Graduations, Anniversaries and Streams of Profanity

We had a good week but a very busy week!  Saturday was the Suzuki Association of Minnesota Piano Graduations, along with the Suzuki Piano Teacher's Guild Festival.  We had nine recitals at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie and gave out 158 trophies. There is some very high quality teaching going on and I was inspired. It made me want to go home and recommit to helping kids dig in and really polish pieces so they can play from their hearts. Our teacher's group is a well-oiled machine. Programs, trophies, recordings, certificates, name tags and registration materials, and food for the teachers--all this went off without a hitch.  Congrats to the kids who performed, the parents who support them, and the teachers who volunteer countless hours to make these events special.  We did it!  The spring flowers are from our trophy table--thanks, guild--I'm enjoying them today.

It was also Bill's and my wedding anniversary. Fifteen years! He bought me 15 red roses and the cake with the cat and piano.  That was part of the sermon at our wedding.  He would have to deal with cats and grand pianos.  My part?  Minnesota.

Which brings us to the streams of profanity. There were actually three worthy incidences. The cats knocked over the huge bouquet of anniversary roses, running water all down into the kitchen drawers and floor and almost dousing my graduation certificates and critiques. The heavy vase narrowly missed chipping the counter tile. When Bill went to cut the anniversary cake, I noticed that he started by cutting off the head of the cat. Vows dear. We took vows.

The second incidence?  Mary wandering through the house yelling "Where's my damn blueberry?"  Where's my damn blueberry?" Bill and I looked up from our work, puzzled by the potty-mouth of the pig-tailed eight-year-old-blue-eyed blond in her blue jeans. Mary? Yes? What are you looking for? Madame Blueberry. The Veggie Tales movie we checked out from church. I knew there was an explanation.

Incidence number three?  Minnesota in March. Yesterday it was eight, count them, eight degrees.  Today, a snow storm. If this wasn't a family blog. . . I would let it rip. Where's Madame Sunshine?  Where's Madame Daffodils?  Where's Madame Green Grass?

But, I too, took vows.  This was part of it.

You may have noted my humor is back. That's because I recommitted to eight, count them eight, hours of sleep. I get a little slap happy after a few nights of that. Closer to who I want to be. A better parent. A better spouse. A better teacher. As Pastor Kris said in her sermon on Sunday--closer to what we might see if we saw our reflection in God's eyes. I liked that. We all have steps to bring us back to equilibrium. Being closer to what God wants me to be starts with sleep.

Happy Anniversary, Bill.  On to the next fifteen cats, I mean years. . . .
And a sincere congratulations to all the kids and teachers for an awesome graduation celebration!  On to planning next year. . .

Link to Calvin's Chopin Prelude
Link to Mary's Moderato
Link to Isabella's Mary Had a Little Lamb

Parents, please let me know if you have more videos for me to share. . .