As summer draws to a close and our kids are getting ready to head back to school; parents rejoice and parents lament. It’s really a horribly juxtaposition. The principal at my child’s school reminds all his teachers, “parents really love their children.” He is correct. Amidst the commercials about this being the most wonderful time of year, I am sad for losing the days of sleeping late. Breakfasts that lazily turn into lunch. The promise of something exciting happening, the let down of it being another boring day. The days of just “hanging around” with teenagers so bored they actually spend time talking to me, about anything! But can there be such a thing as too much of a good thing? Without question, I say “YES!”
(Before launching into the rest of this blog, I would like to define “too much of a good thing” by telling you that I excitedly took my kids to Galaxyland. I was so thrilled that they were all tall enough to ride the rides that I like; I thought this would be the BEST TIME EVER! We took in a ton of rides in anticipation of THE MINDBENDER. My 16-year-old was nervous, but I convinced him that he would love it. We rode it. Not once, but twice in less than two hours. This, my dear friends, proved to be WAY too much of a good thing. *Blurp*)
With school starting, comes all the other activities – football, hockey, dance and piano lessons. As a piano player myself, I made sure all my kids took piano lessons. In fact, in 2006, I made two New Year’s resolutions which were as follows:
1. Never worry about what my kids wear to school unless it goes against the school policy or beyond common decency (weather appropriate and all body parts properly covered).
2. Never stop a child from making music.
For years now, I have seen my girls wear every colour in the rainbow in one outfit, stripes mixed with dots and plaids with glitter triangles.
For years now, I have listened to scales and rudimentary songs being banged out on my grandmother’s upright piano over and over and over. (The Little Birch Canoe no longer holds that special magic for me) I even listened to my husband playing the only song he ever learned – Ode to Joy – more times than I have opened a window. I often wonder if the song Heart and Soul is just stuck in my head, or if a child of mine has found a keyboard somewhere in the house and is playing it again. As for the other favourite, I think I forgot to teach them Chopsticks. Convenient, I know.
A few years ago, a very dear friend of mine passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I recognized that life is too short, so I bought myself a fancy digital piano (in the fancy form of a baby grand piano). It is a great instrument, with a ton of great features, sounds, beats and options (too bad my kids haven’t discovered the EARPHONES though!) I now have a piano upstairs, and a piano downstairs, plus a couple of electronic keyboards because; can you really have too many musical instruments? I recently spent a whole week trying to locate a nose flute for a friend’s daughter’s ninth birthday because, well, because that’s cool, right? I have surrounded my kids with instruments. I even got my son a mini accordion for his 10th birthday. My husband responded by saying – “do you ever want him to get a date?” My son and I have since learned a few French favourites, plus I have learned Stairway to Heaven and the theme to Star Wars on it!
It was all music to my ears, and my plan to install the love of making music in my children was working! They played the piano for fun! It was such a good thing! They bring out the trumpet I got on discount at London Drugs, they find the harmonicas, the flute I bought myself for my 19th birthday, the nose flute, the jaw harp. They find them all, and play them.
Sometimes for hours .... it seems.
And it is great.
Mostly.
I am happy that I stuck with my resolutions.
But I have to admit, I have taken to listening the radio with noise cancelling earbuds.
