The Performer

Posing afterward

Hi Sidra,

I'm writing this a week after your latest performance but calling you the performer is a title that refers to more than your recent piano recital.  And watching these two videos doesn't begin to tell the whole story of the recital.  

The recital was last Sunday.  You were to play two songs, a duet with your teacher and a solo.  Your mom and sister were not in attendance as they were at Sunday school. It was you and me on this mission.  There were about 15 other students also performing and three of them were your school chums.  It was held in a church sanctuary and there were probably around 60 people in attendance.

The story really begins the night before.  We had had a long day.  You and Shira had been to a birthday party at the Tae Kwan Do dojo.  That's pretty physical with board breaking and other feats of strength.  We went from there to Costco, then a bike shop and finally went out to dinner at Red Robin.  When we finally got home I suggested you practice the two songs you would be playing the next day.  

You couldn't play them.  Well, you played Channuka fairly well but just couldn't get through one part of Dreidel.  I don't know if it was just fatigue, but you just got frustrated and eventually broke into tears.  I decided not to press you any more and we would try again in the morning after a good night's sleep.  

The next morning  you did better but really only got through Dreidel once without a stop.  We weren't sure what was going on because you had played it well dozens of times.  I'm not sure where you were emotionally at that time but I was already getting nervous for you.  

I let you watch a movie on the Kindle on the way to there because I didn't want you to stew about the performance.  We got there early and took our seat in a pew about in the middle.  I knew that the procedure would be that I would be able to sit in the front row while you played so there was no reason to try to get a closer seat.  Soon your school chums arrived and the three of them shared our pew while their parents sat nearby.  

The program revealed that all the duets would be played first and the solos would follow.  You were 13th on the list so you had some time to watch others go first.  In fact, your three school chums opened the program with a  trio, all three of them playing on the same piano.   As your turn became closer you seemed to get more tense.  You pressed closer to me and leaned on me. 

When we walked up to take our place in the 'on deck' pew you seemed to pull against me as I held your hand.  My last whisper was about deep breaths and going slow.  You played well.  I hadn't heard you play that song with your teacher before and it sounded fine to me.  So as we went back to our seats I whispered that you'd done great.  

Back in our pew, you gave yourself some distance, going to the end so your school chums were between us.  After a couple more songs had been played you worked your way back over to me.  You said, "I made two mistakes."  I said I hadn't heard them and not  to worry.  

Soon all the duets had been played and the solos began.  Your friends played theirs pretty well.  Lily did a good job on a song that I thought was pretty difficult.  I should note that all of the other songs were Christmas songs.  You were the only one playing anything else. 

Your tension certainly went up as your turn approached.  You were really leaning on me and frantically watching the list of players ahead of you dwindle.  You expressed anxiety.  When you said "My heart is burning I'm so scared," I thought you might say you didn't want to do it, but you never did.  I kept encouraging you to take deep breaths and go slow when you played and told you I believed you could do it.  

Well now that you've seen the video you know that you nailed it with no mistakes.  There might have been some slight hesitations in the rhythm but you hit all the notes in the right order.  

Afterwards I told you how proud I was that you went through with it.  It took a lot of gumption to put yourself in front of a crowd knowing that your practice had not gone well leading up to it.  It was like Big Papi stepping in batters box with one hit in his last 12 tries and hitting a game tying grand slam.  Ok, maybe not quite like that.  

I do believe that this was an experience that will serve you well later in life.  This time there was no one but yourself counting on you.  In the future there will be times that others will be depending on you to come through in unfavorable circumstances.  It's a really important quality and you've shown yourself that you can do it.  It will really boost your self confidence.  

I feel like I should compare this to your Bike derby win last summer.  I think that showed that you are coachable.  This showed you have a grittiness I wasn't sure you had.  The grittiness is hard to teach so I am glad to learn that you can show it.  

This wasn't your only performance this fall.  You had a leading role in your school's Thanksgiving program.  You were the "Governor" of the pilgrims.  You also recited a funny poem with your friend Esa.  In that performance you didn't seem nervous at all.  

You also won a talent contest at the Mountain Festival last summer.  You sang the "Fifty Nifty United States" song.  I think that singing is your first love.  Some of the students in the recital sang and  you said you'd like to do that some day.  You love getting to stay up late to watch 'The Voice.'

Before signing off on this post I should report on our conference with your teacher. 
She said that at the beginning of the year you were pretty squirrelly and off task quite a bit.  Now, she calls you the 'workhorse.'  That was music to our ears.  She said she likes your sense of humor.  She said that you get her jokes and are able to explain them to your classmates.  She confirmed what we knew- that you are an out of this world reader.  And she said generally you are a step ahead of all your classmates.  

You did have a pretty good year in soccer, too.  You had five goals in one game.  It was nice to see you as the oldest in the age group.  Next year you will be the at the young end of the span again.  You got to play on the same team as your sister!  I took you to a Portland Thorns game.  They are the local women's pro team.  You loved it.  The chants and all had you enthralled.  They ended up winning the league championship but didn't have any more home games so we will wait until next season.  

