Paralyzed Pianists

Since I was in a gripe-session kind of mood yesterday, I failed to report on the kids' piano recital from last night. So, here's the report!


It has been a struggle to get the kids to practice the piano this spring. They are very reluctant, and if I don't get on their case, they end up goofing off instead of playing the songs they need to practice.


This year the annual piano recital seemed to sneak up on us. I admit it, I should have been more diligent getting the kids practicing. About a month before the recital I threatened the kids (falsely, but we won't tell!) that their teacher wanted the recital songs memorized by their next lesson. It wasn't a real falsehood, she did want them memorized! Ethan took the threat very seriously. He practiced and practiced and got both his songs memorized by the time they went to their next lesson. Heidi procrastinated until the day before. Needless to say, hers weren't.


Since then Heidi has been working on her pieces off and on, but not consistently enough to get a solid memorization. Ethan thought he was done, so he didn't try so hard.


So the day of the recital came. I had to work that day, but I left strict instructions for them to work on them until I got home. They did, and were even getting dressed for the recital when I got home. They both said they were ready, cool as cucumbers. I was still nervous for them, but I thought it would be fine....


I asked them if they wanted to bring their books, just in case. Neither said they needed it. So we left the books at home. I was feeling pretty good because of their cool confidence.


Heidi was the second to perform. She got through the first song easily enough. The second had a few bumps. Then near the end she forgot a passage and she froze. I could tell she wasn't sure what to do next. She ended up making up the notes and just ending on a chord. It was a little fumbled, but she pulled it off. I could see her embarrassed grimace when she returned to her seat.


Ethan was the next to the last to perform. He walked up to the piano and announced his pieces, then sat down and froze. He couldn't think of how the song started. His teacher tried to find the starting notes, just from memory, but it didn't work. Then she looked at me and said, "Hum the song, Mom!" I, of course, froze as well!! I couldn't for the life of me think of how the song started!! She had him go to his next song, then come back again. He still couldn't remember the first one so she rifled through her music drawer and pulled out the precious music! She had him play it once with the music, then do it again without!! (She's such an awesome teacher!)


After the recital the kids told me they would never leave their music at home again for the recital. I told them next time they shouldn't be worried about a back-up plan, but be a little more prepared instead!!


The kids always wonder why these little recitals are so important. Why do they have to memorize the songs? I hope they can learn that it is such a good experience for them. It is a wonderful talent to be able to perform in front of an audience. Stage fright is not usually easy to overcome. It takes practice to be able to do it. And then when you perform well, after having rehearsed and rehearsed, it is a real feeling of accomplishment. You know that you worked really hard for something, and you were able to shine! And not only do you get to enjoy the pleasure of the performance itself, you get to share a very special part of yourself as well!

Gripe Session

Today I just feel like griping.


It's been one of those run-around-can't-seem-to-catch-up kind of days and I am tired. I know all the mothers out there can relate!


My hands have been hurting all day, which always seems to color my perspective a bit. I have an on-again, off-again battle waging with carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Some days just aren't that great. Actually, some days it likes to rear its ugly head and remind me that my pain-free days are tenuous, at best.


My allergies have been bothering me lately so I spent the day either sleepy or loopy, depending on my drug of choice.


I had to endure a tirade from my boss after she saw the hack-job her gardener did on her rhododendron bush in front of the office. We're talking throwing items and yelling profanities. I thought she was just being melodramatic until I saw the hack-job myself.....uh oh.


Then tonight the kids had a piano recital. It was a frantic evening of getting kids ready to go, racing to the recital, enduring the myriad of nerves that besiege me for my children's sake (I think I was more nervous than they were -- I must take this way too seriously!), then finally having a late dinner following the recital since there was not enough time before.


Oh, and it's Monday.


The defense rests its case.

Preschool Days

Thursday was Elise's last day in Preschool. It has been such an amazing year for her! She has had the best teachers and therapists you could imagine. I have loved every one of them! They all simply adore Elise, I mean, who wouldn't?


