just another morning here

Quite a long video - and this was only the violin section of the concert! There was a cello playdown, a flute group, and two soloists who performed as well. Just to explain what I mean by playdown: at the concert, if you are graduating from level 4 (for example), you would be on stage to play your graduation piece, and then all the pieces from the levels below, hence a build up of children performing, as by the end they were all on stage.

Joe was graduating from book 2, so can be spotted about 4/5 of the way through the video, if you know where to look. Still very proud of him

Josiah has every right to feel proud of himself and utterly exhausted this weekend. In fact I think he’s so tired that he can’t manage to admit he’s pleased with himself yet, but I hope he will, tomorrow perhaps!

We had a really busy weekend full of musical stuff, and a night with friends on top! First came the strings workshop at orchestra, which this week was fine, Joe just joined in with no problems, and seemed to really enjoy himself this time, thank goodness. Simply a case of knowing what something is going to be like, and he’s ok. After sticking around on duty while EYO had their rehearsal as well, we got home around 1.30pm, and only had an hour for lunch before we needed to turn around and leave for Josiah’s Suzuki Group lesson.

So, the afternoon was pretty much filled up with that (3 - 5pm). Joe enjoys these lessons as well, they’re really fun, but he works hard during them too - lots of practice for the next day’s concert.

Home for a quick tea, a very brief catchup with Uncle Marky who appeared to stay the night in our house while we were away, having brought my sister back to university - still sorry we couldn’t see more of him but hey ho. We got to the Portico around 9pm and had a lovely evening catching up.

This morning some of us went out to walk Dylan (and find caches ) while others of us lazed around the house. It was a beautiful morning for a walk … and the kids enjoyed just hanging around together too, an added bonus in an otherwise fairly manic weekend! We left there late morning and dropped Anna with another friend in Reading, then drove into London for Josiah’s graduation concert. Typically Steve managed to find a free parking space just around the corner from the concert hall!

The Suzuki system doesn’t have exams, instead you ‘graduate‘ from a book/level when you are ready, and this involves making a recording of a particular piece which is sent off for adjudication, then comments are sent back to the teacher.

Joe did this recording back in the summer, so would have graduated anyway, the concert was just an ‘icing on the cake’ thing, and we decided to go and take part this time round. We’d been to watch something similar a couple of years ago, so had an idea of what to expect, but it was still fairly nerve-racking for Josiah. His jitters got the better of him during the rehearsal, but he did manage to go and stand up on the edge of the stage with his teacher, behind a curtain so no-one could see him! After that though (and an ice cream break ), he knew what the expectations were, and was absolutely fine and happy to go and sit with the rest of his group for the proper performance.

The concert itself was good, and needless to say I was exceedingly proud of Josiah for managing to take part Video may follow tomorrow but it’s too late to faff around with it now.

Drove out of London appreciating lots of nice houses - the benefit of not being on the underground! Picked Anna up and carried on to Cribb’s Causeway before stopping for dinner, and then got home really late, and everyone went straight to bed. Another suzuki friend here told me they weren’t going because it was too much of a late night on a Sunday (having been in previous years) and I can see why, I imagine it will have a knock on effect tomorrow, but hey ho, you only live once.

Don’t think it has stopped raining all day here, but it’s been a pleasant enough day all the same. The week is disappearing too quickly though!

We fitted in a quick trip to the hairdressers for trims (Joe’s hair and Anna’s fringe) before heading off to the violin teacher’s house. Joe’s recording session went well; he didn’t quite manage a perfect rendition of his graduation piece but it was pretty damn good and his teacher was happy to send it off anyway.

So we went for a celebratory lunch at McDonald’s, much to the kids’ delight … I couldn’t get out quick enough! Came home and the younger two played with Mollie & Ruby while Anna made a start on a project on China. Piano lessons and then Steve got home early, with the Subaru, which has had yet another trip to the engine tuner, groan.

Started writing this before tea, as I was trying to start off a new fruitfly culture, feed the froglets, change the water in the tadpoles’ tank, feed the fish and the guinea pigs (no, wait, I haven’t done that yet!) cook dinner, tidy up, etc. all at the same time, and have finally sat down after tea to finish the post. Rain has just about stopped now, so we’re hoping for some better weather tomorrow!

Just for the record, and in case anyone else is interested, here are some videos. Joe’s at the end of the Suzuki Violin book 2 at the moment, and trying to record his graduation piece tomorrow; these pieces get recorded then sent off for adjudication before a big Graduation Concert in the Autumn - quite a nice way of doing things I think. Seriously hoping the recording goes well, a McDonalds lunch is hanging in the balance!

