The grass is sometimes greener...

Day 74

Life is always about change. This week as all the musical activities G2 is in wrapped up she realizes she is going to have to make some changes next year because she can't do everything. Participating in 3 local musical programs at a time plus two days a week of hour long lessons and her own stuff she likes to play would result in 2 hours of practicing a day just to get it all in. For me at 9 years old it is just too much--it is her life but I don't know if having this sort of focus this young in life really allows you to live your life as a kid as well? Doing everything does come with sacrifices and are you willing to make those choices? Although she does get out and play in the mud or dress her dolls too so she does have some balance. And before you think we are crazy parents who wanted their kid to be some musical prodigy think again, we would never have put her in any music lessons were this not her choice from the time she could crawl and babble mostly because we are not a musical family and would never have thought of it. But here we are she has been playing violin for almost 6 years now. Her favorite music now?-folk music, klezmer, exotic stuff BUT playing this sort of music means playing with mostly people her parents and grandparents ages so she wanted to try the orchestra group because there are kids in it....well now she finds out that the kids don't really hang out afterwards, impart age old musical knowledge, jam, dance or go for late night eats like with the community band. The grass is always greener right? So while she might do orchestra and jazz again she will stick with the community band because it is ok that your some of your best friends are waaay older than you. It is mom that has to come to terms with driving her all over town for all her music endeavors....

Some of these kids are amazing, actually anyone who can play an instrument is amazing to me...

G1 had to make some choices recently too-the decision to change swim teams. She loved her coach BUT she had been watching another coach and his team all season at meets. She was offered a spot on this team that does not take a lot of kids. So she had to make the decision to go with a completely new team, new friends, new pool, new coach--to make that leap from a coach that she adored. I am so proud just of the fact that she made the decision to go into the unknown just to see if it is what she wanted. After a week and a half she is enjoying the workouts-which are really really tough-starting to talk to the kids and has decided to stick it out for the summer. We will see if the grass is greener for her! Me? I like the wood smell in the pool and not nearly as much mechanical noise-which was overwhelming at her old team's pool.

Speaking of green grass our backyard has the native grass seed we planted the last 2 years starting to come up like crazy. It is really soft grass to walk on surprising for a desert species that has to be really tough. This stuff is drought tolerant, poor soil tolerant and heat resistant. No snickering those of you with soil in your yards. We have amended the soil underneath leaving the sand on top to hold it down and blow around. The grass may be greener in someone else's yard but I will choose to stay in my yard for now!

Almost done with some of my projects so will show those later.....have a creative day!!