Week of Music Fun, Terrain Race

It feels like things are finally settling into a regular schedule. The second week piano lessons went really well. All my students are awesome. Next week two more students are starting plus a toddler music class (think low key). Before lessons started another Mom wanted her kids to have piano lessons but she needed to get some medical procedures completed before the kids started. She signed up 2 kids, I offered to teach her 5 year old just a simple music class...she countered with a music class for some other kids to join as well. I immediately went overboard wanting curriculum, all the instruments, and etc which is way to expensive at this point in time. Friday I actually called her and said the class would be too much but then after talking decided it was possible without much extra preparation or effort. I did invest in a set of boomwhackers, more mallets, a drum, and a couple rhythm instruments. That fun class will start in October. 

Everett's fancy new trombone came in the mail on Wednesday. A huge thank you to Jeremy for helping us out and Yulia for mailing it post haste! Everett immediately clipped a chicken to the instrument...then blasted our eardrums out. Josie graduated from plucking to learning how to bow. She is still not keen on violin but is tolerating the lessons and practicing. Phillip set up a drum area upstairs after we cleaned it up on Sunday. 

Monday evening I dashed off to take family photos for the Potter family. Everett made delicious pizza grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. That was so awesome. Logan Ostler was quite envious I let Everett cook dinner all by himself. 

I started a new initiative for Wednesday nights while Amelia and Phillip are at activities. I am giving the 3 younger kids 20 minutes of one-on-one time with me. The girls hilariously grabbed clipboards and made checklists of each moment! Josie was first with trampoline, Mancala, and a Tea Party. Evelyn's time she made me act like a baby for a play she produced (I got to write all the lines while she dictated). Sara and Justin got to watch our fancy production. Then we jumped on the tramp for a while. Everett wanted to wrestle and spar on the trampoline, after which we played Keys to the Ice Castle. I loved the sparkle in their eyes over a chance to boss Mom around for 20 minutes. Nina advised me once again to carve out time to fill Evelyn's bucket in the way she needs and not passive attempts that work most of the time (like snuggling, reading, running errands). 

Wednesday afternoon Jennifer Spackman, the Treasure Valley MCO director, asked me to be the director of the Young Singers Chorus. Essentially, I will be the point of contact during weekly rehearsals, direct the parent volunteers, have the parent contact lists, make sure the conductors know when to send the kiddos out, and help the parents and kids connect at the curb. One drawback is the new rehearsal location is 41 minutes away in Eagle. I had dinner ready when the kids got home. Amelia stopped by Ronald Reagan at 3:15 to pick up the girls from school. We left at a reasonable time of 3:30, the rehearsal starts at 4:20. Traffic threw a 23 minute delay with all the road construction and school busses. Next week I will try to leave right at 3:15, picking up the kids from Ronald Reagan. Everett caught a ride with Sara and Ambree after his Cross Country Meet. He was tired and hungry...and 30 minutes late. We also coaxed two more kids we know to join this year! Our directors this year are Brandon Stewart and Cory Mendenhall. Looks like the Christmas concert will be at NNU instead of the Boise Brandt center. The Brandt center was booked out, their best accommodation was mid-November. 

Everett shaved another 20 seconds off his cross country time this week! We had a fun conversation with Aunt Jana, with Rudy making silly comments about running. Jana showed Everett some extra stretches and exercises to alleviate his shin splints. He is struggling to wake up early, work hard all day, run after school, and come home to all the rest we have going on. It is hard to juggle it all. 

Saturday we joined the Ostlers at the Boise Terrain Race in South Kuna. Dusty loves to run these types of events. Ambree convinced Everett to sign up, so I did indeed sign him up. We had a laugh over his tiny shirt sent over in his race packet. Amelia and Phillip opted to stay home for more sleep and lounging. We left around 8:30 am for the 10 am start time. Everett was slated to run the kid's race since he is under 12. He ran instead with Ambree for the adult race, no one was monitoring the areas so we just slipped him in. Oliver ran the kid's track in about 10 minutes, Everett was glad to run the full race. It was amusing to watch all the folks covered in grit and dirt from the obstacles places around the motorcycle dirt race track. Ambree slowed her pace to run with her friend, Everett ran ahead. He found a pack of cute girls to run with! They cheered him on over the scary rope scaling station, it was wobbly and difficult. He scored a side hug at the finish line. We had a great time...and made plans to run as a family next year. 

I wish, as a parent, I could snap my fingers, SNAP! And a great, supportive group of friends would surround my kids. Amelia is really struggling to find a friend group at school. Tessa is not a great friend, she talks over Amelia, never listens, and is always right. Amelia said she feels like crying everyday at lunch with the 2-3 "friends" Tessa collected to sit with her. I empathize with those very real feelings of loneliness, to be surrounded but never accepted. I pray she will find a friend to learn and grow with over the next couple years of High School. It hurts my heart to see my cute, gregarious, silly, friendly daughter wading through school in isolation.