I'm a Proud Momma!

I am so proud! Sweet Pea sang "Tomorrow" in her school's talent show today!  She is also singing in a larger local talent show in a few weeks, and I'm sure I'll post a video of that too. :o)

"Into the Woods" I go!

Tomorrow night, or tonight depending on when you're reading this, I'm going to see Into the Woods.  I don't know a ton about this musical, except that some of the songs I've seen youtube clips of are pretty awesome, and it has to do with a different look at some well known fairytales. 

I'm sure I'll tell you about my evening out next week, but for now check out this Into the Woods song!

Momma Getting Fresh with Santa?

I could tell you more about being sick, but I just coughed up some nasty stuff so I'm going to change the topic for a minute.

You're Welcome.

It's Christmas season, my favorite time of the year when I'm not stressing out or freezing my hiney off!  This means it's also time for Christmas music, and time for me to cry at nearly every other one.  The classic Christmas songs make me instantly reflect on a time 2000 years ago.  A time when a tiny baby was born in the most modest of birthplaces.  The fact that I know that baby grew up to teach us about God's word, the kind of life we should strive for, and because humans can never live a sinless life he would eventually die so that our sins could be forgiven and we could join Him in Heaven, brings tears to my eyes often.  Sounds like a Savior to me!

That said, not all Christmas songs have that effect. 

Take "I saw Mama kissing Santa Clause" for instance.  When I was a little kid I remember being confused as to why it was a cute song.  Why would people sing a song about a mom kissing another man... while the family sleeps... on Christmas eve! 

I guess to me it was a cutsie song about a married woman getting fresh with an old bearded man, not a cutsie song about some forthcoming bedroom role-playing scene!

Come to think of it, either way, that song disturbs me.

Sweet Pea started piano lessons!

When I was in third grade, my dad bought an old, upright piano for $50.  It was probably the best $50 he ever spent!  It needed a little fixing up and cleaning, but before long my mom had it looking pretty great.  I started taking lessons that year and didn't quit playing until I went off to college and left my the family's piano behind.  All those piano lessons, though I didn't always want to practice when I was younger, were incredibly important to me.  Piano, to me, was one of my main forms of emotional release.  When I was happy I played upbeat songs, when I was upset I'd play somber songs, and when I was mad or frustrated it was loud, dissodent, angry songs.  If I hadn't been able to play the piano I don't know know how I'd have dealt with all of the craziness that comes with being a teenager. 

Since Sweet Pea was born I'd been dreaming about the day that she'd start piano lessons.  So you can imagine how happy I was when my parents gave me my the piano, and we got it tuned, and SP wanted to take lessons!  Happy!  Since I had taken 8 or 9 years of piano lessons and continued on my own after that, I decided to teach her myself for as long as it works for her.  We just started two weeks ago!

After talking to a few friends of mine that teach piano, I decided on Piano Adventures by Faber.  She was really excited to get her books when we took a trip down to Schmitt Music with Babydoll and Little Man.  Can I just say that going there for just SP's books was like taking a kid to a candy store and telling them they can only pick up something for someone else and can't even look around?  Because taking an 8 year old to a music store is fun, but taking a 3 year old and a 1 year old as well means that I have to constantly keep them from grabbing music off the shelves or pulling down electric guitars.  And that means I wasn't able to browse. But it was still exciting to be picking up SP's books!

Anyways, we started two weeks ago and she loves it so far.  This week we started unit 3 and she has been surprising me with how quickly she is picking it up! 

My greatest hope is that piano gives her the same musical base, emotional expression, and joy that it gave me!

And that in a few years Babydoll wants lessons too.  And Little Man a few years later.

Did you take any instrument lessons when you were a kid?  Did you love it or hate it?  Did you keep up with it?