This year Elise had two classroom teachers -- Miss Nancy and Miss Maryanne, a physical therapist -- Sheri, and a speech therapist -- Judy. She loved all of them, but poor Sheri got the raw end of the deal! Since she puts Elise through lots of physical motions, moving her in ways she doesn't like, and makes her do things that basically make her work, she doesn't like Sheri quite so much. And Sheri tried so hard!! She has done so much wonderful work for her and has given me lots of fantastic advice for at home. Whenever Elise would hear Sheri come into the room she would start to fuss and throw a fit -- she knew what was coming! :)

Elise has grown a lot in her gross motor function, her core strength, and her fine motor skills. She has recently been able to stand on her own, while propped against an object. We are still working on getting her to tolerate a crawl position, which is important for shoulder and arm strength, as well as core balance. She has gotten good at holding small items, like crayons and paint brushes, and knows how to do a "coloring" motion. She is also working on using a spoon, although that one is still a ways off.

About one month ago we got some orthotics for her feet to stabilize them a little more and enable her to stand. She has been starting to roll her feet out and they are harder to form into the correct position, so orthotics were called for. She hates putting them on, but once they are in place she doesn't seem to mind them.

Next year will be the start of a new adventure. Elise will be going to Kindergarten! She will have the same therapy as Preschool, but will be going the same hours as Kindergarten, five days a week. She will also be going to a different school, which is always hard, but I know that she will adjust with time. Everyone always loves her so much, and she loves all the special one-on-one attention she receives at school! I know it will be another year of wonderful growth and changes!

More Sweetness....

Here's a little more cuteness to add to your day, from Erica!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice....

That's what little girls are made of....right?

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Erica and Elise are, on their own, the sweetest little girls! The problem is when they get together!

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The two are in constant competition. As soon as one of them spies something they want, the other immediately notices and the race is on! They scoot and/or crawl just as fast as their little bodies can get them there. Recently Elise has taken to using dirty tactics. She grabs Erica by the shirt/neck/face/ear, whatever she can grab, anyway, and pulls her down -- HARD. Sometimes she gives a few good wacks on the face, just for good measure.

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My angel.

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Of course, Erica is not by any means without recourse. She shoves and pulls, pushes and hits, all with a gleeful laugh.

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Tonight I caught on camera just one little instance of their entertaining relationship. Erica was showing off at the piano, so Elise had to make her mark as well. She shoves Erica out of the way and gets her notes in. I love the look of triumph on her face as she turns her head while she's playing the piano....

Of course, I also love how Erica chose to sing along with her sister's playing.

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I told you, aren't they sweet?

Pampered Toes

At our last Book Club meeting we got onto the subject of pedicures (don't ask me how, these conversations just seem to evolve....) I revealed the fact that NO I have never had a pedicure before. Shocking. Unless they are hurting, my feet are just generally a part of my body I don't consider on a daily basis. I have no opposition to a pedicure, just never have done it.

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Well the girls were in shock. It's the most relaxing thing, you feel so pampered, it really isn't gross, the environment really is clean, all points were canvased. So, I thought, maybe one of these days I'll try it.

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A couple days ago I had a childless 30-minute interval to spare, so I decided to go ahead and put this pedicure thing to the test.

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Okay, I admit it, I'm sold.

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I think this will become a new indulgence for me (as if I need any more of those!) I walked in, a little nervous, but excited at the same time. There was a gal there who immediately addressed what I needed. I could only understand about half the words she said, and basically repeated everything twice, but eventually communication was successful. Once I admitted this was my first time doing this she understood why I didn't instinctively know what she was saying, and she was great at leading me through the process. I selected a deep purpley-red for my polish and followed her down the aisle to these fabulous chairs set up with a whirl-pool of heaven for my feet. I got myself settled in and prepared to be pampered.

