Ukuleles!

Opa and I took a trip to Hawaii six weeks ago. While we were there we looked around for a gift to bring home to the children. Something that they did not have already or have something similar to. I half jokingly told opa we should buy the children a ukelele. There were many for sale in the tourist shops, but they were toy ukeleles and did not have a decent sound. When we returned from Hawaii Opa started researching ukeleles...obsessively. He found the perfect ukulele for the children. It sounds great (for the money!), it was priced reasonably ($50), and it's ever so pretty.

Opa consulted the trio on color and then ordered a green one. He kept researching ukuleles and purchased himself one. A slightly larger, better, many times more expensive ukulele, but not as pretty. The beautiful green ukulele arrived October 10th. Bentley really liked it and spent time playing with it every day on his own and with opa. Jake would try and sneak in some time, but unfortunately for him he usually thought about playing it when he heard Bentley playing and then he'd have to wait until Bentley was finished and that could be an hour or more later.

The solution? More ukuleles, of course. We took another poll of who wanted what color. Bentley liked the green so he became the owner of the first ukulele (which he had to share until the others arrived). Jake chose a yellow burst ukulele similar to Bentley's; both have a dolphin shaped bridge. At first Viva said she didn't want a ukulele which was okay, but then she said she did so opa ordered her a sea foam green ukulele with a shark shaped bridge. Viva's ukulele is painted with a flat paint which is quite different from the boys' color choices. Viva insists her color choice is blue, not green. I'm not sure if she really thinks that or if she is being contrary.

The two new ukuleles were ordered a week after the first one arrived. Jake waited impatiently for his ukulele to arrive. And waited. And waited. As sometimes happens, the ukuleles got lost in the USPS system. They did not arrive until Tuesday afternoon--twelve hours after the children left for Mexico. And...the order was messed up and Jake's yellow ukulele matched Viva's--a shark bridge and flat paint. The company is out of pretty yellow ones for another week. Grrr! We may keep the flat yellow one for Lincoln. He has been poaching Bentley's when he can. Jake can then use it until the one of his color choice arrives

Mark discovered that there is a local ukulele group that meets on Friday nights at Guidos, a local pizza place. He took the threesome there the two Fridays before they left town. It is a group for all ages that bring their ukuleles and play songs together. The first week Opa and the grandchildren went they had one ukulele, the second week two. The children love to go--they dance, they sing, they play ukulele (mostly Bentley), and they eat pizza. What's not to love? (Opa says Viva is a trial when she gets a little too wound up. I say Opa needs more Viva time so he can better appreciate her individuality...or he can learn how to deal with her more effectively.) Opa says that when he went this past Friday without the children, the group members asked after them because they missed their exuberance. 

Bentley can already play a few songs on his own. Jake hasn't had a much practice time, so he's not nearly as good. I don't think Viva has made any effort to learn to play the ukulele yet, but to be fair it wasn't easy to get ukulele time with only one ukulele to share. (Opa did not offer to share his ukulele when he was gone to work. What's with that?!)

We'll post a video of the children playing ukulele after they get a little more practice. (Maybe they will become an Internet sensation?)

Ukulele Trivia Fact: The ukulele did not originate in Hawaii. The Portuguese brought them to the islands.