Highlights

Too much. Lately it's been a good too much, but our lives have been busy.

Some highlights from the past few weeks.

A trip to Old World Wisconsin with Dad and Diana. Our group is shown here at a stagecoach inn in Crossroads Village.



Later that night it was off to see the Milwaukee Symphony perform Mahler's Third in their season finale. The tickets were a birthday present and Bob and I had a nice time seeing the concert together.

There was a year end soccer party. Cooking. Cleaning. Late nights at work for Joe. Squeezing a run in here and there.

A trip to Six Flags Great America with the two older kids. Here they are about to board their first roller coaster.



Soccer practices. Riding lessons. Laundry. A year end preschool picnic.

Madeleine's first non-school show put on by the Wisconsin Hunter Jumper Association.




A fun family birthday party (thanks again, Tammy and Jim!). Doctor's appointments.

Our calendar is still more stuffed than I would like but, like I said, it's been a good busy.

UPDATED: Oh, and I forgot to mention-- a certain baby is CRAWLING!

Eight Days to Go!

As most readers might have guessed I'm doing a lot of shopping, wrapping and baking and very little blogging. The good news is, though, that I'm feeling much more prepared for Christmas than I normally do. I have been determined this year to focus on and appreciate Advent without Christmas stress and, so far, I am succeeding. Blogging though, has suffered.

We're here though, safe and sound, buried under mounds of snow, enjoying our pretty Christmas tree, baking cookies and listening to Christmas carols and even attending three Christmas performances: Joe and I attended A Christmas Carol performed by the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Joe and I will attend the Milwaukee Symphony's "Cathedral Classics" performance this weekend with friends and Saturday we're taking the kids to see "The Nutcracker," which will be Elisabeth's first time seeing the production.

Only eight more days until Christmas, and I can't wait!

Piano Recital

I discovered, for the first time, back in February when Madeleine competed in her first piano competition, the nervousness it is possible to feel on behalf of your child.  I remember, pretty vividly, the music competitions and recitals of my own youth. I remember the racing heart, the sweating palms and the anxious, sick-like feeling that grew until the time of my performance arrived.  But as soon as those years were over they were soon forgotten.

Until Madeleine started taking piano lessons last fall.  And now all those feelings-- the racing heart, the sweating palms and the anxious, sick-like feeling-- are back.  I felt them this past February and I felt them, even more, tonight.

Tonight Madeleine had her first piano recital.  In February, at her piano competition, she played in front of a single judge, a stranger.  Tonight she played in front of her peers and all their parents.  It was a friendly group, but for a seven-year-old, intimidating.

It was with no argument that she warmed up and rehearsed one last time before walking down the street to her piano teacher's home, where the recital was held.

And it was with no small amount of anxious nerves that Madeleine dutifully posed for pictures.  First, her true emotion, annoyance with the photo session, is made clear.

And then, almost manically, she begins to laugh.  Wisely I realize this is as good as it will get.  Snap, snap!

Moments after this we arrive at the recital site.  We sit amongst the other proud moms and dads, Madeleine on the other side of the living room with the other students, the two groups divided by the shiny black grand piano.  Madeleine chews on her cheeks.  She squirms in her seat.  She makes weird faces at us and looks more and more nervous every second.  As she squirms and chews and wiggles I feel more and more nervous.  Will she be OK?  Will she remember what she's supposed to play?  These are the thoughts running through my head.

A seventh grade student finishes her Bach piece.  Now Madeleine, with a brief introduction from her teacher, stands up and makes her way to the piano.  She won't look at the audience.  At all.  But she sits, regally, and begins to play. As she plays she grows more and more confident and as she plays the songs as correctly and well as she is able my nervousness abates as, I have to imagine, did hers.

Piano Competition

Today was a big day for Madeleine, a day our family has had marked on our calendar for months now. Today was a Milwaukee area youth music competition. Madeleine's piano instructor recommended it to us months ago and Madeleine has been busily practicing her two pieces ever since.

We arrive at the competition site at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee about forty-five minutes early. Enough time to walk around and explore the building and, of course, enough time to sit around in a student lounge and be nervous.


And, for younger, not nervous siblings, enough time to invent new games.


But, finally, her twelve-thirty time slot looms near so we make our way over to the room Madeleine was to perform in. She dutifully, albeit distractedly, poses for a picture.


And then we wait. Nervously.


And then, after all that waiting, she is called in to perform. It is short and Superdad and I are reduced to listening through the door as only the judge is allowed in the room with Madeleine. From what we can hear she sounds good. I am nervous. Who knew parents got nervous when their children compete?

And then, quickly, it is over. Madeleine is out and is all smiles. The nervousness is gone. Hugs are distributed and then, on to a celebration. Where? Culvers, for frozen custard!


