fox hunting
rebooting effort
Over the past few weeks there has been a gradual decline in the effort Opie has put into practicing her oboe. It’s been a source of frustration for me and especially for Teacher. On some occasions she sounds lovely, on others she just isn’t trying.
the right spin
Occasionally I get it right.
This afternoon, Opie came home from school and almost immediately plunked herself in front of the piano. She practiced her pieces, her cadences, and played some old favorites. She even called me over several times to demonstrate a special piece or to show how she had something memorized.
This was all great. I’m quite happy she is enjoying this and I love peeking in the living room and seeing her engrossed in her music.
The only thing was, we had a tight schedule this afternoon. Continue reading
small triumphs
A small triumph for this week.
I had to fill out a “Hopes and Dreams” sheet for Opie’s teacher. An annual ritual, it asks a bunch of questions about what you, the parent, are thinking of for the coming year for your child. The kids usually read the sheet on the way to school, so you have to be careful about what you write and how you phrase it. But it can also be an opportunity to make them think.
oboe birthday
Opie just passed the one year mark with the oboe.
Here’s a list of traditional oboe anniversary gifts by year:
surprise!
15 minutes of fame
I’m famous!
Well, sort of — hard to be too famous as an “unnamed mom.” 🙂
But still pretty cool. Thanks Bret Pimentel! (And check out his blog, it’s a good one.)
showing up
This one is about life, not music.
It is the oddest feeling when your ten-year-old is the person most able to make a situation better.
TTOTD
TTOTD = tiny treat of the day. One of our incentive systems for practicing. Candy for practicing isn’t unusual but I’ve tried to change it up a bit to heighten the interest, and our method is still working well a couple months later.