Another trip around the sun

As of today, I'm beginning my thirty-third year on this planet (or am I completing my 33rd year... I'm always getting this concept confused). Thirty three seems like a good number to me. It feels comfy, welcoming, brimming with possibility. Maybe its that whole idea of three being a lucky number. Maybe I'm getting adjusted to the fact that I'm "thirty-something". Whatever it is, this felt like a happy and mellow birthday.

Simple things made me happy today. A nice cup of coffee this morning that someone else made for me, which I was able to drink without interruption. Taking a walk with my little family in the fall sunlight, watching my young 'uns run their little hearts out and then collapse into a giggling heap. Playing piano, enjoying that space in my life that's just for me and my creativity.

I hope that the next 12 months are filled with good things. I know there will be plenty of bad things too along the way, but here's hoping that the positive outweighs the negative. I have no idea what November 22, 2010 will be like, but I hope that day finds my family, my friends, myself, and even the world, happier and healthier. I hope during the next year I'm able to grow up in the important ways. Not in the "I have a great 401K and a brand new TV" kind of way, but in the gaining wisdom and peace with myself kind of way.

Love thy neighbor?

To the Person who decided to deface my anti-war bumpersticker with an expletive:

I don't really know what lead up to you grabbing a sharpie and writing foul language on my car. Perhaps you've served in one of the wars our country is now waging. Perhaps a family member is there now, or maybe you've even lost friends or family to the horror of war. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're not one of my neighbors. I just can't stand to think that someone who knows me would be so hateful. Whatever the reason, you're carrying around a lot of anger, and decided to take it out on an unsuspecting stranger. You know what, I'm not holding it against you. You have a first amendment right, just like I do. Maybe you were hoping to provoke anger in my heart towards those who support or fight in wars. Perhaps you made certain assumptions about me as an individual based on my political views. I just feel sorry for you. It makes me sad that you're so close-minded and angry that you can't have a conversation with another person who looks at the world differently than you do. You've been reduced to scrawling anonymous filthy language on other people's property.

Surely you saw the carseats and toys inside my car, signs that young children would see your handywork. I'm sure you didn't care about that. Maybe you even have your own kids. If they saw what you were doing, how would you answer their questions? "Well son, I had to deface their property because those people are unpatriotic cowards who don't care about our soldiers." Well, I had to answer some questions from my son too. And you know what I got to tell him about your actions and who you were? "Well son, someone wrote some mean words on our car and we don't know who it was because they were too scared to sign their name." You may think I'm guilty of treason and think I don't deserve to be an American, but at least when I put my opinion out there for the world to see, I don't do it anonymously. And you know what else? I'm going to put another sticker with the same sentiments right back in place of the old one.

I *heart* acting

I hope some of you were fortunate enough to be in attendance at the latest incarnation of "Slapdash Flimflammery". I haven't been saying much about theater these days, but I had such an awesome time during this project, I just have to blab about it.

See, I like to be on stage. I have been blessed with one of those personalities that is willing to risk failure just because it is so unbelievably cool when you hear all those happy hands clapping for you (insert a little squeal here). Its why I've gone through so many hours of brutal piano practice and more than my fair share of public embarrassment on the road to improving my performance skills. And, even though I've not done very much of it, its one reason why I love acting. I mean, I L.O.V.E. it.

Sure, I've done lots of behind the scenes type of stuff, and that was awesome and all. But not nearly as awesome as getting to dress up and strut around saying witty stuff (Thanks Erin!). I have to say I'm more than a little bummed out that I didn't discover, or have the oportunity to discover, this sooner. I mean, I kind of wonder how it didn't happen actually. I took a speech class in junior high. For all of our assignments, I partnered with a friend (who now happens to be acting in NYC). I wrote things, she got to act. And as for why high school theater passed me by.... I blame marching band. But you see, I was a kid who was doing Mae West impersonations at age 6. Just ask my parents. They have pictures. And putting on dance revue shows (complete with tap shoes and costume changes) on our side patio. Somehow I took a wrong left turn and ended up sitting at a concert grand. Not that my career as a pianist is somehow "wrong", but you know what I mean.