Just a short time ago Madeleine's piano instructor called to give us her results. What were they? A number one or "superior"-- the top score possible! Her judge writes: Next stop a concert hall. Bravo!

A good day. Yes, a very good day.

Hank's Winter Concert

I know, I know, unless you're a grandparent or parent you probably can't stand another video of one of my kids. Sadly though, Superdad had to miss Hank's Winter Concert today, something both Hank and Superdad were very sad about.

Superdad does, however, have the ability to view my blog while he's away (isn't he lucky?!) and, for him, I will share the very substandard, grainy video of smiley Hank performing two of his numbers. Hank is right in the middle of the frame in a bright orange fleece and an ear-to-ear grin.

First Concert

It was this past Thursday, I believe, while driving to the bank that I heard the ad. The Milwaukee Symphony was going to be performing Franz Liszt's Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major for piano and orchestra and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor. I pressed number two on my cell phone, my speed dial short cut to Superdad's office, and said we should go. After all, the Milwaukee Symphony, while a good symphony, is not known for its excellent discernment in musical selections; they're a bit too fond of newer composers and infusing a choral component into all of their concerts to please my purest palette. But this-- well, this sounded good!

So Superdad snagged us two tickets. All I had to do was snag us a babysitter. No problem. Thumbing through our church directory, teeming with child-loving teenagers, I began making my calls. No. No again. An no again. And again and again and again... local homecoming festivities, it appeared, were robbing me of all possible babysitters.

Saturday came and we still didn't have a babysitter. I then suggested to Superdad that he take Madeleine to her first symphony concert. We had a few concerns, namely the late hour of the concert (it began at bedtime) but we assured ourselves that if she hated it or was too tired they could always just leave at intermission.

Madeleine happily dressed in her fanciest attire and even more happily posed for pictures.


Madeleine arrived home at 10:30 p.m., bright eyed and brimming with excitement.

"Did you like it, Madeleine?" I asked as she raced into my arms.

"Oh, yes, Mom, I loved it!"

Superdad would tell me later that other concert goers kept smiling at her and telling Superdad how good she was throughout the evening. He did confess he witnessed a bit of impatience during the second half, but overall his impression was that she was very interested in everything, especially the conductor practically jumping off his podium at different moments.

I'm still sorry I missed it, but am thrilled for Madeleine having seen, and loved, her first symphony.

If you're curious, here's a You Tube clip of the Liszt piece.

Friday Night

Fun night last night! To start we met two other couples at Cubanitas, a really fun (and yummy!) Cuban restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. Then we were off to the symphony where we saw Garrick Ohlsson perform one of my favorite Chopin piano concertos.

The second half of the concert was a rearranged Brahms piano quartet which was entertaining, but I felt a little weird hearing a piece I'm fairly familiar with have so much percussion and brass added to something that was supposed to be just, well, a quartet. However, it appears there are proponents and foes of Arnold Schoenberg's 1937 arrangement throughout the music world and I'll let the experts duke the ethics and propriety of the issue. For a non-expert like me I'll just say I enjoyed it, but prefer it as it was originally composed.

One last note: we're going through the Milwaukee Symphony's 2007/2008 calendar and would love advice and input from "experts" out there which concerts might be the best in terms of upcoming star performers and wonderful, classic compositions. I have my eye on a few but would love to hear others' opinions.

TGIF

It's Friday. It's warm and sunny. Superdad and I are going out to a fantastic Cuban restaurant for dinner tonight with friends (no kids!) and going to a Milwaukee Symphony concert after. Do days get any better?

Kitchen Adjustment, V

The new kitchen floor project (which also included a small hallway and half bath) is finished and Superdad and I love it. Love, love, love it.


On Friday, when it was finished, and we were given permission to walk on the glorious new floor, even the kids were thrilled. Beyond thrilled. In fact, I don't quite know what came over us; maybe it was the fumes from the newly sealed floor, but before I knew what was happening the strains of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake overtook us. Before we were aware of our surroundings Madeleine had become Odette, whirling around the kitchen, madly trying to show Hank, consumed by the persona of Price Siegfried, that I was the evil Odile, and not his true love. Unfortunately for us, Superdad, unmoved by one of Tchaikovsky's greatest works, was quick with the camera.

How embarrassing.

Watch This

Superdad and I came close to buying a Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra season ticket package for the current season. Ultimately we decided that with finding babysitters and coordinating weekend events it be more of a logistical hassle instead of the fun thing it was intended to be.

However, Garrick Ohlsson is going to be playing with the MSO next month and it's a concert I'd really like to see.

Your challenge right now is to find a quiet spot. Lock yourself in a closet, throw duct tape over your kids' mouths or whatever you need to do and watch this. I promise, it will make your day more upbeat and happy.