Next stop- 7 years old.  Only 8 more days to go.  

Love, Aba

 

Haute Couture

Hi Sidra,

Yesterday you began your sewing and fashion design career.  Your sister served as your model.  You and I collaborated on a design for a summer top.  You got your very own little sewing kit and did most of the sewing.  

You and Shira came to me with some of the dress up clothes and wanted to make something out of it.  You had some scarves and a plan to make a skirt or dress.  It was a good idea but I helped you realize that the fabric wouldn't stretch and if we'd sewed it the way you planned neither you or your sister would be able to get it on or off.  So I gave you some ideas about how it could be put together.  

Eventually we went to the store to get the sewing kit and some elastic.  I suggested the spaghetti straps that you ended up sewing on.  So, we have a top and plans for bigger projects in the future.  My skills as a seamstress are pretty rudimentary but a big thanks to my mom that I have any at all.  She was willing to teach me a few things and I was not afraid to try.  I have enough knowledge to get you started and then we can learn together.  

I said this was the beginning of your fashion design career.  I said that because you have said that you would like that career.  We discussed the possibility of getting a sewing machine and that you might be able to make your own dresses.  You were thrilled at the prospect.

Hopefully you'll get the chance.

Love, Aba  

Nobody Else in the Photo

Hi Sidra,

I'll have to explain.  Your mom got me a book written by a former pro bicycle racer (not Lance Armstrong) a few years ago.  It had a chapter with this title.  It's about winning a bike race.  But it's more than that.  Bike races can be won by narrowly.  Bike races can be dominated. 

European pro bike racers have a saying that applies to a dominating performance, so that at the finish there’s “nobody else in the photo.”  You dominated the bike derby yesterday.  I was ‘blown away’ (Uncle Ben’s term again) by your performance.  As it unfolded and you did everything just as we told you it should be done I was just overwhelmed. 

Your mom and I have taken a little teasing about the fact that we coached you and took you to practice on the track where the race was held.  We can take some credit for preparing you.  However, you performed it.  It’s like in the movie we watched recently- Ice Princess.  The leading character was a terrific physics student but a novice ice skater.  She used physics and her computer to teach some friends how to do their jumps and spins better.  After experiencing the improvement a skater gave credit to the physics student and her computer.  The physics student said, “The computer didn’t make that jump, you did.”  So we gave you some advice, but you rode the bike and applied the techniques. 

After the bike derby your friend Logan came over for a visit.  The two of you and your sister went for a dip in our backyard pool.  Later, you and Logan were standing on the lounge chair and trying to sing “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry.  It’s a catchy tune and I like it too so I downloaded it and played it so you could sing along.  I was enjoying your innocence, how you were connected to the music for it’s own sake and not the underlying message in the lyrics.  I’m pretty sure neither of you understand what “Let’s go, all the way tonight” means. 

Yesterday we went to the carnival (midway) that is in town for the mountain festival.  You went on your first roller coaster ride and a few others that you’d been on before.  One attraction that you didn’t complete was the Monkey Fun House.  On the bottom floor it is a maze of glass and mirrors.  It’s not that sinister because you are always able to see out through the glass and receive advice from the handlers.  You tried a couple of times to go through but got scared and backed out.  While you were going up and down the nearby big slide your sister was able to make it through the maze by herself.  Later, Shira took your hand hoping to lead you through.  She was on track but you resisted her direction and turned to flee again.  On the way out you took a wrong turn and went face first into a pane of glass. 

You were pretty shook up about it and I think you’re feeling like you’re flawed because everyone else including your little sister was able to get through it.  You vowed never to go back in it.  I said I would go through with you next year and show you how to get through. 

Well, to wrap up.... I was astounded about how easily you won the bike derby.

Love, Aba

Hi Sidra,

You graduated from Kindergarten recently. It is a big milestone. There was a cute ceremony marking the occasion. I thought there would be more solo performing by each student but there were 23 other classmates so that would have been time consuming.  There were several songs and everyone had a solo part or two. Each of you also made a short statement about what your favorite subjects were.

My favorite part of the evening was the ballroom dancing. It turns out you learned how to party in kindergarten! You had two dance partners, Jack and Kellen. In the video posted here you are dancing with Jack. He was a hard working if not polished performer. He was strong but didn't harness it well, spinning you wildly a couple of times. In any case, you two can be seen sort of battling each other for the rhythm. It was nice to see that you have grown beyond the wild punkish dance offs you used to do with Mike and Sarah.

The ceremony was exciting but it was nicer to see the notebook of your work  Your penmanship has really improved.  The notebook contains a lot of journals that show off both your writing and artistic skill.  I've included a couple here that represent some of your favorite themes.  One is about you and your mom going snowboarding and the other is about bike riding with your sister.  