Anyway, here I am, 32 years old and just discovering something that I really feel I click with. Something that happens to be a skill that many people spend years perfecting, busting their butt over the way I did in music school. So, for me to say "Hey, I want to act" is kind of the equivalent of one of the other members of LGT coming to me and saying "Hey, I think I'd like to give a solo piano recital in a couple months!"

For those folks who trusted that I would memorize my lines, work hard, and not embarrass myself or LGT, I am eternally grateful. I wish I was at a place in life where I had oodles of time to devote to auditions, and really working on this. But I don't, and that's okay. Slapdash comes again next year, and I'll be ready!

SPD is no fun

I'm about to launch into a bunch of negativity aimed at SPD. So, if you'd rather not hear me being a bit of a downer today, perhaps you should move on to happier blogs today.

Some days I wish I didn't know that Daniel has Sensory Processing Disorder. Some days I wish I could just ignore how differently he plays from other kids his age in some ways. Some days I just wish for "normal".

We had a rough time at the park today. It took me right back to how things were a year ago, when he wouldn't climb on stairs or go down slides, or anything like that, because he was scared. We were meeting a friend from his previous preschool, and kid who has parents that Sean and I really click with, and a kid who evidently talked about Daniel a lot at home last year.

Well, at the park it was like Daniel had trouble figuring out how to play with him. And he was confused because, for example, Daniel just wanted to sit on the swings but under no circumstances did he want to be pushed. And this little boy just could not understand how someone wouldn't want to swing as high as humanly possible. And then when they finally did start playing together, it centered on Daniel taking his hat, they played chase, which was all fun and games until the owner of the hat wanted it back. And even though Daniel is actually good about sharing, he wasn't giving that thing up, and despite me trying to use all my calming skills, it devolved into a shoving match between two little boys, rocks being thrown, kids rolling on the ground with lots of screaming and crying and us having to pack up and leave.

Okay, so they're kids. These things happen among kids. I know this, really I do. And this is part of why I despise the label of "sensory processing disorder". I feel like it makes me attribute any odd, socially out of place behavior not to "being 3" but to having this "thing". Today just comes after starting to notice that the other kids don't seem to interact w/Daniel a whole lot (that I can see) at his new school, and I keep wondering if its because he's acting "different". On one hand, Daniel has done amazing things in the last 5 months. He'll go down just about any slide, get on a merry go round, sit in a swing, walk on a balance beam, dress himself, put on shoes.... things I would not have believed he'd ever do 6 months ago. The problem is, it seems like other kids his age are now onto the next round of things. Hanging from monkey bars, getting in to swings all on their own, pumping their legs, doing really daredevil stuff. So, even though he's doing things that are amazing for him, its almost like it doesn't matter because he still can't jump in and do everything his peers are doing. And not that I want him to be like everybody else, but I have seen so many time when another little boy his age will want to play with him, and the other kid will get confused and quickly lose interest because he can't figure out why Daniel doesn't enjoy doing the things that he is doing.

There are different degrees of Sensory Processing Disorder. Daniel is sensory avoiding. Some kids are sensory seekers, meaning that they can swing for hours, run and run and run, climb all over any and everything, and sometimes have a hard time slowing down long enough to attend to a task. Its like movement is a compulsion, rather than something they're doing for fun. I know that has got to be hard for those kids and parents of those kids. But sometimes I wish Daniel has that version of this, since it seems so much more socially acceptable for a boy to be OVER-active, rather than UNDER-active. I feel like he could pass under the radar, or that his behavior could be written off as "boys will be boys".

Maybe what I'm wishing for is a wider range of "normal" for boy's behavior. And more empathetic kids. And for parents to explain that there are lots of different people in the world and we all like to do different things, that we all have different strengths and weaknesses.

I also wish I knew someone who had a kid with the same type of Sensory Processing Disorder that Daniel has. We could get them together, they could line up all their cars and trucks just so, spend a lot of time looking at books together and play counting games. And I could talk to a mom about the frustration of putting on socks, of convincing your child that rain or wind was not going to kill them, of watching other kids do all the things that children are supposed to love to do, except your kid.

