Life of the party

 

Halloween

 M invited friends to our home on Halloween and played ALL the INSTRUMENTS.  They had a good time.  It made me feel a little like we have an instrument problem.  So many!  But I'm glad M wanted to share that with her friends.  She's so cool.

More fun

 M's band held a homecoming because they had a competition and missed the school homecoming.  M was part of the decoration committee.  She had fun at the pre party, and post party.  We disagreed about what dress she should wear.  So we can check that off the parenting bucket list.  Yay.

M teaches the boys piano.  Sometimes she is busy but makes time to get that done.   She is also preparing to take the ACT.  I'm grateful that she is looking toward the future and planning to go to college.

Friend visit

 Today M has a friend coming to the house.  We are trying to pretend to be normal.  I like our new home a lot.

M is fixing up a crafting space out in the shed.

Appointments

 M has a lot of appointments to get done, mostly dental.  One time she asked me to pick her up early because her class wasn’t doing anything.  Generally I don’t believe in helping kids skip school but I did pick her up and take her to explore a bike path with me.  This was a good use of time.

fake cake

 M has always been a creative person.  She had a sculpting class the last two years at school.  This year she has been for the lack of that outlet.  She has been making fake cakes out of cardboard with plaster for frosting. 

Really Good Band

 M is in a band program with 190 kids.   The football team wins.  Everyone is well behaved and motivated.  M says it is very nice to be in a program like this. 

 I am very grateful for her to have this experience.  Coming from a smaller program she appreciates.  She's such a lovely teenager.   I'm very grateful for her.

Doing the work

M made the pep band and was up 'til 12:30 Saturday night with the football game.  She even wore jeans!  She's doing well in her classes and finding friends.  

She teaches B and L piano to save up money for the band trip to California in the spring.  She mows the lawn for spending money.

Piano recital links

 Dream of the Isles

Composition

Pineapple Rag

Duet

Bumble Boogie

Sonata in G

Super Mario Brothers

Wedding Day 2020

Composition 2019

By the Limpid Stream

French Horn!

 P picked up M from FSY in Kentucky at 6:30am on Saturday.  They then drove north to Michigan where M got to pick out a franken-horn.  Bryce Tubbs takes damaged horns and makes them fabulous by adding a screw bell.  Sometimes the wrap is messed up but the bell is fine.  Sometimes the bell is smashed but the wrap is fine.  So he patches the good parts together and you get a great horn, for a great price.

P's words "Great experience, would have loved to have spent more time with him.

Margot's face was glowing as we left. She got to try out several horns, she knew which one was hers as soon as she played it, her face lit up and when the first notes popped out, but I made her play all of the horns he had, and then play through her top three a couple more times before I would let her say the words."

 

P then drove her to Detroit and put her on a plane to music camp with her brand new, unlaquered, German french horn, in a fancy schmancy  back pack he brought along just in case she found a good one.

summer camps

 We thought M would not be able to go to many camps because of the move.  It turns out she will go to 5 camps this summer and spend a week with cousins.  Lucky M.

Student Day

 Student Day 2023 is in the books.  B played and took the tests.  M played and took the tests.  While she was playing for the judge I was overcome with emotion.  Her playing of "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" was so beautiful.  And she is done.  I asked her to keep playing for this last Student Day and she did.  Her playing is so beautiful and it isn't something she loves, or even enjoys.  She hasn't for a long time but she kept doing it because it makes me happy.  I pray she finds what she enjoys doing and makes the world a better place.  She is such and awesome human being.

Afterward we went to Bucee's and she loved that.

Chicago!!

 M traveled to Chicago with her high school band.  They did sooo much!  It was very expensive but the tour included flight, busses, hotel, meals and entertainment.  They did so many awesome experiences instead of lots of unstructured time.  I'm grateful she could go. 

We have a long standing agreement to pay 50% of what M wants to do.   She worked hard and earned her way with pet sitting, piano lessons, and mowing the lawn.

Solo and Ensemble

 M played Wedding Day at Trolhaugen for Solo and Ensemble.  She also played in a brass choir.  She got superior for both pieces.

She went on a trip to Universal Studios for Criminal Justice (!) and there was some illegal behavior.  Several students got sent home.

M and G went to a dance Saturday night.  M usually reaches out to other kids and offers rides.  I'm grateful that she does.  We had a party wagon full of kids.