Kiss My Knits!

We had a great day off from school yesterday. It was wonderful kite-flying weather and we took full advantage of that.

I think the good day yesterday carried over into today. Emily got up at 4:15 this morning. I went back to bed after getting her breakfast. About 6, she started singing “Accentuate the Positive” at top volume. This is a song she knows because I have a songbook called Ultimate Swing Standards and I regularly play this on the piano. Apparently something stuck a few days ago. Emily decided yesterday that it was hilarious to write out the lyrics, but to spell them all wrong, like “latch on to the a-fur-mu-tyve, don’t eat with mister in-be-tween.” It’s deliberate, I promise you. Oh, for a digital camera.

At 6:30 she came into the bedroom and started putting her pajamas in the clothes hamper, and told me “I’m ready to go to school now! Let’s go!” I was hoping for one more time hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock, but all righty! I guess I’m up now! Emily got to school early, in a stellar mood, singing “Accentuate the Positive.” I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that it’ll be a good day. I further predict she’ll be the only one in the school singing Mercer and Arlen tunes.

Emily frequently wants me to show her how to play certain songs. This usually consists me of pointing to keys for her to push. She does know middle C, and I labeled some of the keys. We’ve gone over a few ideas, like repeats and tie notes, which she’s used with a little lap harp she has. I might try to teach her how to read music. Based on my own childhood experience, though, I learned the piano better from a teacher than from my mother, who also plays. When you’re a kid, there’s just some mental component to having someone outside your family teach you. Go figure.

I wonder at what point Emily might want or be ready to try piano lessons… hm…

Hats up for: Ontario, Illinois, and Lancashire in the UK.