For a while you were not very interested in piano but recently you have become much more excited about playing. I really enjoyed having you teach me how to play Yankee Doodle and performing our duet which appears in the video.  The Facebook audience didn't care much for it but it's one of the coolest things you and I have done together. 

Your bicycling skills have really improved also.  You now can jump off curbs, pedal backwards while coasting and use your handbrakes very well.  You can pedal off the saddle just like a champion mountain biker as you ride through the grass and uphill. One thing you haven't mastered yet is shifting your gears and hopefully we will improve on that before the bike derby.

Water Color from school

Journal from 3/20/13

Journal from 3/31/13

Happy Graduate

Winter Update

Hi Sidra,

Again, it's been too long since the last post and a lot has happened so I have a lot to report.  

First , not long after the last post you lost both of your front teeth in quick succession.  One of them was loose for the longest time and finally fell out.  The next day the other one fell out at school.  But that was a couple of months ago.  You new teeth have been slow to appear in their place.  One of them has begun to emerge but only in the last two weeks.  So you've spent quite a bit of time toothless in front.  

Since your first lost tooth you have been exchanging cute notes with the tooth fairy. The one pictured here may be your first attempt.  The tooth fairy(mom) has had some crafty responses directing your attention to taking care of your little sister. You seem to hold the tooth fairy in high regard (she is, after all, a fairy) and thus have taken the advice seriously.   The tooth fairy has been very generous as well.  I questioned some of my students about relative tooth fairy largess and it seems like you made out pretty good.  

You've become much more confident and self assured.  It can be witnessed by how you perform at Tai Kwan Do and other events.  You have made your yellow belt.  I got to see some of the belt test.  I saw you break a board with a roundhouse kick.   There were many others there with higher belts that were not as confident with their board breaks.  You did it like you'd been doing it for years.  Not only that, but your mom says that you were the best of the group at answering the questions about Korean words before I got there.  You were not shy about raising your hand and answering.  I did see the same swagger in one of your classes recently.  You were one of the only ones willing to raise your hand.  You didn't get the right answer that time but it was because you didn't hear the question correctly.  We talked later and you said you knew the answer but thought the question was something else. 

At a recent open mic arranged by who else? Your mom.  You took the mic and stood with a couple of your classmates and some siblings (including yours) and sang one of your songs from school "Family of the Sun."  Actually, your supporting cast barely mumbled but you sang confidently and worked through a couple of rough spots without getting flustered.  You clearly showed leadership. 

You've learned how to snowboard!  Your mom got the urge to go and decided to take you along.  You had two really nice days to try it out and you have picked it up in a snap.  You had two lessons and have already gone down the Magic Mile at Timberline.  Your mom got a couple of videos and I have to use your Uncle Ben's usual accolade: I'm blown away.  You looked really good.  I'm going to have to see for myself.

All right, I wrote the prior paragraph last night.  Today I went with you to Timberline. You had a another lesson with Dennis who was your first instructor.  I got a couple of videos.  I was blown away.  You are fearless.  I was stunned at the speed you are already willing to go.  I think  you are braver on the board than you are on your bike.  Maybe because you've hit the deck a lot on the snow and it hasn't bruised you.  Anyway, I had a hard time skiing ahead quickly enough to get the camera out before you had passed.  And I don't think Uncle David should worry that you're on a board instead of skis.  I think on your next visit to the lake you will make water skiing look easy, too. 

I  have to comment on the picture of you and your sis chillin' to the street music together.  I think it's a pretty good picture.  I think it could be framed a little better but I only had a few fleeting seconds to decide what to do.  I have to give your mom credit for spotting you guys in such a touching moment.  I was on the street corner trying to keep Fenway in check in all that excitement and your mom nudged me to notice what you were doing.  I wish I could have frozen you there until I could have gone around behind the musicians so I could have your faces in the shot.  All in all, I think it's pretty great and I think your mom likes it too.

You are becoming more aware of your surroundings and better at having a conversation.  You pick up on things and make reasonable inferences.  Last week, a UPS delivery arrived. It was in an envelope instead of a package.  It was for your mom who wasn't home at the time so we didn't open it.  You suggested that it might be instructions for the new phone because you heard your mom asking for them over the phone.  It turned out to be a birthday gift card from Uncle David but I was still impressed by your reasoning.  I also love to talk with you about what animals are mammals vs. reptiles and what makes each fall into which category.  

I have to say that my favorite part of the day is bedtime reading.  Both you and Shira pick a book for me to read to you and I pick one that you will read to me.  I love it that you're both so into it and either sit between my legs or lean on me from the side. 

Oh yes, you did break a board with a head butt, too.  You did it first at a birthday party that was held at the dojo.  You told us about it when you came home but we were a little dubious about it.  You then recreated the feat for us with some of the leftover board.  We still had one piece left so we decided we should record it.  I have to say, it's pretty cool.   

Love, Aba

 

Early exchange with tooth fairy

Chillin to the
 street music

Toothless!

Showing off new shirts at Grandma and Grandpas.

Measuring Up

We went to Seaside!