August Mobile Moments!

It's been a while! I forgot one week and then the next was a holiday and I'm sure you know how that goes...anyway, here we are! Since we last met here, Autumn has started violin lessons! She's way excited about it although after 3 weeks I think her homework/daily practice is wearing thin. She thinks she's bored but I'm not sure Autumn really gets that the foundation is super important. I'm guessing that's pretty common with kids. I know a few of my aikido students (of all ages!) think they are ready to be Steven Seagal TOMORROW but they have to do a few other things before they can start tossing people into walls and have movies called something like [student name here IS] DEATH to NINJAS.

Something funny, Autumn had to make up a word rhythm to play on her E string. The teacher had her play "Mississippi Hot Dog" as an example. Autumn's rhythm is "Momotaro-san." The grandfather of one of my students gave me a copy of a beautifully illustrated book he bought in Hawaii many years ago. It's a Japanese fairy tale called Momotaro which means Peach Boy...elderly parents find a baby in a giant peach and he grows up to become a warrior who defeats an island of demons. Autumn is absolutely obsessed with the story and while singing a song written in the back of the book (that we attempt to sing in Japanese sometimes) she decided on that for her spoken rhythm. Too fun.

Other than violin, we're chugging along with school, work, and all of our regular life things. I try to make sure Autumn gets time outside with her friends because she's struggling with the long school day and I told her we'd be sure to have active, fun time every afternoon. This week she's been sword fighting in a yard with the neighbor kids. A couple weeks ago, she and her other friends were raking which was fun? I put a question mark there because it's not MY idea of fun but they enjoyed it.

I've been doing a hanging challenge and encouraging Mike and Autumn to do the same. Mike because it'll be as good for his back and shoulders as it has been for mine. Autumn because kids have so many natural skills that we have to relearn as adults so I'm hoping to help her keep them as she gets older! Hanging, squatting, breathing from the stomach and not the upper chest, those are all things I have to reteach! It's kind of amazing how long she can hang and all the wiggling around she can do.

Kiri is still around! Our friend Amy gave us a cat bed that her cat rejected, thinking Molly might like it. NOPE. Molly prefers shoes or socks to sit on. As a matter of fact, Molly has discovered my mismatched sock basket. She has learned to pull it out and now I am finding single socks all over the house. We caught her carrying one around and it was way amusing. Anyway, Kiri uses the bed as a nest so it isn't a complete waste of a nice cat bed!

For any parents who have kids who hate the dentist: there is hope!! Autumn used to think the dentist was going to take her out with the dental tools but now she loves getting her teeth cleaned. It was a gradual, 5-year change from terror to chatting with the assistant through the tools but here we are. I think having the same person every time was a big help.

Last picture! Autumn was so sad because we had a girls night one Friday. She was all, "so, you're going to have fun? With girls? Without me?" Ha! Heaven forbid I have fun with girls without Miss Autumn, right? Well, fortunately, she had her own girl's day the next day! Aunt Penny came over for snacks and Frozen. Autumn, of course, had to wear her costumes. First Anna, then Elsa complete with wig. As the movie progressed more and more of her Frozen friends joined us on the sofa and we had to hold them all properly.

Well, that's it for August! It wasn't a bad month. I hope September continues on smoothly and that everyone had a great Labor Day!