Maybe I'm throwing a pity party. Okay, if that's what I'm doing, so be it. I just hate SPD. Hate that it is a label that is associated with my kid, hate that I have to think about who to tell and who not to tell, hate that it takes my attention away from Georgia sometimes, hate that it makes Daniel go to occupational therapy. I hate that its always in the room with me and my kids. I feel like its the monster in the closet that won't go away when you turn out the lights.

Ten Things

As per usual, I have a good many topics rattling around in my brain and a severe lack of organizational skills to write about each of them. So, I'm going to give you all the cliff notes on what I've been pondering or dealing with lately. Here is a list of ten things I've come to realize lately.

1. It can be much harder to take care of one toddler, than taking care of both toddler and older brother.
2. I didn't realize that to be a parent, I also had to be a preschool teacher.
3. The more I play piano, the more I want to play piano.
4. In my life B.K. (that's Before Kids) I can't believe I wasted all the time I had at my disposal for creative endeavors. If I could go back and light a fire under my 26 (or 27 or 28) year old's butt, I would!!
5. I worry every day about whether I'm doing right by Daniel and his Sensory Integration problems. Does he have the right therapist, am I doing enough at home, how significant is this problem anyway....on and on and on.
6. The more kids you have, the harder you have to work on your marriage.
7. I spend way too much energy trying to do everything "right". No matter how hard I work, my house is still grubby, my kids are still loud, I'm still having a bad hair day, and there are still icky things lurking in the back of my fridge. Hopefully I'll get old enough to make peace with myself over this stuff and just be happy (and not envious) of folks who don't struggle with these stupid little distractions.
8. I've been itching to get out and do some landscaping.
9. I didn't realize that you had to start thinking about your kid's kindergarten enrollment when said child is 3.
10. I watch too much TV. I'm ready to make a change.

There you have it folks. 10 random topics that have been in my brain lately. Ah, it feels good to have purged all that.

Productive Parenting FAIL!

So, I'm subscribed to this really nifty website that gives me ideas on what to do with my ankle biters when I'm feeling a bit uncreative. So, today, with said activity at the ready, we trooped outside. Unfortunately, I set up the play table a little too close to a cactus plant that lives on our patio. By the time we get inside, both kids are pulling at their clothes and howling from cactus stickers. Georgia had little cactus prickles all over her back, Daniel and I had some in our hands.

After about 15 min of howling, I threw both kids in the bathtub and tried to convince them that the warm water would "soak the cactus out" of their skin. Ha! But, they bought it. Have you ever tried to give kids a bath at a random time of day? Its like a vacation for them, a snow day. Their usual bathtime behavior (which is none too impressive anyway) goes right out the window, to be replaced by bathtime hooligans. Hooligans! There was a good 15 min of naked toddlers running through the house, punctuated by a large dog barking, the phone ringing, and the fact that I had to remove some of my own clothes which had now gotten cactus prickles in them (from Georgia's clothing).

For the record, I'd like you all to know that said cactus plant has been moved far far away from our patio. And I'd like to formally request a do-over for this day. I should have just stuck with eating bon-bons as per usual.

Back to School

Today was Daniel's first day at his new preschool. I was so excited for him, nervous about him making new friends (which is silly, I mean, he's three, its not like its junior high or anything). Today stood in sharp contrast to last year when there was crying and lots of tears when I left him in his St. Catherine's classroom. Today, we came in, and he happily ran off to play after putting his stuff in his cubby. After hugging me, he never looked back. And that's how it should be, and it made me proud. But at the same time, when I looked at him playing all the way across the room as Georgia and I were walking out the door, I felt kind of like, who is this little boy and where did he come from. After we got home from school, we sat on the couch and he told me what he did, the names of some of the kids in his class, what games they played, stories they read. He just seemed like... well, a kid. I'm becoming acutely aware that I'm a mom to a boy. A boy who laughs at fart jokes (and makes them up as well), is long and lanky, silly, and grubby. I've also learned something else today. Taking care of Georgia, the 18 months old whirlwind, without the benefit of her brother to entertain her is HARD WORK.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

On this day 8 years ago, Sean and I got married. It was a day spent getting sleep, getting pampered, getting my hair done, and getting all dolled up for the big celebration. A day with lots of friends, lots of family. I wish I could find a picture of us from back then, but alas, that was before the age of digital cameras. Of course, since Sean and I have aged so amazingly well, we basically look the same, except that now there are 2 very small beings attached to us almost all the time ;)

My wedding day was one very wonderful day, and I have to say its even better to be in the midst of my marriage. My crazy, kid filled, boisterous, marriage. Its crazy to think that a time without kids in the house will bookend our life together. I can barely picture it, but some days I look forward to it. I'm proud of what Sean and I have built together, and thankful for all the great friends and family who share it with us.

