November Weekend

 Araceli's birthday has continued all week with money from Tricia and a subsequent shopping trip, then a night at the ballet.

OK, it was the dress rehearsal of Giselle, which is even better because there's a pre-show lecture.  Araceli, Xanthe and Freestone were the lucky ones who got to go.  Golda and Ruby were dying that they couldn't...but they had Nutcracker.

 7 hours after we got home from the ballet, we were up, driving to cello.  Araceli's lessons with Elliott are so productive.  I take notes as he teaches, and I always come away with another idea worth contemplating, as it relates to teaching, playing, or life in general.

 That same afternoon (Friday), Araceli started piano with Janet.  The other kids kvetched that they hadn't been allowed to take piano, voice, violin, whatever it was.  I know, it's never fair.  But Araceli is a really good practicer, and she longs to be able to play the piano.  She finally broke my heart with her noodling on the keyboard.  She is so fired up about this new challenge, it's contagious.

 Friday night, Scott and these three lucky souls came with me to the symphony to see one of my all-time favorite pieces, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.  Scott and my high school friends first saw it on my birthday in 1988, when they came to a U of U orchestra performance I was playing in.  It was such a nice gesture for a bunch of high school boys to do that for me.

The program Friday was excellent, and we were on the third row.  I like being way in the front.  I talked to my old teacher, Lenny Braus, at intermission.  Afterward, I commented to him that I had seen him hit every note of the incredibly complex concerto.  He laughed it off, saying, "I've played this one before."

 Cool view, huh?

 I was sitting in the car at the park Thursday and I noticed my to-do list with just "Cheese" checked off.  It totally cracked me up.  Sometimes you just can't get anything done!  This might have been the same day I went to the shop and my neighbor's house with a pair of tights around my neck.  I got them out of the dryer, and I was going to put them in Xanthe's room.  I guess I forgot about them because they felt like a scarf.  Geez.

I did get everything on the list done eventually that day, and the next day I acquired another free couch, courtesy of Jen Ramsdell, and made a new room in the empty part of the basement with the free chair Scott got from our friend Ginger.  I also got in the Christmas spirit and put up this tree and hung our outside lights.  We're ready for the holidays!

But first, a couple more of those sunny, exuberant, fun-filled November weekends!  The three Saturdays prior to Nutcracker week, when we rehearse all the scenes in their entirety, are just a whirl of excitement.  Amid all the birthday parties, ballet classes, chores, practicing and Nutcracker rehearsals Saturday, Araceli had a cello recital.  Ptolemy and I took her.  She started her piece in a dirge-like tempo, but it sounded quite good anyway.  All of the Cheneys' students played well, and I was happy Ari was among them.  HERE is a recording of her performance, since nobody else got to see it.  It was in Cottonwood, and we actually had to sneak out early for my Nutcracker rehearsal, so it would have been a tough one to invite people to.  No worries, there's always another recital on the horizon!

While we're on the theme of sneaking out, Scott ducked out Saturday afternoon to attend what would become the most heartbreaking, weirdest game in Utah history.  And I stole away with just Freestone's Party Scene rehearsal left to finish up, and took my three volunteers, Tolly, Tizzy and Golda, to Park City to shop for hand sanitizer (Ptolemy's favorite thing) and relax in front of the fire.  In fact, Golda was so relaxed, she fell asleep as soon as the fire turned on. 

 It was heaven to sleep in the next morning!  These kids are so much fun to be with.  I love them so much, and I love being their mom.  This morning when I returned from our little vacay in the mountains, Freestone had said to Scott, "Enjoy your relaxing break before Mom gets home."  He hit the nail on the head.  Within minutes of my heralded arrival, five kids were practicing.  But you know what?  As much fun as Scott and I have with these beautiful kids, we are the parents.  So we also have to be the taskmasters.  As the quote on my sidebar says, "If you want a happy family, you have to tolerate a lot of unhappiness."  I'm still thinking that one through.  I guess it's true, because anything worthwhile requires work and sacrifice.  Practicing is part of that.  Golda and I were just talking on the way home from PC about how our LDS culture expects a lot of responsibility from people, starting at a young age.  I love that.  But it's a whole different topic, and right now I have to get Ari to an interview with the bishop, Ruby to the church ot set up for the thing she's in charge of tonight, and get our Primary kids in the car for their program, for which I'm leading the music.  Life goes on!