Cruz the Piano Man

We're nearing the end of a big week at the Jorgensen house, the completion and celebration of three activities that were quite the commitment for both Cruz and Mila this year.  As of Saturday night, we will be finished with Cruz's first year of soccer, piano, and another year of dance for Mila.  And as May would have it, all three activities will come to an end on the same two nights this week!  Last night, I had to have a babysitter come stay with Mila at dress rehearsal so I could see Cruz play piano at his recital.  And he had to miss his last soccer practice!  And Saturday, we say goodbye to soccer season with one more game, followed by the big dance recital at Gallagher that night.  And other than a scab apparently falling off Mila's knee and creating quite the catastrophe moments before going on stage for her final number last night, we are so far, so good!  We may be living on Goldfish and applesauce packets this week, but I'm mostly enjoying the ride, thankful for the chance to watch these kids grow and shine in their own unique ways.  

We hit the jackpot when we found Cruz's piano teacher last fall.  She is structured, encouraging, and has high expectations, and Cruz has learned so much from her in such a short time.  I'm not going to lie, when he received his two recital pieces a few weeks ago, I questioned whether Cruz would be able to learn the new concepts and techniques in the time frame he was given.  But Dyan didn't hesitate and said she had no doubt he could learn to play them beautifully, if he practiced, that is.  I became his ringleader here at home, sitting next to him when time allowed and sometimes patiently pep-talking when Cruz wasn't quite feeling the practice thing.  But the more he practiced, the easier it became, and soon enough, he was playing them just as Dyan said he would.  In one week's time, he marked forty little tally marks to evidence the forty times we ran through each piece.  And last night, we celebrated his hard work with big smiles on our faces as his little self marched right up to that grand piano and played his music perfectly.  

I'll admit I question the amount of activities our generation of parents sees as appropriate for our kids.  I'm all for exposure and opportunities to learn new hobbies, team-building skills, and hard work, but I often wonder if the world's gone a little crazy going all in so soon.  But as I watched Cruz nervously, but confidently make his way up to that stage and demonstrate his skills, celebrate a good job done with monster cookie bars and chocolate chip cookies, and tell us later that he "did his calm breaths before he went on stage so he wouldn't be nervous", I was thankful for the experience he had learning piano this year.  I guess it's all about finding the balance.  Giving them opportunities to be kids, to run around the cul de sac with the neighbor boys, with nowhere to be but the table for supper, and no care in the world but who they're going to ambush next with their nerf guns - just wild, untethered, and free.  And, there's something important about opportunities to get a little uncomfortable, too - to wear "decent clothes" and practice calm breaths and see the fruits of one's hard work.  There's importance in both worlds and I guess we're entering a season of navigating those worlds in a way that works best for our family.  But if I get my way, I sure hope we're just getting started with this piano thing, because Cruz Man looks pretty handsome playing those keys!

And next up?  Dance queen takes center stage tomorrow!  Stay tuned!