong eyes, then smiles; as if in slow motion - I am convinced this may be her channeling some kind of  unknown secret-cute-get-me-out-of-trouble-super-power-thing. (I almost began to laugh and smile back: I had to snap back into parenting mode - almost needed to get my cape)

My oldest gets to her feet and then gives a nudge to my youngest which in turn without a beat pushes back. I think oh no here we go again. Again my 3 year old that is a pint big wrestles down my 9 year old (all the while laughing - a chip off the ol' block, she even looks like me) and begins to inhale, knowing what was to come next I pulled her off saying, "kids I am going to kill you".

My oldest daughter Ashlynn smartly says, ahhhh... I telling God, you know what the Bible says, "thou shall not kill", ahhh.............., I'm telling!" I then said, "No you are not", (she gives me a smart smile as if to challenge me) "ok then I will tell him first", I say (do not know where that came from - I guess being up all night with the little sick one JENNA, it made me a delirious kid-adult) I began to clench my hands and began to tell God sorry that he gave me little heathens that challenge my "normal" logic of parenting, just as my little devils suddenly turned into little angels and began to kneel. Both clasped their hands and bowed their heads in prayer and to my amassment two glowing halos appeared above their heads. "OK, that is more like it." "Now let Mommy have time to pray kids, ok." Ok, not for too long........... (but I do not want to bore you)

Meanwhile back behind the thin, cheaply made I can hear everything and can not get any privacy door:

"Dear God" (pause.. I look behind me at the door - Good nothing), "Thank you for my" (slowly...turn - nothing yet, great) "not killing my kids today"....again.........................

Not to my surprise, I then hear, "Mom".
 
I then tell God, "Ok, God I better wrap this up, here it goes: Thank you God for my lively children, they are driving me nuts!"

"Ok, what now kids!!!!"

Adventures in Parenting: What the Bleep is wrong with my children!

What the Bleep is wrong with my children.

Do not get me wrong they are GREAT, but boy do they keep me going and on my toes:

After my GREAT escape from my kutie-bugged girls; I decide to get my 18 month son out of bed.

To my surprise he is awake with one hand down his pants again (what is up with that guys?)

I then look closer as if my eyes can not comprehend what they are focusing on.

As the adjustment came in, I see streams of urine in the air in a circular and constant pattern above my son who is lying on his back looking up as if he is peering at the stars with great reflection. He seems to be thinking that this is some type of great feat and wishes to show me as he begins to clap and laugh thinking he has accomplished something amazing!

I guess he took yesterdays book, Mickey Mouse's Great Shapes book a bit too literally.

Mind you I did not see two hands. I think to myself has he done this before and I just have not caught it; has he master this with one hand?

I just shook my head and told God I knew I should have gone with my gut feeling and should have not cut my prayer short nor wanted to "kill" my kidos. I said sorry!

Anyway he is now wearing a diaper with duck-tape, and don't think that I am not joking.

I could not make this stuff up if I tried.

For the last week or so I have been fairly sick so when my oldest asked if she could take my 3 year old and herself outside to play, I was delighted!

The snow is melting off, so I suggested they make the best of it and make snow angels or make tracks in the snow and play follow the leader.

Both were excited and suited up in a hurry. Before I knew it my two little cuties were outside playing and laughing together. I looked outside our bay window and marveled at my little creations. To tell the true I felt so happy I could not tell you how much my heart was warm with happiness.

Until: Well as I began to make a bottle for my little one Brendan, my 9 year old runs in the house screaming and crying and my 3 years old is looking innocent as usual. Well, I am no armature to this scene and I knew that something was up and most likely at the hand of Jenna AKA Little She Devil.

I asked everyone to calm down and asked them to un-suit. After all their gear was removed I noticed that my 9 year old had a BIG BLACK EYE! Oh, my Gosh, I say panicing, as I ask what happened.

My oldest daughter began to unravel a web of a story. As she was doing this my youngest daughter began to slip off into the distance and then darted up stairs. (not a surprise)

Apparently my oldest daughter made fun of Jenna about her "Moon Boots" so my youngest decided to get even in the only way she knows how; with malicious intent. Jenna, asked my oldest daughter if she has ever played "Big Foot" before and she answered "NO". Jenna further explains it is a little like follow the leader, but more fun. She goes on to explain that the first player must make tracks everywhere while she would count. After she was done counting she would have to follow the tracks to the person. That person must stay still and lay on the ground with their eyes closed until they are found, counting how long it took to be found.

Well I am sure you figured out how she found her. She followed her foot prints and once "Spotted" she used her oversized Moon Boots to make a giant size reminder not to make fun of her duds again on my oldest daughters face.

I went and got Jenna and questioned her as to what happened. She responded that she was playing Big Foot when her sisters eye got in the way. Jenna's face looked like ok, and that explains it Mom. HHMMmm.............. Not so much!

She is currently in the corner  relacing all the shoelaces to every pair of BOOTS and shoes in the house. Oh and not happy, however mustered up a "Sorry!"

Yip, she should not do that one again. (not certain my oldest will make a Moon Boot comment again either, poor thing!)