There's No Place Like Home. . .

So, we were home for a few days.  A giant thank you goes out to the team that helped get me through June: Bill, Mom and Dad Kotrba, and Mary Lynn.  You all made sure that the cats, the plants and the kids were all fed and watered and taken care of--not necessarily in that order.  Now to process the mail and the phone messages. . .

After four nights in my own bed I am now writing from my mom's farm in Iowa.  The kids and I are here for a few days, before I head home for good--and start the summer teaching schedule.  I'm missing my garden and my friends--again--not necessarily in that order.  And my kids are tired.  They are happy to be visiting their Grandmommy, but they will be happy to be home for a while too.

I was reflecting on the Washington Suzuki Institute.  I mentioned that Calvin had Fay Adams for a teacher.  You remember that both Calvin and Mary were coming off two weeks of piano vacation when we showed up at the camp.  Calvin was playing pieces for Fay that I had not yet heard him play.  Yikes for me.  That is not the beautiful life but that is the way it went.  I had to swallow my comments and let them work together.

Every time you observe an experienced and esteemed teacher trainer you are going to be reminded of good things.  Watching Fay with Calvin I was reminded of the power of approval.  Everything he did was gold in her eyes.  And it was.  I am so conditioned to making a mental note of everything that needs fixing about him that I overlook the gold.  "That was wonderful, Calvin."  "That was marvelous, Calvin."  And it was.  She wasn't satisfied, it simply freed them both to get down to work knowing that he had her approval.

How often I forget those first words.  That was wonderful.  That was marvelous.  You are really improving.  I really liked it.  Wow.  Beautiful.  That was very musical. Instead I jump right into the fixing it.  Who wants to show up for that day after day?  And we wonder why eventually we meet resistance.

The same thing happens with Mary--when she is getting fixed she shuts down.  When she is amazing she opens up to learn.

We are not going to meet our goal to practice every day this summer.  We will practice on the days we are home--but sometimes breaks are important too.  Perhaps it is me that needs the break as well. When we do get home, I'm going to remember that my approval is the greatest motivator to my kids--when they are reminded that they are awesome in my eyes just the way they are, it frees us to get down to work.  I am going to see the gold first.

P.S. Mary lost her two front bottom teeth.  In case she didn't call you--she called almost everyone.