Why the 4th of July is good

Daniel and I, sitting on the sidewalk eating sno-cones.

Daniel: I like sno-cones.
Me: Yep, me too.
Daniel: We get to eat sno-cones on the 4th of July!
Me: Uh-huh.
Daniel: I like 4th of July!

Birthday Boy!

Yes, today was the day that my little guy entered the world. I was thinking that I should wax philosophical and get all mushy and stuff.... But you know what? Three doesn't feel like a very mushy philosophical stage to me. It feels pretty rowdy and rough and tumble! So, here are some things that Daniel has done lately that have made me laugh, made me proud, or just made me scratch my head and say Hmmm....

• Sang happy birthday to a pizza pan this morning
• Georgia: "Wahhhhh!!!!! Daniel: "Its okay, don't cry. Its hard being a baby."
• Peed on a tree and pooped in the woods for the very first time. It was quite a state park visit!
• Randomly said "I love you mommy" when driving in the car yesterday.
• Didn't kill his sister when they rode side by side in the race car grocery cart at HEB this week.
• Helped me bake muffins yesterday.
• Learned how to play "Three Blind Mice" on the piano (okay, just the first three notes....but still!)

Happy Birthday Mr. Daniel!

Snake vs. Fish

Well, I suppose you're supposed to find wildlife at state parks. I just wasn't prepared to happen across a snake eating a fish about 2 feet from where I was standing. I'll give you 1 guess who won that showdown....

Seriously?

Has it seriously been since March that I blogged? Wow, I'm much more of a slacker than I realized. Part of the problem with writing in the blog, for me, is that there are too many things I want to write about. So, instead of just knocking out the different topics as they come to me, I just end up keeping it bottled up in my head. But I'm feeling the need to purge these days.

So, what to write about first. Well, the biggest thing on my mind lately is Daniel. If you've ever been around Daniel any length of time, you probably notice he's a little.... quirky sometimes. And I say that with much love in my heart. I love his quirks, but it's always been something where Sean and I wondered whether they "meant" anything. As in, meant whether something developmentally was a little off. We'd have that conversation, that "what if" conversation, and then life would get in the way and we'd be preoccupied with other things (like having another child, dealing with aging parents, ect). But the conversation kept resurfacing.

So, on advice of his preschool teacher, we took Daniel to an occupational therapist who said that yes, he does have Sensory Processing Disorder. And yes, he will be going to occupational therapy for the forseeable future. I'm still not quite sure what this means for us. I've been reading a lot about this subject, in particular a book called "The Out of Sync Child". Its been a relief to know that I'm not just crazy for noticing these things that have always been a little "off", that all the things that have sent off the alarm in my gut have not been imagined. Its great that there's something I can do to help him. But its scary too. Its scary to have someone in the field mention "Asperger's" and "autism spectrum" in the same sentence as your child. And no, SPD is not any of those things, but some kids with Asperger's have SPD as well. But, just because you have SPD doesn't mean you have Asperger's. So, its scary AND confusing. I'm also scared that because he's been evaluated for one thing, that the "professionals" will want to evaluate him for other things, leading to more labels being applied to him.

And on top of all that, I get afraid of losing who he is. As crazy as it sounds, his quirkiness makes him who he is, its part of him. On a very irrational level, I have this fear that they're going to train the "Daniel-ness" out of him. I mean, if his quirkiness allows him to be so focused on letters and numbers, and drumming and listening to music, isn't that a good thing? Do I really want for him to be "normal"? Yes, and no. I want him to have the choice to read and count and drum. But I don't want it to be a compulsion. I want him to read if he wants to, but I also want him to be able to climb on a playscape without being terrified, to feel like he's able to join in with an activity with a group of kids. And I'm taking him to therapy because I know he desperately wants to do those things, but for whatever reason sometimes he just can't. even though he's only three, I'm already starting to see him getting looks from other kids on playgrounds. And I'm starting to get comments from other parents on playgrounds.

