4 times and forgetting

It's that time of year again when the kids have their piano recital with the excellent tutilage of Mrs. Chatterly.  This year was another year of seriously funny  recital performances.  Owen went first by playing the only song he likes to play from his lessons, I Am Like a Star Shining Brightly.  He has it down and plays it several times in a row while I am in the kitchen making dinner, or cleaning or whatever.  Needless to say, he plays it repeatedly without my stopping him.  When I hear a lull in the music, I say, "Honey that was so nice.  Great job."  I really do mean it, but I am not necessarily paying attention.

Yet, practice makes perfect...He played his song not one, not two, but four times.  

The first time he played, we were all delighted and perhaps leaning in a little closer to hear him play.  He played very timidly.  We were all expecting him to stop.  But then, he just kept going with the second time.  Owen played this much better.

But then, he repeated his song a third time.  I looked at Jeb.  Robyn looked at me, and then I felt the looks of all the adults in the room.  Here was the big question.  Do we all politely just let him keep playing?  You could feel the consensus in the room of the listening crowd.  We were all torn.  He was so cute to just keep repeating and playing the song perfectly over and over and over again.  Does Robyn go up and tell him to stop?  Does Jeb go up and give him a pat on the back and an "atta boy" and have him get up from the piano?  I couldn't do anything because I was trying not to laugh my head off.  It was so cute and funny and innocent.  

Thankfully, a dad, Brandon Eggleston, came to the rescue.  He looked back at me, and nodded his head as the song ended, for the fourth time and started clapping.  The whole room erupted into applause and Owen, well, watch.

Oh my gosh.  Could Owen be any cuter?  I felt a little lighter that day because of the jovial spirit he brought into the room.  I was probably the only person to feel this, besides his family, but it felt good to have a sweet son do something so funny.

And then there is my darling Gavin.  So smart, so bright, yet so 11.  As we are pulling up to the piano recital, everyone jumps out of the car, excited we are actually on time somewhere.  Owen grabs his music and Gavin jumps out and starts running in.  

"Gavin, where is your piano music?"  Stunned silence.

"Did you seriously forget your piano music to YOUR piano recital?"  A little nod.

Thankfully the recital was at our church, a minute away, so really no harm no foul.

"Jeb toss me the keys, I need to go back home."

"Why?"  

"Because."

Gavin and I get in the car, "Gavin, I cannot believe you forgot your music.  It's like forgetting to pull down your pants to pee. It's like forgetting to breath.  I have nothing nice to say, so I am not saying anything."

"Mom, I am sorry."  

nothing

"Mom, why aren't you talking to me."

"Because I am mad."

"But you just talked to me."  DOH!

Silence.

Gavin  performed a rousing rendition of Alouette.  Which it turns out is about plucking and eating a Lark.  Check it out  And then, check out Gman chewing gum and playing piano.  It's a pretty amazing talent.

It also reminds me of a poem my dad used to tell me when he saw me chewing gum and playing the flute.  He would chew gum in school and get busted while he was in band playing the trumpet.  The band teacher would make my dad write something that went like, 

The gum chewing drummer and the cud chewing cow are a somewhat alike but different somehow. What is the difference? I’ll tell you right now its the contended look on the face of the cow.

Robyn does such a great job with the kids.  And thank you so much Robyn for remembering that we don't have all day to listen to kids pluck out notes on the piano.  It was perfectly timed and we enjoyed a nice game of keep away after in the gym.