Yesterday, Katherine had a very full day. She had a reading part in the second-grade play, “Frog Follies.” I thought there would only be a few beaming parents in attendance, but as the bleachers filled and filled with families and the other grades in the school, I started to wonder how Katherine would do. Her eyes got big 🙂 But she took on her job and spoke just as clearly as she had in our kitchen earlier that week.
On our walk to the car, we talked about how you can be nervous and get the job done. Given how much of our teaching of small children concerns learning to love this or that, and getting enjoyment from the activity (“Love to Read”), it occurred to me that performance is something of an anomaly: you are quite likely to find it nerve-wracking and you need to be able to perform without warm and fuzzy feelings.
Katherine also had a piano recital last night. She played several pieces and a couple of scales. Her teacher does a lovely job of making this seem like an “event,” and Katherine loved the cupcakes, cookies, and punch that followed.
At the university, my week has also been filled with events (Katherine actually tagged along for some of those), and we have a few more next weekend with graduation, but very soon our family will be far removed from such things. Our summer looks to be a mix of writing, farming, playing with the kids, and very little that is specific to a set calendar block. We’re all looking forward to the change of pace!
Erin
Alan Schmierer