Momma: Daddy! Stop! Never ever put anything in baby Davey's mouth. Not even to let him suck on a carrot! (with my eyes leaning in the direction of JJ, who may easily be tempted to do the same thing)
Dadda: Oh! Yes. Sorry momma. But soon he will be able to eat some soft foods, right?
Momma: not for another month, and only when momma says so.
Aaron: like he will be able to eat yogurt because it's soft?
JJ: And applesauce?
Momma: Davey can't have dairy until he's at least one year old. Maybe applesauce a little later. But first he'll have some avocado.
Dadda: GUACAMOLE!
JJ: Yea! Guacamole and chips!!
Aaron: what's dairy?
Momma: food made from cows, like yogurt.
Dadda: Did you know that cows throw up yogurt!
JJ: throw up yogurt? (giggles and looks strangely at his blueberry yogurt).
Momma: NO, no. It's from the cows' milk and then it's made into yogurt later.
Dadda: AND they poop cheese!!!
JJ and Aaron: POOP cheese! (Wild laughter)
Momma: Oh boy Dadda. Truth, Dadda. Truth.
The boys continued to laugh about pooping cheese.
Momma: Cows milk can make all sorts of things! Butter, cheese, ice cream!!!
Aaron: Oh, I know that already!
Momma: of course you do.
JJ: And did you know this is Olaf's nose?! (eating his carrot) And that sheep poop olives!
(wild giggles continue and Momma gives up).
That's what I've got here around my dinner table. And I better get used to it. Honestly, having a bunch of boys is pretty great. It's pretty darn great.
I spent a lot of time with Aaron today. I helped in his classroom first thing. I think I was more of a distraction to him than a help, however. He kept looking for me, waving to me, trying to catch my eye. And he did, pretty much every time. I love watching him outside of our normal zone. He's a smart, thoughtful boy. He wants to be accepted, but chooses well where he will go looking for it. He doesn't pay attention to the rowdy boys in his class, which makes me hopeful for his academic future. But I also want him to make a few good friends at school.
Then again, he has a few pretty good friends at home. And he loves playing with them. So who cares if one of those boys said, "BYU eats its poo!" in class today. Who cares.
Also, I was reading my Suzuki homework today while sitting next to these boys on the couch. They were cashing in on their media time--one minute for every minute spent practicing the violin. It has worked out pretty well. I love hearing Aaron play the violin, and I know that he loves it--most of the time. I want him to learn the instrument for so many reasons, not necessarily so that he will be a professional musician but more for his confidence, building relationships, learning to work, the art of music, etc. But Mr. Suzuki said something in this reading that I hadn't articulated before:
"Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens, noble human beings. If a child hears fine music from the day of his birth, and learns to play it himself, he develops sensitivity, discipline and endurance. He gets a beautiful heat."
It was a good thought that refreshed my perspective on our practice sessions. I want Aaron to be good at the violin. But I mostly want him to be a good person. Music has a kind of magic in it and I can already see it working in him.
I should go to bed now. One last thought--Jonny and I were listening to a classical XM station on the way home from Spanish Fork last Sunday. There was a violin concerto playing, one that sounded like two or even three violins were playing at once. But it was only one violin. Jonny said that he learned that piece our freshman year at BYU. Not to perform it for anyone, but just to learn it. "It was a spiritual experience," he said.
My husband has a beautiful heart.
1 comment:
I love this! I want my boys to learn a instrument, I would love for them to learn to play the piano but non of them show interest. How did Aaron get interested in the violin?!
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