Mommies Making it Work!

On Wednesdays, my friend Kim comes over for a violin lesson. We have so much fun together. But our three little girls sometimes don't like that we're not giving 100% attention to them. We have to be creative to keep them playing so we can actually get a lesson in.


Sometimes it turns out to be a comedy of errors. Well, truthfully, most times! But, you know, really, it is an absolute testament to the power of the multi-tasking mother. We're giving out snacks, averting disasterous messes, providing arts & crafts, all while teaching and learning. The amount of times it takes to refocus and then switch gears again is truly an homage to a woman's abilities, if I do say so myself.


Today, I couldn't resist getting out my camera as Ella was climbing up the music stand, I was trying to distract the girls by giving them triangles to chime along with, and Kim was mastering a new concept on the violin. (Ella escaped before I could catch her in the act!) But I love that Kim is still willing to try something new even though it isn't as easy with little ones running around. That inspires me!

Bi-Instrumental

When my violin student, Emily, came for her lesson on Monday, she said she had a surprise for me. I thought maybe she had memorized a song or practiced every day. She didn't tell me and then we started our lesson. Scales, bowing, exercises, and then I asked her to play Minuet 3 by Bach.

She whipped out a kazoo, and next thing you know, she is kazooing and playing Minuet 3 at the same time! This was the surprise apparently, and I was laughing my head off! What a girl. She made my day. :)

Just my Luck!

You'd think.

You'd think.

I mean, really, you'd think.

You'd think in Phoenix, Arizona, you could plan on a sunny afternoon.

Really!

When we were planning our Kindergarten co-op topics a few weeks ago, I said I would teach a lesson on "Light and Shadows" on January 24th. "All I need is a sunny day!" I snarked. I mean, I actually said that!

It was looking ominous this morning as I was out gathering supplies for making sundials. But, I had hope, since half the sky was a cheerful sunny blue. Surely, those dark clouds were on their way out!

But no. At 12:30, our starting time, there was nary a patch of blue to be found. Well, surely, we'll see sunlight break through at least once in the next two hours, I thought. I mean, this is Phoenix, right? The "Valley of the Sun?"

No. We received our once-quarterly overcast sky and light sprinkling between 12:30 and 2:30 this afternoon. I went outside with our homemade sundial to show them how it worked, thinking that, surely, a few rays of light would get through to emit enough light to create a hazy shadow.

Not even a faint one.

So, we came inside, turned all the lights out, crammed into the dark hallway with a flashlight and I showed them how a sundial will work to tell time.



At 2:30, the moms came to pick up their kids. As the last child left, I walked outside with them, and lo and behold, the heavens parted! I grabbed that sundial and was like - LOOK! See! See that shadow! See my shadow! See your shadow! It's true, I tell you! True!

So, next time your garden is looking a little parched, or you just feel like you need gloomy weather as an excuse to snuggle up with a good book and a bowl of soup, just call me up. I have powers. That's right, you heard me: Powers. Contrary powers, I admit, but powers nonetheless. I will plan something outside that depends on a bright sunny day, and just you wait - there will be clouds and rain soon enough!