a concert and quizes

I have yet to figure out how to set my camera for A's concert snapshots. For the last three years, as she has played her French horn, I have had the same ordeal!

First of all, one of the problems is that my camera wants to focus on the heads in front of me in the frame of the lens! Then, the lighting is odd due to the high ceiling and I can't figure out which setting to use, they all seem to be WRONG! Anyway, I am still documenting the moments and the event, right? -Right?- c'mon, help me feel a little less bad here about the photos being so...well... crappy!



After the concert, the 3 silly friends all went out for ice cream. J plays percussion, M plays flute and A, French horn.


These friends have been together since elementary school. They are all three smarties, or nerds, as they like to be called. They are in G.A.T.E. (gifted and talented education).

The picture above and below of A and J were taken at the party for the last Quiz Bowl match. The team came in tied for first place for the district, winning 6 of 7 matches. I loved going to these Quiz Bowl matches for A's second year on the team. Questions are read and you have to compete to buzz in against 5 people on the opposing team along with 4 other fellow team mates!!! The matches last about an hour and 100-150 questions can be presented. It is pretty fast paced. Math questions have a limit of 20 seconds in which to answer, the same as general questions. Talk about making a parent feel down right dumb!! I am endlessly amazed at the knowledge of all the 12 and 13 year olds on the team.

The coach gave the kids bags of candy tied with ribbon at the party. "Smarties" and "Nerds" because they are and "Dum Dum" lollipops and "Airheads" taffy because they aren't!! See, even the coach is a smarty!!

Now if I could just get any one of these smarties to teach this dum-dum how to set her camera for a decent concert photo of her daughter!!!!