Tommy on Violin

Our days are as busy as ever despite of our policy of {close to} one extracurricular per kid.  When you count four kids in the mix, every night there's running somewhere, in spite of my best intentions.

Last week was no exception. 

On Tuesday night we invited all the grands over for dinner and a symphony concert.  After a fancy Italian meal consisting of whole wheat spaghetti and a jar of Preggo, plus a salad kit in a bag, and Pepperidge Farms cheese bread, we attended the elementary strings concert.

is that spaghetti sauce on his cheeks?  *sigh*  seriously, who IS his mother?!

It's been fun watching T develop his musicality over the last year.  He began private lessons early last summer and is dedicated to keeping them through the year.  (Provided that doesn't include practicing regularly - wait.  Did I say that?)  I'm super excited that he'll be moving to first part in the upcoming semester - one semester early I might add! - but man alive is it tough to get the kid to practice.

Thankfully his private teacher is super patient...or maybe that's unfortunately?

After reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother last year, some days I feel like a super failure, not sitting on him to practice {for hours and hours} - even though I think he has the talent to be really great.  After pushing the kids to work mega-hard on some things last winter that led to more nagging and yelling than teaching of a solid work ethic, I have to be honest, I'm torn between pushing and allowing.  I just don't remember having to be told as a kid to practice my musical instrument...of course, I faked my practice card at times, so there's that.  But I also remember regularly practicing.  (My mom claims my memory fails me, but she doesn't have a blog to prove it...one day I'll be showing this post to my unpracticing violin could-be-prodigy grandchild, just you wait...)
*sigh*

I just wonder:  Does it ever get easier?  Cuz I hear that being a grandparent is even tougher - worrying about not only your own children but their children, too.

Guess that's why it's just healthier to remember to let go and let God.  And to super-remember that God is good all the time - and when it seems as though He isn't, it is because He is great.

And into his hands I place our violin commitment.
Now, where's the checkbook?