I’ve been meaning to do this for ages as one of the things he’s had to improve on is ‘leading in’ and carrying on even if he makes a mistake - I thought having a duet part might help him. Tried playing the piano accompaniment but I am rubbish at it, so we threw something together for Anna and they practiced then played it for the grandparents this evening. Final performance couldn’t go on flickr as it was too long. (This, of course, is what it’s meant to sound like!!)

Oh, and here’s Moon River, too - not quite the best it’s been but not bad, all the same - we still have a month or so to go until the Grade 2 exam.

In more ways than one, it’s felt a very long week. I’ve done a number of training courses at work, one ‘Twilight Session’ around Person Centred Reviews that went on until 8pm, an emergency First Aid session, and then another that was two days of Team Teach - all good and necessary but pretty tiring.

The rest of the time it’s been work and family life as happily but manically as usual, or perhaps even more than usual due to various things - but anyway, I feel extremely glad to have made it to the weekend. We’re all fairly tired here, so very much looking forward to a break over half term.

The blog itself was down for a few days; I lost a post over the weekend but it wasn’t very interesting anyway; mainly about Saturday’s musical activities. In far fewer words: Orchestra in the morning, which Josiah had second thoughts about … then a Suzuki group lesson in the afternoon which I dreaded but actually turned out really well, when we couldn’t go into the building so had the al fresco version.

Then if I’d had a blog I would have written about Sunday’s hillclimb; Steve came 2nd in his class again

So due to the blog issues, I’ve ended up with a Wordpress upgrade, I have to say that so far I quite like the new version. Does seem very different but I think it’s ok. Everything seems to be working now, at least, which is nice

And so I thought I would blog, while I was in a good mood!

The good start was largely due to a very successful violin practice with Josiah; we had been struggling to help all the children understand the difference between playing a piece once, and practicing a piece - to the extent that Joe made me ask his teacher last night exactly how many times he should play a piece in order to practice it! 5 down this morning, 5 to go this afternoon (not counting the review pieces).

It’s a fun song to play anyway, as Mr Featherstone has taught him the alternative ‘actions’ to do while playing each bit (plucking instead of playing open strings with the bow, turning around during the arpeggios, going down on one knee and then up again in other arpeggios, turning the bow upside down in the middle ’sad’ section, and then some stamping during the triplets at the end). If anyone’s really interested, the piece in question is Theme from Witches’ Dance by Paganini - I searched on Youtube to find vids of the actions but couldn’t find a good one so you have to make do with this amusing double act! When Joe’s ready he might oblige and let me video him … or then again he might not

Other than that, over the past week or so we’ve just been winding back up into normal life with all the activity that entails; we had a weekend where Steve worked and the kids and I didn’t do very much at all, friends round to play on Monday, and school started again on Tuesday. One person came to miscarriage support group that evening, but hey, as long as it’s helping even one person a month then I don’t mind giving my time.

I’m in the middle of what seems like a very long interview process at the Apple Store - there was an interview seminar on Friday night, and then a further interview yesterday, but I won’t actually know the results until early next week.

Steve and I are both delivering cars long-distance this week; he went up to Oxfordshire yesterday and I’m going down to the bottom of Cornwall tomorrow.

But that’s about it, hence the lack of blogging - ‘life as usual’ doesn’t make for a very interesting post, does it?

I have spent the day with the kids and it’s been great. Joe, Abbie and I popped into town while Anna was at orchestra and despite getting soaked in continuous rain, we had fun together and got a few things done.

At home over lunchtime we had various stuff going on; Mario Galaxy (fab game that, by the way) in 20 minute turns so that everyone got one, although Joe was on hand offering advice to the girls, and meanwhile we ate, and Josiah & I made a cheesecake from his cookbook, oh, and Anna played a few turns on Scrabulous.

Then we dashed back out again, around town to a village the other side, for a practice with some other suzuki violinists for Christmas busking, planned for a couple of weeks’ time. Did my utmost not to get cross with Joe when he got funny about joining in, but he did eventually play along and did really well. Abbie made a great effort on her flute too, joined on the flute by an older sister of some other violinists which helped a lot! Anna played well too, as the only cellist. Dead proud of all of them and so happy to see them enjoying the fruit of their hard practice. Some vids may follow when I can be bothered to get them off the camera. Edited to add: have done, and they are on Facebook for enlightened friends, or here: Jingle Bells and Unto us a son is born.

On the way home we all sang along loudly to the Veggie Tales Christmas CD in the car which was fun; I’m cooking spaghetti bolognaise for tea and then we’re having a family night in. Cosy and christmassy and nice