Peter and the Wolf

As a mother, I find myself assuming my kids will love what I love. I can't imagine why someone wouldn't absolutely LOVE watching musicals, playing basketball, or listening to the Beatles. Sometimes I know exactly what I'm doing, other times, I don't realize it until Jeff give me the "are you sure they like it?" look .

I hate to think I'm only exposing my kids to what I love, so I like to give them fair information, and let them decide. Except that one time when Jack started saying he wanted to learn how to play a brass instrument. I told him they weren't very fun, and just too loud. Not a huge fan.

The reality of it is that kids are mostly a product of their environment. So, we expose them to things that we think will be good for them. Obviously, music has been a big part of Jeff and I's relationship from the beginning. We met in an orchestra, became friends in a bluegrass band, toured to Europe in said band, and have since played several gigs, and supported each other in various musical interests. Most of our favorite date memories come from going to the Symphony. We catalog our date details by what concerto or symphony was played that evening. If you haven't thought we're nerds by now, then you probably are one yourself. We know we are, and we're fine with it.

So, as we sat in Abravanel Hall with Jack and Jane yesterday for one of the "lollipop" concerts, my heart was overflowing. I loved being able to sit in that concert hall with not just Jeff, but with my own kids. I have so many memories there, starting when I was not much older than Jack, performing with hundreds of Suzuki students. We had high hopes that their attitudes of that morning...

Me: Jack, are you excited about the Symphony today?

Jack: Not really.


Me: Jane, are you excited about the Symphony today?

Jane: Is there going to be any singing?

Me: Nope, just the Symphony. There will be violins, cellos, basses, drums, flutes...

Jane: No singing? BOR-ING!

... we were hoping this concert would change their ideas of the Symphony.

Jane was a bit fidgety as they began, wanting to get just the right view. Luckily, in concerts intended for kids, this is okay. Lucky for us, because Jane always has commentary and only has one volume. She and Jack got through the first two short pieces (Jack more interested than Jane) by anticipating the reason we came: Peter and the Wolf.

As it started, Jack was completely captivated by the story unfolding before him. And Jane couldn't take her eyes off the dancers. (She started a ballet/jazz class last month that she can't seem to get enough of. She now prances down our hallway.)

I was so tickled to watch them enjoy the performance wholeheartedly. It was short and sweet, and the narrator, symphony, and characters from Ballet West were just right.

As we walked out into the hallway after the show, Jack asked, "do they have shows for kids like this all the time?".

I promised him we'd be back. This time because he wants to.

Jane doing her duck sound, and Jack letting out his pent-up sillies...

Another great memory created.

Lots of Locks

Said the mother, tired of split ends,
To her daughter with hair full of bends,

Our long hair we will doff,

Yes, we'll cut it all off,

And give it to our bald-headed friends.

Poem by Jeff.

Answer: A year

I really wanted to get everything we could out of this holiday break. My success in doing so has been confirmed by us having a VERY rough week getting back to real life. It's fun to lose the routine, stay up late, sleep in, visit family, get projects done, eat loads, and have entire days of being out of the house, right? RIGHT?

We've reminisced a lot this week about the holidays, like it was ages ago. Thank goodness we caught a few of our favorite moments with the camera. Ironically enough, my very favorite moments all had to do with music, and you just can't quite do them justice with pictures!

Here's one...

I took the kids to the nursing home my Grandma lived in for the last several years of her life. I love my Grandma and will forever think of her at Christmas time. We met many nice residents there and the kids (especially Jane) loved playing their violins and singing for them while they lounged, got pedicures, and ate their lunch.

And another...

Singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve with our Christmas crowd. Love that. My brother was smart and married a pianist, something our family has definitely lacked! But that's not the only reason we love Aunt Danielle.

And of course... I'm still glowing from this whole experience.

How about my kids and their cousins (and myself, my sisters, brothers, and mother) dancing their little hearts out to my sister's new Wii game. I haven't danced and laughed like that in a while! I love (hate at first, but in the end love) things that break through our cushy bubbles of comfort.

Jack's favorites most likely revolved around two things... cousins and toys. Pretty typical kid. His grandparents and Santa sure know his style. They spoiled him with a science kit and legos that he's hardly put away. He and Jeff built all kinds of things with his Circuit board kit and even were able to transmit their own voices through the AM radio stations with it. Very cool for a budding engineer!

Jane loved her new dress-ups and her adorable doll, Rainbow. She names all her dolls to sound like Care Bears (which she has never even heard of) or My Little Ponies (which she has almost every one of). My vote was for Molly, or Suzie, but no. Rainbow, it is!

Another favorite of Jane's... Sledding.

Of course, sledding it always more fun with cousins who join you in (and encourage) doing crazy things on your way down each time. These two were nuts.

Alice's favorite moments... using her new doll crib for herself. Doesn't she look cozy? Thank goodness she barely breaks 20 lbs!

Eating all the goodies we received from neighbors, or just made ourselves. I couldn't/didn't resist either.

Lounging with Papa at our 2nd annual Rich Family holiday gathering on New Year's Day at Noah's. If you ever go there, ask for Jesse. He's the best. Of course, I might be a bit biased since I grew up being mom #4 to the poor kid. That's what you get when you have 3 older sisters! We ate all the holiday leftovers, and played raquetball, pool, arcade games, wii games, rock band something or other (I was an awesome drummer)...

...and discovered that Vanessa is by far the better ping pong player out of the sisters. Who would have guessed? Look at that form!

Jeff's favorite holiday moment... our date night on New Year's Eve with Joanna and Laren. As close as I am to my sisters, I'm amazed that we've never gone out together like that before! We had dinner, went bowling (where we ended up trying to beat our speed record rather than knocking pins down), and then welcomed in the new year at Comedy Sportz in Provo. I expected to have fun, but I honestly haven't laughed like that in years.

Other fun pictures... Christmas eve in front of the tree. Seriously... my kids are so fun.

Tired, but too excited to admit it on Christmas morning. Oh, that was fun!

And everyone, minus my mom and myself, on the stairs waiting to go see if Santa came! It was so fun to share our home with my parents and Jesse and Danielle this year. It reminds me of why living in Utah is great... family.

So, after a rough week of dragging ourselves out of bed, trying to practice again, catching up on housework, church calling stuff, homework, projects that have been on hold, putting decorations away, and the worst, sending Jeff back to work, there have been times where I've wondered if it's worth it! In the end though, I think we'd all agree... I'm just dramatic. Of course it's worth it!

The other day:

Jane: I know how many more days until Christmas!

Me: Great. (Thinking we're going to have to start the countdown already!) How many?

Jane: A year.