piano practice

This morning started with a dental cleaning for mommy. My husband was supposed to be home with the kids... well, there was a cord prolapse, emergency CS, so I was stuck bringing all three of them to the office. I was concerned. I put 2 yo in the stroller, grabbed some books for the boys and headed out. In the waiting room, 7 yo mercifully picked up some ATV racing magazine and not Sports Illustrated. I started reading One Fish, Two Fish and both the younger ones listened in. I got taken for X-rays before my husband came to pick up the kids, so I brought toddler with me and hoped that boys would behave in the not-child-friendly waiting room.

After all that was done, we headed out to Interactive Kids Neighborhood. This place is an hour away, so we packed lunch. This was our first time, so I was not sure what to expect. It was cute, set up as a neighborhood, with a post office, grocery store, vet, hospital, cafe, police car, fire truck, etc. They had a designated toddler room and place to eat lunches in the back. The kids had a blast.

I felt a tinge of sadness. Instead of experiencing life in a real neighborhood, now we have to build a make-believe one and then let kids play there. I let my kids play in whichever area they chose. At the same time, I observed a school group. They were led by a teacher, followed her in pairs. They marched to a plane, gawking, but still lined up. Then the teacher spoke for a bit. Then they lined up and marched off, kids wistfully looking at all the things they did not get to play with. I'm sure it will go home in a newsletter: we had a field trip. They kids learned a lot...

There was a music room with a piano. 5 yo came and banged on the keys for a bit. I told him the only song I know how to play is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Later, 7 yo came.He wanted me to teach him. I showed it slowly, he practiced. I showed it again. By then, 2 yo ran to another room, so I left. I heard him practicing on his own. Then he called me to demonstrate. 

As a kid, I took piano for 3 years.Those were tear-soaked years, when I memorized where my fingers are supposed to go, but could not hear the mistakes I was making. All I have to show for them is that Twinkle, Twinkle. And here is my son, in a moment of high motivation, picking it right up. Then he practiced it on a xylophone. 

Overall, they had great time and want to go back there again.

Formally, we did chumash when we came back, after dinner. 7 yo told me he wants to do it first thing every day, more to get it done with. I will see how that will work. He was able to translate most of the new pesukim. He does not like reviewing the pesukim from the previous day, and he wanted to translate them right away. I asked him to first read the whole pasuk in Hebrew and then go back to translate.