Tuesday, June 22, 2010

My Nerves Are Gonna Snappele

So, it's a bit of an anti-climax a week and a half later, but here is a little video from Jarrah's last-day-of-school Shalom Program. The little blonde cutie introducing the song is Jarrah's friend, Jacqueline. (Robyn, I am so bummed you can't see Jared at all in this video! I guess we were too close!)

The song is called "Oy, Mein Keppele," which is Yiddish for "Oh, My Head." It's a litany of aching body parts. This is the kind of thing my people find hilarious. You can hear me cracking up at the line "Oy, mein pippikul/I mean, this isn't typical!" (Pippikul is belly-button.)

Jarrah's class (16 of them) actually sang over 18 minutes of material that day, but this little video clocks in around three, to accommodate your busy lifestyle. The other songs were alternately funny and heart-breaking, too, but this is a good sample.

Jarrah got a lot of compliments on her polka-dot dress, but her mommy scores no points for the brainy decision to go with a headband that day--the child can't keep her hair out of her eyes for all the fruit leather in the world unless it's firmly anchored with pony tails. I kicked myself noting that all the little girls with a similar propensity for wild hair had been brushed and pinned into submission for the big day.

While Jarrah was a paragon of beauty pageant-like smiles and poses for her theater debut a few weeks ago, she suddenly became Miss Twitchy for this performance. The nose-rubbing and eye-blinking are minimal in this number, but they were on full display the rest of the time. I had to smile at the irony--I've been envisioning the perfection of this moment for three years, and when it finally came, she looked like someone had just tossed some pepper in her direction. Which is just how life is, right, Readers? With the surprises.

I did so much crying, I was completely dazed afterward and grateful I had written a letter to each of Jarrah's teachers from the past four years. Grateful because I had gone completely mute and was only able to thrust the envelope into their hands and wordlessly hug them. Then I needed a handful of Advil. Oy, mein keppele.


12 comments:

Stephanie said...

So cute, great dress and I love your giggle in the background.

Mrs. Chapman's 2nd Grade Class said...

She looks so cute! I love that dress! It is so pretty!

The Wades said...

I think her hair looks adorable! Really, I mean that. I have the same complaints if ever my girls wear a head band, but little Miss Jarrah pulled it off. She was so sweet and smiley.

What a cute song. I might have it stuck in my head if I could understand the words! Thanks for the background.

Heather - The Wanna-be Super Mom said...

Her dress is to die for, and her hair looks cute!!!

That seriously is so adorable it should be illegal!

Hsin is in jewish preschool too...we aren't Jewish, its just a good school...so I have many shows like this in my future for the next 3 years :-) I can't wait!

ewr2san said...

Call me nerdy, but what video camera did you shoot that with. Awesome quality, no artifacting whatsoever. looks like a window into Temple Emanu-el on my laptop.

Samantha said...

Thanks, everyone! :)

@Mark: I'm gonna let David take this one. I really have no idea. He, on the other hand, will be puffed up with pride, I'm sure. ;)

Anonymous said...

Sam,

Please refrain from posting any more videos of your adorable child being adorable especially with the singing of songs because when my adorable girl gets home, I get the full performance reenacted for me, complete with hip thrusts & slightly off-tune but nevertheless completely adorable (natch) singing.

The problem is, of course, that my adorable girl is approximately 35 years older than yours & so the adorable factor starts to wear off much sooner, say after 5 or 6 reenactments.

We may, in fact, be sending you a video of my adorable girl's version of the song . . .

:)

much love,
Tee

Samantha said...

And that, my dear T, is a video I'd VERY much like to see. :)

xoxoox

Unknown said...

What? Mein pippikul hurts! But I'll never let her video me. She'll have to be really, really stealthy.

Anonymous said...

She promised, Sam!! It was her idea!!

:)

T. said...

Oy mein eyes are tearing up. That was DARLING!!!!

Mary said...

Sooooooooo cute! Love the dress and wish there was more, please!

oxoxo