Making time to be a Musician as well as a Mom.

I had arranged with a good friend - Maus' Godmother - to get together for a reading session.  She is a gifted pianist who teaches at a local area Y (No Boo, NOT the K, the Y!!) and we have worked together in the past.  This summer we decided to make a regular rehearsal session a priority for both of us.  It'll be good for both of us to play over the summer, and since she's a stickler for intonation (how not as a pianist - she's always "right"!)  it will be very beneficial for me, out of tune schlump that I am.  :D 

So her studio at the Y has a childcare drop in center, very reasonably priced.  We get there and head down to the playroom - full.  Waiting list full.  No chance in hell are these girls gonna fit in this space full.  So - we regroup.  There is another studio with a smaller piano, but more space for all four of us, and we head up there.  Boo is fascinated by the sights along the way - Look Momma, a pool!  Can we swim? Look Momma, they're doing stretches, can I ?  Look Auntie - they're RUNNINNG!!!! Maus just clings to Auntie and keeps an eagle eye on me to make sure wherever we're going I end up there too.   :D  We reach the studio and break out the snacks.   Nothing like fruit snacks to dispel any lingering resentment at being shown a room full of toys and kids and being told you can't play.  Auntie breaks out the wipeboard and magnetic letters and we're off. 

We manage to get quite a bit of work done around diaper changes, snack requests, and meter feeding runs.  The girls manage to amuse more than annoy, and we all adjourn to a local noodle shop for lunch.  This could not have been possible with less than well behaved children.  We had reasonable expectations, paused to give them the attention they needed, and made it clear when we were working.  And they respected that for the most part.  There were some hilarious moments too.  Maus clearly felt the Rachmaninoff was superior to the Vivaldi, and made sure Auntie and I knew it.  Boo declared herself our de facto conductor (and admitedly I needed one!) trying to beat time with a pencil we gave her and declaring it was "My Turn to Practice NOW".  Auntie did give her a short piano lesson during a meter feeding run, and she had a blast. 

The point I'm making here is, let your kids know when it's your time, and when it's theirs.  My music is important to me.  My girls know this.  They are not allowed to touch my instrument or its accessories without permission and supervision.  This is a hard and fast rule.  They are not to interupt me if I'm practicing unless absolutely necesary.  Bassoon time, is Momma time.  Now, this usually isn't a big deal because I usually practice when they're napping or B is home, but these rules are standard at our house.  If my girls hadn't been used to that, this might have been a nightmare.  Instead they were well behaved for the most part.  Nobodys perfect, and certainly my girls aren't, but today has been a big ego boost to me as a Mom.  And as a musician.  Playing with Auntie L is one of the funnest things in the world.  We laugh, we screw up, we rehearse, and we make each other play better.  And the fact that we did it with two critics - I mean kids - in the room made it even more fun.  I can't wait for our next session.  I better make some new reeds and practice before then though!

I said this would happen!

So - I said I would neglect this blog. And lo, it has occured. And so, I will try to do better. But I won't garauntee anything. So - I'm working on a post about my favorite things as a mom, and one about crocheting. You should see these soon. Snort. Yeah right. If the geriatric dog and toddler ever take a break from pooping!