PIANO
It has been about 15 months since I started taking piano lessons with N. Apparently, she and I seem to have a little talent (or our piano teacher is a big ole liar). One of the best things about taking piano with N has been that I have a really good reason to keep practicing and attending lesson each week: the example I am setting for her. When I took guitar lessons/classes in years past, it didn't take me too long to give up. Perhaps guitar just wasn't my thing.
I think I'm sticking with piano because doing anything---working out or playing an instrument or figuring out a problem---is better when you have someone doing it with you, to spur you on, to give you encouragement.
Over these months, I have learned how to read music and am able to "get" music jokes that I see on FB periodically. I was struggling for a while with moving my hands around rather than sticking with certain positions (like C or G position). Right now I am working on "Caisson Song."
I am hopeful that the boys seeing and hearing me and N play piano will increase their enthusiasm to play when they are older.
PIDDLING
Piddling is one of the biggest problems I have with being a stay-at-home mom and is the reason I check FB over and over.
Having children underfoot makes it nearly impossible to get anything done if it requires considerable thought or time. If you can't get it done in 12 minutes, you are going to get seriously disgusted with the interruptions or have to stop so many times to retrieve toys, wipe butts or get snacks ready that you just give up in tears and start drinking LONG before 5 o'clock .
I am NOT a good piddler, but certain activities are perfect for piddling:
1. Sewing patches onto Girl Scout vests
2. Gluing boxtops onto collection sheets
That's it. Everything else takes more involvement and is pointless to try when you have kids.
PREPARATION:
Summer break is coming fast. While I will be glad to have a break from homework and projects and various extracurricular activities, I am not looking forward to the difficulty of keeping 3 children of 3 different ages and abilities happy and entertained for 10 weeks.
With N needing to work on math this summer in preparation for AP classes next year and G starting kindergarten in the fall, I am thinking I will institute an actual, written out "Plan of Action." As usual, there will be field trips to local places of interest.
I think this summer is going to be "fantasy" summer with me and N reading the first Harry Potter book, The Lightning Thief (her pick) and The Hobbit (my pick). I am hoping that the promise of allowing her to watch the movies once she has completed the books will keep her happily immersed this summer.
It has been about 15 months since I started taking piano lessons with N. Apparently, she and I seem to have a little talent (or our piano teacher is a big ole liar). One of the best things about taking piano with N has been that I have a really good reason to keep practicing and attending lesson each week: the example I am setting for her. When I took guitar lessons/classes in years past, it didn't take me too long to give up. Perhaps guitar just wasn't my thing.
I think I'm sticking with piano because doing anything---working out or playing an instrument or figuring out a problem---is better when you have someone doing it with you, to spur you on, to give you encouragement.
Over these months, I have learned how to read music and am able to "get" music jokes that I see on FB periodically. I was struggling for a while with moving my hands around rather than sticking with certain positions (like C or G position). Right now I am working on "Caisson Song."
I am hopeful that the boys seeing and hearing me and N play piano will increase their enthusiasm to play when they are older.
PIDDLING
Piddling is one of the biggest problems I have with being a stay-at-home mom and is the reason I check FB over and over.
Having children underfoot makes it nearly impossible to get anything done if it requires considerable thought or time. If you can't get it done in 12 minutes, you are going to get seriously disgusted with the interruptions or have to stop so many times to retrieve toys, wipe butts or get snacks ready that you just give up in tears and start drinking LONG before 5 o'clock .
I am NOT a good piddler, but certain activities are perfect for piddling:
1. Sewing patches onto Girl Scout vests
2. Gluing boxtops onto collection sheets
That's it. Everything else takes more involvement and is pointless to try when you have kids.
PREPARATION:
Summer break is coming fast. While I will be glad to have a break from homework and projects and various extracurricular activities, I am not looking forward to the difficulty of keeping 3 children of 3 different ages and abilities happy and entertained for 10 weeks.
With N needing to work on math this summer in preparation for AP classes next year and G starting kindergarten in the fall, I am thinking I will institute an actual, written out "Plan of Action." As usual, there will be field trips to local places of interest.
I think this summer is going to be "fantasy" summer with me and N reading the first Harry Potter book, The Lightning Thief (her pick) and The Hobbit (my pick). I am hoping that the promise of allowing her to watch the movies once she has completed the books will keep her happily immersed this summer.
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