Carolyn has had eight weeks of piano lessons now, and today finished her Level 1 book! Her teacher has to postpone the fall schedule until late October, so I’m going to work with her in the beginning of the Level 2 book. So far she knows “C position”, and can play music that steps along in either hand (one at a time) on the grand staff. Next she’s going to start learning intervals. I am so impressed with how much she’s learned in just a few short weeks!
Carolyn
Girls Gone Swimming!
Well, sort of.
Carolyn took full advantage of her lesson time, while Anna sat on the side of the pool and dabbled her toes in the water. Considering it was her very first non-parent-participation class, at least she got through it without tears or trauma. Maybe tomorrow she’ll get her feet wet?
1 swimming lesson day down, 19 more to go…
Piano Player, Extraordinaire!
I am so proud of Carolyn! She had her second piano lesson today, and it’s really obvious that she’s been practicing daily (mostly without prompting). Her piano teacher was pretty pleased with her progress.
Piano Lessons
Carolyn has been asking to learn how to play piano for a while, and I went out and bought a couple of beginner books, and tried to work through them with her. I’ve discovered that while I am very proficient at playing piano, I am absolutely terrible at teaching piano.
A friend recommended her teacher, who conveniently lives just a few minutes away, and Carolyn had her first lesson today. How exciting!
Newly Minted 2nd Grader
Carolyn came home with a backpack stuffed with stuff and a shirt covered with her classmates’ handprints. Let summer vacation begin!
Of Hyperbole and Imaginary Friends
Carolyn seems to have mastered the art of hyperbole: “Mommy, you’re the best mommy in the whole entire universe!” is a common one. As is “Anna, you’re the best little sister ever!” I’m just waiting until she learns that they can be used negatively, too.
And yesterday in the car I brought up Mimi. Mimi first appeared almost four years ago, and has been a significant part of Carolyn’s world since. We haven’t heard about Mimi in a while, so I just casually asked Carolyn what Mimi was up to these days.
Well. The conversation went like this:
C: “Mommy, Mimi has a boyfriend!”
Me: “Really? A boyfriend? Um…so how old is Mimi now?”
C: “Oh, just a little older than me. 10. Or maybe 11.”
Me: “10…or 11? And she has a boyfriend now?”
C: “Yeah, that’s just a little older than me. Because, 6 is almost 10!”
Honestly, this conversation rattled me more than I’d like to admit. First that 6 really is almost 10 (because the years have flown by fast enough to this point that the next thing I know she really will be 10) and second that 10…or maybe 11…is old enough to have a boyfriend. Not to mention that my 6 year old is even aware of the concept of “boyfriend”.
To borrow a page from Carolyn, that was the most frightening conversation ever!
Father Daughter Dance
Every year, the primary school holds a father daughter spring dance. Usually it starts in 1st grade, but the youngers in the K/1 class are also invited.
It sounds like everyone had a good time, though from the video snippets that Denis took it really looks like the girls were all doing line dances while the dads stood around the edges of the gym looking vaguely uncomfortable and bored…
But hey, at least Carrie got to wear her flower girl dress a second time!
Oh! And we got a note home today about a multiage play coming up in a little over a week. Carrie is playing the lamb in “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (the play is a collection of Mother Goose rhymes) and I have to make a costume. So the knitter’s daughter is going to be a lamb and needs a costume…no pressure…
Dance Observation Day
We had our second dance observation of the year tonight. I’m really impressed with how much Carrie has learned over this year, and I think it’s amazing how her teacher has managed to take a dozen or so girls in the 4-7 year old range and teach them so much.
I’m so much happier with this studio than I was with our old one. The recital is 6 weeks away and we already have costumes, the dates and times for the pictures, rehearsal and recital, an instruction sheet about which costume pieces are to be worn for which numbers, details on when and where to be backstage for the rehearsal and recital, etc… Basically, all the information that none of us had last year until, well, never. I really can’t say enough good things about this dance studio and Carrie’s dance teacher!
Dandelions
I know they’re weeds, but they really can be pretty! And besides, with these in the yarn to pick, the girls totally leave the “real” flowers in the garden beds alone…
Ice Cream Cuties
We went out for ice cream tonight after dinner. Anna got vanilla with rainbow sprinkles, and Carrie got orange blossom…also with rainbow sprinkles. The important bit, of course, is rainbow sprinkles.