I know we all remember those kids from our childhood. The ones who just seemed different, who did stuff that we thought of as "wierd". Did they have SPD? Maybe, but a label for it didn't really exist when we were kids. But I do know how those kids were teased, and I can guess how they probably felt about themselves. Now, I want Daniel to be as brilliant, as amazing, as creative and unique as he is meant to be. But if there's a way that I can help him tear down that wall that keeps him from doing all the things that he wants to do, that wall that keeps his world smaller than it has to be, I'm going to do it.

Funky

Oh yeah, and this is my new favorite soul band, from right here in Austin, Texas. T Bird and the Breaks. Check them out if you get a chance! We saw them yesterday at the Dog and Duck Pub, and they were extra funky. Made me wish I could travel around with my own horn section and back up singers.

It's Spring and I'm feeling the pull....

You know what I'm talking about, the SXSW pull. I've got that itch to see all the amazing music that has hit our town this week! I know I've got two young kids, but I'm too tough to let a little thing like that stop me. No sirree, the kids won't cramp my style. Okay, maybe just a bit, but that's okay. I'll cut them some slack cause they're cute.

I love SXSW. Even if I don't have a wristband, even if I don't get to jump into the thick of things with with ultra-hip folks. That's okay. Maybe I'm just a sucker for all things music, but I love the fact that this week, I get to hear all kinds of live bands playing on the radio. I love that just about everywhere you care to go, there is some sort of live music playing. And while most of it may be run of the mill pop/rock stuff that I'll listen to, enjoy, and forget, there's always the chance that I'll see a really cool show that will stick with me for a long time. Like seeing the Sadies last year, or hearing Spoon and Echo and the Bunnymen on the same bill the year before.... or even the all- Sweden showcase from a few years back.

And though I generally detest having too much technology in my life, I'm very happy that several people went to all the trouble to gather information on all the free day parties into one place. I've found a couple websites that have done all the work for me that I've had to do myself in the past. That makes my life just a wee bit easier, which makes me smile.

So, get out there and hear some music!!

He's eclectic

Just more proof that my son may in fact be smarter than I am:

Yesterday we were listening to KUT, as we are most mornings. John Aielli was playing some 12th century gregorian chant by a composer named Perotin. Lots of high, tight harmonies, but with rhythms that are totally different than modern music. Daniel walks into the room, pauses and listens for a minute and then says "Is this Fleet Foxes?" So, I reply, "No, sweetie, this is really old church music" Then, as that piece ends, Aeli comes on the air and says "And here's a piece that really makes me think of Perotin" And proceeds to play a song by the Fleet Foxes. This could mean one of three things: Either I'm dumb for not making this particular musical connection, John Aielli has the musical astuteness of a small child, or Daniel has been endowed with a great ear for music. So, I've got a kid who hasn't yet grasped the concept of zipping his pants, yet can make musical connections between 12th century sacred music and modern pop.

Children are strange little creatures, aren't they?

New Things

Since I didn't chronicle my daughter's first birthday for you all, I'm going to list instead some cool new things that she can do.

-Walking! She's getting braver and has even walked halfway across the kitchen.
-Standing alone. She does this all the time and is getting good at it.
-Gives kisses and hugs. It started with giving kisses to her doll and now she does it with Mom, Dad, and Daniel too!
-Makes animal sounds, with minimal prompting. She does a mean impression of cows, cats, and dogs.
-Now, I'm not sure how to label the next one but this is what she did: She put the pacifier back in the baby's mouth, then patted her own chest and put her pacifier in her own mouth.
-Shaking her head no and yes
-Drinks well from an open cup. Even cups without handles! She does it so well that I can even leave the cup on her tray and she'll drink from it throughout the meal and usually doesn't dump it on her head instead.
-"Brushes" her hair and pretends to put bows and hair bands in it.

I'm sure there are more things to list, but I don't want to bore all of you out there with too much stuff. I just wanted to jot down some of these things for myself so I don't forget how much fun this age is!

I'm playing along!

This post goes out to Julie.... she got me, I'm playing along!


