Creativity · Family · Parenting

The Piano Guys

Shhh… It’s a secret. Ironic, I know, that I’m putting this on my blog if it’s a secret. However, my kids don’t read what I write. I think they listen to me at least part of the time, but read my blog entries? ….Not so much.

We bought tickets for the Piano Guys Christmas show in December!!!!

I’m thrilled!

Our elementary school music teacher introduced the kids to The Piano Guys. When I say “introduced” take it that she plays their music for them at school. He’s a BIG fan of both his music teacher and The Piano Guys music. This is his favorite song. Students are also allowed to start orchestra in 4th grade. He chose the cello. Seriously, my child is a fan.

Cello
Bringing home the cello for the first time!

My 9 year old son asked for two things for Christmas this year. He was on the ball since it’s only September and still 90+ degrees F. The request came back in July! He would like tickets to see the Piano Guys Christmas show and to build some sort of greenhouse for his garden. How fabulous are those requests?! I’m still working on the greenhouse idea. The kit versions that our local farm storms sell probably wouldn’t handle our persistent Midwest winds. The concert ticket option fits in beautifully with our effort to facilitate memories with and for our children as gifts.

His music teacher told him the tickets were sold out. Good thing mom was on it about two months ago! Boom.

Creativity · Family · Parenting · Perspective

Dodgeball and Our Village

Life has me on a bit of a writing hiatus. Here’s a few “Good News” highlights:

Family dodgeball at Christmas. My dad’s extended side is large- about 60 strong. Every year, Christmas dodgeballhosting rotates among the original siblings. Since we are too large to host in a home, we tend to meet in a community center. 2018 ushered us into a celebration in the middle school’s all purpose room and gymnasium where both my aunt and uncle work. If you haven’t played dodgeball since you were a child, you are missing out! We played kids vs. adults, boys vs. girls (all ages), and then split two siblings and families vs. the other two siblings and families. Ages 2 to 69 played. Of course, there was also a buffet of food, a kids’ gift exchange, an adult gift game.

 

The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” rang true again this past weekend. I came down with a respiratory virus complete with fever. This particular weekend, I was supposed to make 16 half-birthday treats with my daughter for her first grade classroom. (This is done for kids with summer birthdays.) A dear friend- our adopted grandparent- answered my text plea to make treats. She picked both my children up, dropped the older one off at basketball practice, and proceeded to make vanilla cupcakes with chocolate chips AND a custom purple frosting with butterflies. My kids used their decorating talents to make the butterflies out of pretzels, candy hearts, and licorice. This amazing woman then fed my children lunch and brought them back out to the house.

Yes, my daughter has her own sense of style. We aren’t squelching it at this point. It doesn’t make the top 40 of battles we need to fight.

Best wishes — Jen