Colorado Suzuki Institute Day 5

Actually day five was yesterday. This morning as soon as everybody wakes up we will pack and load up the car, drive through the mountains back to the Denver airport, being very careful about what the children eat before this ride. . .

Yesterday was regular classes--Mary had a lesson, repertoire, musicianship, duets, and singing. Calvin had a lesson, repertoire, musicianship, duets, and composition.  Last night was the celebration recital.

My kids love the piano faculty here. If those teachers had to hear a little bit of "my mom says. . . " then please also know that for the next weeks/months I'll be hearing "Gail said to do it this way" and "Fay told me this" and Mrs. Gutterman said such and such.  Mary is telling me to shape the end of the phrase as though it was an enlightenment that I as a teacher should surely be aware of. And that is a good thing.

I'll spare you the play by play evaluation but you know we wouldn't come here if I didn't love the piano faculty. I'm reminded to give very specific instructions to the parents (my weakness) and I got some great new ideas for games and activities for the older kids for group lessons. Oh yeah, and the shaping the phrase thing.

I'm always down on any class that uses a computer. Teachers inspire me, not computers. If I am disciplined I can set my kid in front of the computer for an hour and ask them to do the theory/composition and they will get the same experience there in our own living room. They just won't see mountains out the window. Maybe that is inspiration enough. And maybe I'll never be that disciplined.

Tomorrow no one will change the towels, make the beds and tidy the house while I go out for a walk. There won't be two fresh Keurig cartridges waiting for me at the kitchenette. I probably won't have a glass of wine with my mushroom crepe for dinner.  The kids will not get to ice skate with friends. Both Bill and Mary want to live here. I can't blame them. But as all things go--institute life is unsustainable.

When you are parenting in front of the world here--every parent has her ups and down. You see the best and the worst of every mom and dad. By the last day the kids are tired and the parents are tired and it's all right there on display. And that is okay. I see that mom lose it with her kid and I'm thinking there go I but for the grace of God. Next time it will be me that loses it.

They give out a sticker here--it says NOW GO HOME AND PRACTICE.  Like all mountain top experiences, we have to bring it home. Bring home the patience, the inspiration, the self discipline. The character. The music.

And the stuff--we have to bring home our dirty clothes and the trinkets that Mary bought, so I better end the coffee drinking blogging moment and pack the stuff.  It was a good week.