There isn’t much happening here these days! Life has been quieter than usual which is AWESOME! I have loved the time to relax in the evenings with my kids, chat with James (or to be more correct, watch him fall asleep on the couch), go to the gym, make sure meals are on the table, etc.

In the quiet of these days we have decided to add a few things I’ve always wanted my kiddos to take part in…MUSIC LESSONS!!! Something I did as a child but we had yet to find time and money to have them participate in both athletics and the arts. It came up in a conversation with a friend of mine that she had been interested in beginning lessons with a few students. She was currently taking lessons herself but far enough along and avidly learning still, that she felt confident she could more than adequately teach beginner students. I liked the thought of presenting this opportunity to Lanae as she seemed eager to do something a little different (and to be honest I wasn’t interested in another kid opting for outdoor activities)! In the excitement of engaging Lanae in said piano lessons, Jake expressed an interest and Sam again expressed his desire to learn how to play guitar. Now don’t get all excited…we didn’t register them all in lessons (that would be a bit much on the bank account even with the new tax deduction the government offers for endeavors into the arts)! We decided to go ahead with lessons for Lanae with my friend and with Jake opted to use the material my mom had been using to teach Sam a few years ago. Although I am not a pianist by any stretch of the imagination I do know enough of the basics, note reading, rudiments, etc. to give Jake a good start and much of the material that’s out there seems to be geared to those who wish to self-teach. In Sam’s case it is much easier as James is an avid guitar player (or at least was, he hasn’t had the time or desire over the last few years to play) and knows a good deal about playing! We rented a smaller guitar from a local music store and James is setting up lesson times and plans to give Sam this opportunity.

In all the excitement of giving our kids this musical opportunity I feel inspired to brush up on my piano and learn the guitar as well. So far Lanae has had two lessons, I have done one with Jake, and Sam is gearing up for his first lesson this weekend with his dad and I have spent 15-20 minutes everyday on both the piano and the guitar reviving the small bits of musical talent I possess.

I am so excited to see where this takes us, although to be honest my main desire here is just to give our children an outlet to continue expressing their love of music. I have no intentions of pushing them to be concert pianists, rock star band members or anything beyond playing, singing, strumming for the sheer joy of music.