Rock Star

Yesterday I was hanging my head a little low- in shock about the way this whole thing went down. And the fact that our state has no laws to prevent it from happening in the first place… ugh. It just sucks.

It was cold and rainy when I went to pick up Cole at school and on the way I ran into Blake (who walks). He jumped into my car and within two minutes had turned my day around.

We put on the Foo Fighters and sang this song at the top of our lungs- bouncing around the car just like Dave. Making up words when we didn’t know what he was saying.

“For every piece to fall in place
Forever gone without a trace
Your horizon takes its shape
No turning back, don’t turn that page”

Only Blake will do this with me (sing at the top of our lungs in the car). It’s fun- you should try it. It just might make your day go a little better.

I took him over to guitar lessons- and on the way he tells me how he is learning a song by Eric Johnson. I say, “Oh? Ella’s Dad?”

I was just kidding, I mean I know that Ella’s dad doesn’t play the guitar, but I also know that there is no Eric Johnson on my iPhone. So he youtubes it and plays it.

Whoa. That’s some serious guitar playing. I wish him luck.

After his lessons his teacher comes out like he does each week to tell me how much he loves teaching Blake, he’s a “rock star”. God love him but he says the exact same thing each week (for the past three years) and yesterday it was raining and cold and I really didn’t want to roll down my window when I knew that I could mouth the same words to him through the glass.

But this time he was so excited he couldn’t stand still. So I rolled down the window while the rain pelted my face and got ready to nod, like I always do. But this time he said, “this kid can play. I mean he can really play. I mean he gets it like no one else I have ever taught gets it.” And he was bouncing around in the rain and I just stared at him. “but he doesn’t practice”, I said. I have been thinking about canceling his lessons, indoor lacrosse is about to start and he never seems to practice. Ever. But his teacher stared at me and said, “he must be! he can PLAY!”

Sigh. He really doesn’t practice. Rarely does his guitar even make it back to his room after he gets home from lessons- it just stays in the same place until the next week when his (30 minute) lesson comes around again.

So I’m on the fence. He’s lazy. Maybe he needs a schedule to practice. I swore I would never force them to practice and if I had to that meant it was the end of lessons. I may just have to eat my words and make a chart, and reward him with the thing he loves most. Pizza.

Now there’s an idea….

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elisa

4 COMMENTS

  1. azjenny | 20th Oct 11

    This makes me laugh. I just made a chart for my 8-year old daughter’s guitar practices last week. At least his instructor mouths something when he is done, my daughter’s instructor doesn’t say anything – just smiles and gets paid. I know she is learning, but he could at least give me a status report or feeling of how she’s doing without me having to ask.

  2. Adrienne S | 20th Oct 11

    My daughter is the same way. She is involved in our Youth Symphony as well as school. Both instructors tell me how talented and amazing she is. I tell them it be a wonder what she could do if she practiced. But, I also, said that I would never make my kids practice. I have to make them shower, drink milk, eat veggies, look both ways when crossing the road….I just wasnt going to fight the pracice fight:)

  3. Susan/Gramma | 20th Oct 11

    A natural talent. I remember being so impressed at Cousin Camp. Make a CD of some of his playing, and don’t worry if he messes up. We will love it.

  4. Joy | 21st Oct 11

    My daughter is the same, she never practices her violin or piano. I get tired of nagging her, if you aren’t going to practice why should we pay for the lessons. Then the teachers say she is doing a great job. Amazing!!

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