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Right next to me was a woman who walked in shortly after I did. I felt bad for the little gal that had to work on her. "The chair is in the wrong position, I just can't get it right, doesn't it lean back more? I mean, I have a bad back. Oh! That water's way too hot, plus it's swirling too much, can't we cool it down?" The list went on....Later on I peaked over as her nails were getting filed down. The girl actually got out an electric dremmel-type tool and shaved them down! Images from "Dumb and Dumber" kept popping in my head! (If you don't know what I'm referring to, then you need to educate yourself a little more in the goofy-movie department!)

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Aside from the entertainment sitting next to me, I quite enjoyed myself. I flipped through the pages of a glossy magazine, something about Stars' Style -- you know, showing how to get the designer look of a movie star for only $300 -- whatever. I didn't even know that my feet and calves hurt until she started massaging all the little aches and pains away.

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All the customers were chatting with each other, even though they didn't know one another, talking about who's high school graduations they're going to this weekend, etc. It was like a step back in time, when everyone knew everyone else, and all the local gossip was passed around at the local beauty shop.

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After my pampering was complete I was instructed to go up front where there was a "drying" station, with UV lights to cure the polish. Unfortunately, I was so greased up from my massage, not to mention I still had those silly spongy things they put between your toes to keep the polish from smearing, that I did an amusing combination of slipping and hobbling down the entire aisle.

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Now I am enjoying my new toes. They've never looked so good! I think this is an experiment I will have to repeat, only next time I would like to go with some girlfriends. It was fun to people-watch, but I wouldn't mind having a companion with me who has a tad bit better hygiene!

It Won't Be Long Now!

Erica is growing so fast! She is trying to walk lately. It seems that she's been trying for the last three months! I thought for sure she'd be running by her first birthday, but, she decided she preferred crawling instead to get where she wants to go. She's been walking around objects for quite a while now, but just hasn't been brave enough to venture beyond.

Last night she was really trying to walk, though. It was so cute how she would tentatively step away, but still have a death grip on Eric's finger. Then she would frequently "dive" toward her target!

The tentative stance alone....

Good catch, Dad!

My Project Man

Last weekend we had an impromptu hotdog roast outside. The weather has been really beautiful and we have wanted to be outside as much as possible, after this long, wet winter.

Last summer I got it in my head that I wanted a gas firepit for our backyard. I wanted to save up and buy a nice one that we could enjoy, but Eric decided this was a project just calling his name.

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So we scoped out the different firepits at Home Depot and Lowes and found a basic wood-burning pit that we really liked that was pretty inexpensive. He then spent the remainder of the summer/fall trying to convert it to a gas pit. The converting wasn't a problem. The problem was he didn't want to buy an expensive firepit insert, but thought he could come up with one of his own. So began the experiments....

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The first trial was the gas stove section from our old barbeque grill. It worked pretty well, but it put off such a tiny flame that it wasn't entirely satisfying. I wanted fire, baby! Second trial was a copper coil tube that Eric put together and punched holes in for the gas to burn through. He thought that by varying the size of the holes he could control how big the flame was. It also worked, but it looked more like a ring of birthday candles lit up. Again with the fire! Third trial was the charm. Like always, I had already given up on the experiment working and was trying to talk him into giving in and ordering the firepit insert already (I had been waiting a while for my fire by this time, OK?) While I was at work one day, he suddenly came upon an alternative source....

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(Bear with me, there is always a back story....)

Two summers ago I was frustrated trying to can some pickles because the enamel pot for water-bath canning does not work well on a glasstop stove. Ever my McGeyver man, Eric came up with the solution to use a turkey-fryer base. You know, the big huge pot that you deep-fat-fry a turkey in? Well, it has a stand with a lovely gas burner that heats up really well. It was the perfect solution. I plop my canning pot on that burner and it fires up immediately.

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So now Eric decided to sacrifice my "canning burner" for the much nobler assertion of becoming our flaming glory for the backyard. His reputation for genious innovation was on the line, after all. (This was all disassembled, then jerry-rigged while I was conveniently gone, hence no arguing over using my valuable appliance....)

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Well, it worked gloriously! We now have a beautiful fire we can light up at any time. Now I just need to have him figure out how to jerry-rig a new canning burner for me!!