We're learning to play the cello

Yes, all three of us. Bianca asked for a cello for her birthday and begged to learn cello this year in beginner orchestra (of course she will still be playing viola in advanced orchestra too). So I found a cello on KSL classifieds, and we picked it up about a month ago. That's when Bianca started showing me where the different notes were. She said she just watched last year when the orchestra instructor was showing the cello students. The only cello music in the house was the stuff Bianca had written, so I picked out a couple easy songs. Yes, I know I'm too old for something like this and much too big for this 1/4-size cello and it's ridiculous I'm trying to play an instrument I never even touched my entire life, but it's kind of fun. I also realize how horrible I am, but I'm learning. I'm so proud of the calluses on the pads of my fingers on my left hand I got from playing. Portia likes to have her "cello lessons" every day too and we have to put the end-pin down as far as it will go (mine has to be up as high as it will go) and she just bows back and forth.

I've been practicing a song Bianca wrote especially for me on the cello (to play with her on viola) called "Cello in Vienna."

Portia's in Preschool!

Portia started preschool this week. She's making new friends and learning lots of new songs and other new things. Her teacher told me that she's very good at coloring, which I knew, and I know that art is her favorite thing! I didn't do a real preschool with Bianca (just a neighborhood style preschool where the moms rotated the classes) so this is a new experience for me as well! It feels strange though--rushing in the morning to have Portia ready in time. I've lost my leisurely mornings with just Portia and me. I'll miss that but it's exciting to start this new chapter!

Unbeatables

I'm so relieved it's finally over. The chorus practices, the anxiety I felt about how this was all going to turn out had taken over my entire August. Last weekend were the performances of the musical that I wrote the script for back in February (for the City of Herriman's children's theatre to perform)--We Built This City on Rock and Roll. I thought it would be fun to see something I wrote, the characters I created, and the storyline I came up with all played out on stage. But it wasn't quite how I'd hoped. I was constantly worried about changes being made (which when it comes down to it, the dialogue stayed mostly how I wrote it). I was also concerned about how the songs (popular 80s songs like Thriller, Take on me, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, etc.) were handled in light of the play. Although the performances were a little unprofessional, it was nice to see it up there on stage and even nicer to know it's over.

The idea for the musical came to me after Bianca competed in a chess tournament last year. She told me how she and the boys (they're mostly boys who play chess in these competitions) would trash talk each other while they were in the midst of games. I thought this was funny and couldn't imagine my sweet little Bianca telling some 5th grade boy she was going to kick his butt. But still, this gave me the inspiration for the main character Quinn and her timely defeat of a friend (a neighbor boy Kingston) in a school chess tournament that started a real-live chess match of pranks between the two neighbors the night after the girls beat the boys' chess team. I thought it was pretty clever.

I was really disappointed when Bianca didn't get one of the lead parts for the girls. I'd hoped she would. And Bianca was disappointed as well, but she said it was okay. Although she really wanted a lead, she still wanted to be in the chorus.

I know I've been dealing with a lot of pride issues surrounding this play. It doesn't matter (it's just a silly kids' musical) and it should be enough that it was performed, but I just wish someone would care what I thought instead of just taking the script (that surely must have somehow appeared by magic and FREE!) and running with it. I know, I know, I just need to get over myself.

But Bianca had fun and she did her part great. She even got a little solo in "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" which I personally thought was one of the best songs of the musical. She was dressed as a boy on the boy's side but she made a great boy and she did the best she could with the part she was given, which makes me more proud than anything else. I guess that's what I should do--accept that I did the best I could and that should be enough. I guess it'll have to be for now.