♥ What are your middle names?
Christine (me)
Erik-Michael (sean)

♥ How long have you been together?
We met in September of 1997, a chance meeting at a mutual friend's house.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
"Dating" is kind of a wierd term for us, since we lived in different cities almost up until we got married in 2001. I think I first considered us "dating" after I went up to Dallas in Oct. 1997 to visit Sean.

♥ Who asked who out? Hmmm. We never had anything like a typical date. Our friend Van cornered Sean to ask him if he liked me, she gave us the other's email addresses and we started writing.

♥ How old are each of you? I'm 32, Sean is 31.

♥ Whose siblings do/did you see the most? Well, considering I don't have any, I'd have to say his.

♥ Do you have any children together? Yes. Daniel Quinn will be 3 in May. And Georgia is 13 months.

♥ What about pets? Names? Stassney, a 9yr old (we think) blue tick hound mix. She was found by Tim and Julie at running through the street in front of Crockett High School, hence her name.

♥ Did you go to the same school? No, though Sean did do 2 semesters of summer school at UT, my alma matter.

♥ Are you from the same home town?Kind of, if you consider the DFW metroplex a "home town". He's from Garland, I'm from Duncanville.

♥ Who is the smartest? I think we're both intellectual equals, in different ways. But, if you consider a person who excels at math and logical problem solving to be smarter, then he wins hands down.

♥ Who is the most sensitive? I think I am, but I also think that Sean is more sensitive than I usually give him credit for.... which also causes me to hurt his feelings without realizing it.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? Freddies (with the kids), as a couple we like Vespaio, Madam Mam's.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? The Netherlands.

♥ Who has the craziest exes? Me me me!!

♥ Who has the worst temper? That would be me again. I've got one of those crazy red-headed tempers. But I'm really working on taming it. But Sean can hold a grudge like nobody's business.

♥ Who does the cooking? Me.

♥ Who is more social? Sean. This may surprise some of you, but he's usually the one saying to me "Hey, let's get together with friends" while I'm usually content to hang at home with him and the kids (not that I don't love each and every one of you, my friends who are reading this....)

♥ Who is the neat-freak? Neither? Yes, sadly two unorganized people managed to meet and marry. But I have aspirations towards neatness. Does that count?

♥ Who is the more stubborn? Sean. He's great at being stubborn. When he makes up his mind, he just blocks out any arguments to the contrary. Seriously, its like he can't even physically hear me.

♥ Who hogs the bed? I'm not sure. Snoring is the bigger issue with us!

♥ Who wakes up earlier? Me, though neither one of us has been getting much sleep lately.

♥ Where was your first date? I guess I would consider it the night we met. We were at a party (I have no idea whose house we were at), and he left with his friends in his cool car. I was sad. But then returned a few minutes later, and we were inseparable for the rest of the night (and wee hours of the AM)

♥ Who has the bigger family? I guess Sean, technically, since he has a sister and I'm pretty sure he has more cousins than me. And we both have extended families that don't live anywhere near us. But I think we actually see more of my extended family than his.

♥ Do you get flowers often? A couple times a year maybe?

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
Usually with my parents, but we try to carve out a little time for just us too.

♥ Who is more jealous? Well, there's different kinds of jealousy.... jealous of personal relationships? Not an issue for us. Jealous of time? I get "jealous" of the time he devotes to work. I think he might be a bit "jealous" of the time I get to spend with my friends at things like mom's night out or bookclub.

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
The problem with long distance relationships is that there is a level of committment built into the situation even when you're not quite ready for that. It takes work from the very beginning to keep things going, to have good communication. I think, though, that we really got "serious" in the summer of '98, when Sean came to Austin for the summer.

♥ Who eats more?Sean. He's a snacking fool!

♥ Who does/did the laundry?Most of the time me. Of course, with 2 kids and cloth diapers, all we ever do is their laundry. Its a miracle Sean and I are even clothed.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
That would be SEan. He loves to remind me how much I hate technology.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
I think Sean does most of the driving.

First Steps!

I can't believe it! My baby girl took her first steps today!!!!

