Joy

In spite of the typical whinning, tantrum throwing, or just pure defiance that are a given with any (almost) five year-old child, Ella absolutely fills our lives with JOY and AMAZEMENT. This is not to brag about how wonderful, talented, intelligent, loving, etc., etc., etc., she really is but to record for our family's sake some things that she will probably like to know about herself when she grows up and flips through the pages of this 2010 year blogbook or family history, how I like to call it! Things that she did or said, things she was good at.
Ella started piano lessons as the Coppell Conservatory of Music in August and has made huge progress in this two-month time period. I just remember the first time we sat down at the piano for practice and how her little fingers were hesitant but eager to press the keys in any (chaotic) order. I remember the very beginning stages where she was learning the notes (middle C, D, E, F, G, and what's the next one over there??), trying to remember where those darn notes were on the piano, with me hovering over sometimes patiently, some times not so patiently (sometimes thinking to myself: what in the heck we're doing trying to get this kid to learn piano at 4??) She's got a couple of songs memorized already, her form is beautiful -- fingers rounded on the keys just like little bear claws (that's what we call them.) Not only form, but she's got the theory part down too (whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, quarter rests, half rests, minor, major, treble clef (which she absolutely LOVES drawing), bass clef, etc.) She really picked up on this stuff fast. But what I'm most excited (and proud of) is her willingness to practice. I guess all that explaining (and almost brainwashing) that practice makes perfect, that in order to be good at something you have to work hard (very HARD) at it, and do it every day, IS PAYING OFF (Yeay!!)  And we did and still are: flash cards, worksheets, workbooks, 5-10 mins practise almost every day, and how I pray she'll continue to enjoy this because I know I did in my piano playing days. [This was my outlet to a world of dreamy beauty, where magical sounds were dancing all around me and where I and my piano together could make those sounds gather into beautiful happy or sad melodies. I loved it and still do. And my secret wish would be to start practising again, myself and dust off those books, and just play, play, play. Maybe someday...] but how I digress, this is about Ella!
This is what our little pianista plays nowadays:

And I have to say that my heart leapt with joy when my sweet husband sent my a text msg during class yesterday acknowledging my contribution to her progress. While I'm the one that calls "practice time" and sits there by the piano, flashcards in one hand, tapping with the other, it is Ella who willingly and excitedly sits down at the piano and repeats however many times we need to until we master a piece. Love you, babe, you are wonderful, keep up the great work!

Now Primrose Private Kindergarten: master of sight words, "Picasso/a" of colors and shapes (she loves mixing colors when drawing, coloring, or watercoloring), pure excitement for daily rotations, art and other activities her super duper teacher plans for them. A couple of nights ago she signed letters A through F or G. We though that was the greatest thing because we just didn't know she knew that. Well now, how about the little colors song in Spanish? Love to hear her sing it. We've adapted it to Romanian.