Sep 10, 2008

Did I seem relaxed?


I began blogging on July 21st.  If I seemed relaxed and easy going it was probably because the dreaded "it's time to practice" hasn't been coming out of my mouth for the past two months.  Usually we continue working on music practice during the summer, but this year with all the camping trips and visitors Emily and Jordan took a real holiday.  Today is our first day back at lessons.  I feel like I'm eleven heading to school without my homework done!  Today I have to face the teachers and nervously smile and explain we really didn't do too much over the summer.  It's amazing how they manage to forget EVERYTHING!  Practicing this morning was painful.  Look how happy my Emily looks, and how diligent Jordan is working.

A Little Lesson:
     I try desperately not to let the opinion of others affect how I treat my kids.  I would like to think I gently encourage my children to pick up their instruments and practice because music is an important skill to acquire.  Not so much.  Sending my unpracticed child into a lesson, especially a Suzuki one, as I said before, brings anxiety and nerves that would rival the days of final exams at university.  It comes from two decades of heading into violin and piano lessons myself as a child trying to figure out how to make it look like I worked hard all week and hadn't.  I am fortunate to have exceptional teachers who work magic with my kids even when I have not managed to get it together.  It's funny how often "stuff" from our childhood bubbles to the top and makes itself known to us in the little corners of our adult lives.    

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