Watch Week

Today parents could follow their kids around lessons at YYM. I didn't go to all of her lessons, so I dropped her off & went for a cuppa. She had her first couple of lessons, taking birthday cake for her tutors. I went to meet her at morning break before her piano lesson.

It was really great to watch her lessons. It gave me a lot of reassurance to talk to her tutors, watch them in action with her, see how the place works.

We and her piano teacher have reached a good compromise about her exams. I saw how she's benefitting now from having a first study pianist as a teacher. He's a gentle chap who seems to quietly get good results.

She had lunch and then her dalcroze class. I had read up about it but it wasn't until I saw it in action and how well it works for katie that I fully understood it. She learnt so much in the lesson today whilst just thinking she was having awful lot of fun. It's a wonderfully light bit of her day, beautifully age-appropriate too whilst still teaching a huge amount.

Clarinet lesson next. She and her new clarinet teacher seem to be an excellent match. She's slightly bonkers but has a very good teaching style, has seen Katie's ability and potential, has a fabulous understanding of katie already. Well, to some extent. The wobble of the day was a result of a little bit of not understanding katie. She arrived at YYM this morning and her name had been put on the sheet for a concert that was happening today. She had a wobble about it. It turned out her teacher had decided she should do it and put her down for it. This would have been fine- if katie had known it was what was going to happen & could have been prepared for it. To give her credit, she did do it and I was very proud of that. She was quite clearly nervous and not at her top performance form. She was early on in the programme of a concert style that she didn't have prior knowledge of. But she did it, she did well and she got very lovely feedback. Well done baby!

Happy Meal treat tea, birthday Lego, Lush bath bomb birthday bath, birthday jammies and stories.... a nice Sunday evening!