She was in the kitchen, at the excersaucer, and turned around and took 3 or 4 steps to me! I was totally not expecting this! No one was home except Georgia and I, and I was bursting to tell someone, but Sean was at the doctor and Daniel was at preschool. I kind of thought it was some sort of fluke and was pretty sure she wouldn't do it again, but when Sean got back from the doctor, lo and behold, she walked (3 or 4 steps again) towards Daddy!

I don't know why I'm so surprised, because Daniel was almost exactly the same age when he started walking. I guess its just between this and starting down the road towards weaning, well, she just seems to be growing up so fast. But, I love this age. I just become more enamored of my little girl every day. Yep, that was cheezy and I don't care!

Maybe I can capture the little rascal on the move on video and post it later!

We rock!

It looks like we rocked Fontera Fest last night. See the great review here. The performance was a lot of fun, it went really smoothly. I just love it when I get to work with folks who are so professional and great at what they do, but also are hilarious and fun to be around.

I also really enjoyed watching some skit comedy by Lovey and Lovey. If you get a chance check them out.... Its been a while since I laughed that hard!

Breaking things is fun

I know that doing sound effects for a Frontera Fest piece may not seem very high profile to some people... But man, its really fun! I mean, how often do you get to throw glass items in a box and drop it to see what kind of sound it makes! Yay for sound design :)

And, that new student drought may be ending.... I've taken on one student in the last week and have gotten several calls from interested families. Let's hope this keeps up!

Oh yeah, and Georgia turned one on Sunday, but I'll have to devote a whole other post to that!

Argh!

I swear, I am THIS close to bagging this whole "I'm a piano teacher/running my own buisness" thing. If I have one more family tell me that they're not sure if they're continuing or not I'm going to go insane. My studio is barely hanging on as it is. I've advertised, put the word out via word of mouth, I'm on teacher referral lists of all manner.... I'm friends with a million moms, the problem is none of them have kids old enough to take lessons. And very few of my current students have siblings or friends of the age where they're wanting to start lessons. Most of my students are middle school/high school.... you know, the point at which they start dropping like flies. And that's exactly what my students are doing. I've lost 3 students at the end of the fall semester, possibly another one is going at the end of January, and 2 other long time students are going to every other week lessons. I'm so frustrated. I've not gotten one single solitary call from an interested new student since OCTOBER!!!!!!!!!! I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do. What's crazy is that I have awesome babysitters to watch the kiddos while I teach. The only problem is that I can't afford to keep them if I don't have anyone to teach. I attribute this paucity of students to the economy. But perhaps its just the cycle of one's teaching career. You go through boom and bust cycles just like any other. I'm trying to ride it out and take joy in teaching the few that I have. Because they are committed, bright and generally wonderful to teach. But, when you've got 2 other little people demanding so much of your time, your energy, and your soul every single day, there is a point where you have to ask yourself "Is it worth it?"

I love teaching piano. I never thought I'd be 10 years into my career and asking "Where have the students gone?" I know I've kind of killed my word of mouth momentum by the fact that I took two sabbaticals to have kids, in quick succession. But, I thought "Hey, there's always a wealth of young kids looking to take piano" I thought, with my close proximity to 2 neighborhood elementaries, plus the hordes of young families in Circle C, there would always be budding pianists knocking at my door. I have connections with home schoolers, evangelical Christians, Montessori school families, the Chinese community, and the Catholic church. My luck has got to improve at some point, right??

It's 2009!

Here's what Daniel has to say:



We attended a pagan ritual, er, First Night Austin, last night. At 8PM, they had a "family" finale that culminated in the burning- that's right- burning of a several hundred foot high wooden clock. There were throngs of people, all gathered round the pyre, chanting "Burn it, burn it". Sean figured if they didn't set that puppy on fire soon, people were going to get testy.... And when it went up in flames, well, see for yourself:



Pretty cool. Definitely tapped into a primal human fascination with fire. I found it interesting that in 2009, we were spending a long winter's night much as our ancestors thousands of years ago did.



















I could wax philosophical about all that I hope for in the new year, all the things I hope to change about myself. But I'll just sum it up like this: More than anything, I want to be happy where I am, happy in whatever moment I'm in. I don't want to live anyone else's life but my own. And I wish the same for any of you out there reading this too. Happy 2009!