According to Jonny, the past week of rainy gray weather, “Took the spirit right out of me.” I don’t know if it’s the weather or just the shift in season. I have found that my state of mind does change with the seasons. Fall tends to be a contemplative time for me. My spirit doesn’t leave, it just becomes quiet. Isn’t it funny how days of rainy weather have the opposite effect on children? They seem to get more and more wound up. Louder and LOUDER.
Keats played in his first concert with a local children’s orchestra on Friday. He wasn’t happy about it. I am not usually one to force things, but as he has been playing violin for over four years now (per his choice) I decided that it would be worthwhile for him to experience playing with others. We will reevaluate in December and decide whether or not he will continue in the spring. I do hope that he does. I didn’t take many photographs at the concert because I didn’t want to add to Keats’ nervousness and he usually scowls at the sight of my camera anyway. My experience thus far is that this is a hallmark of the twelve year old boy. I don’t know about girls, since Larkspur is not there yet.
I made a couple of unplanned runs to the grocery store last week to grab this and that, and basically blew the grocery budget in the process. So we ate odds and ends for dinner tonight. I cut a half-dozen acorn squash from the garden and put them in the oven to bake. Just as it was time to sit down to dinner, Jonny noted that the oven wasn’t on. Disaster! Next, I realized that after stripping Silas’ bed this morning, I didn’t actually get everything washed or moved to the dryer. Hopefully I’ll tune back in to reality soon. Remembering to do things like turn on the oven and keep the laundry moving is pretty important.
p.s. Still dyeing yarn!
CathieJ says
Your dyed yarn is beautiful. You should take comfort in the fact that you make beautiful things and have a beautiful family (also part of your making). As for 12 year old boys. Yes they are trying….so are 12 year old girls by the way. Days like yours happen….things could be worse and usually they are better. This is life and we have to enjoy the living.
karen says
love the first photo! I guess you will find out if it is worth it to do a performance or not. Our two took piano lessons for 10ish years and the piano teacher never had recitals. However in high school they had band chorus and orchestra concerts and they liked those because they were with their friends.
Nathana says
The change in seasons can really affect a person. My husband has been battling a fever going on 4 days now! But we have been so excited for fall for months. After living the past three years in Phoenix, we are obsessed with this cool weather, colorful trees, and fields full of dry corn stalks. Sigh. It makes us giddy! We are trying to be intentional about getting outside in it before it succumbs to winter.
Megan Wahl says
speaking of hallmark traits of 12 year olds… have you ever heard of the book, Yardsticks? One of my favorites as a middle school teacher. Did you know that boys and girls at age 14 are further apart than at any other point in human development? (in both odor and cognitive development hee hee)
Kate says
My children’s violin teacher had a junior orchestra. Four of my kids played in it and they had mixed feelings about it. It wasn’t because they didn’t like performing in front of others; most of them had been playing in recitals since they were five-ish and loved performing for others (otherwise, why pick up an instrument in the first place?) I was more nervous when they performed than they were! Their mixed attitude toward junior orchestra was partly because the teacher had to pick very simple music because of the different skill levels of her students. Some of the members were not dedicated and it showed in the group playing. Some of the concerts were painful. We were willing to undergo the torture for the benefit of our kids, but the players often get impatient. I think it is good experience even if they only learn to watch the conductor or get along with their stand partner or who turns the page. It really helped my oldest son with his timing – he tended to want to do everything his way, but he learned that you can’t do that when you are playing with others. We let our kids drop out of jr. orchestra if it was negatively affecting their attitude toward violin playing, but they had to at least try it for a season. We never let them drop mid-season, because our rule was that once they made the commitment to something, then they had to stick it out to the bitter end. It greatly discourages becoming flakey. When they were good enough players, they joined our community orchestra. They worked hard to get to that level and enjoyed playing challenging music and playing with dedicated adults. They started with the yearly “Messiah” concert at Christmas. Ask Keats if he can imagine that thrill! They also have done a lot of Beethoven which my kids say is just a privilege to play with an orchestra and an unforgettable experience. The concerts have always been great. My older kids have learned that very, very few violinists make it as solo performers, but professional and community orchestras are always looking for good players. A good violin player can also earn money as a “ringer” for concerts. So that’s a long way of saying that playing in an orchestra is a good team sport.
a spirit of simplicity says
Oh I have had days like that…..it’s kind of frustrating. I think it is the universes way of telling me to slow down.
Elisabeth says
Keep playing, Keats! It takes a while to get used to playing in an orchestra. And it will become more and more fun when you get to know the other students better.
Ginny, best wishes on organizing the chores. I had several similar mishaps recently…
Marion says
Who hasn’t forgot to turn the oven off or on? Your only human Ginny.
Marion
Laura says
Oh Ginny, you are not the only one who forgets to do these things. i’d like to know who came up with ovens where you have to put in the temperature and then push the start button! It is sooo east to blow the grocery budget! You must be happy you took the time to plant and maintain your garden. We don’t have one so if I blow the budget its breakfast for dinner or grilled cheese sandwiches. Hope your week improves which it undoubtedly will with the weather forecast for this week?
Melissa McIntyre says
We’re forgetful twins! Couldn’t possibly have anything to do with us having 7 kiddos! ?
ElizabethClare says
I don’t know that I’ve ever forgotten to turn the oven on, but then again I don’t have as many children as you do and I notice I get a little more forgetful with each birth! I hope your son keeps playing too. Music is such a gift!
Olivia says
Days like that happen to me regardless of the season but Fall and Winter are so much more calm for us here, usually. Yes, there’s school, but for some reason it’s easier to homeschool when it’s not as fun to be outside. But having them inside all day… well, that’s rough.
Place under the pine says
I was going to say Fall is a time that (usually) give me energy and I’m ‘on my game’…but, now that you mention it, I’ve been forgetting the regular tasks like laundry, turning the dishwasher on, etc. Seems, I have extra energy, but my mind is somewhere else (maybe my primitive mind is distracted with the thoughts of preparing for winter?)
sustainablemum says
I am with Keats on the whole performing thing. I loved playing in an orchestra at his age and do now as an adult but I hated the performing bit. The only time I was ok with it was playing in orchestra for shows where all eyes were on the stage rather than us!
Melissa N says
That berry color yarn turned out amazing! My package arrived safely on Saturday and indeed the yarn is just as pretty in person. Contemplating it’s use. Thanks a bunch!
Emily D. says
Oh, gosh, that oven thing! I’ve actually done the opposite–preheated it and then–in a fit of God only knows what–turned it off! I guess I thought it was a burner or something! Sigh.
Jenna says
The rain and change in season has me a little backwards/upside-down too. You are not alone!
Gwendolyn says
We’ve got 3 adults and 3 children in my household and you’ve got many more in yours. I have no idea how you do what you do! I had the laundry discussion with my daughter before going to bed last night. I let her know I would put in a load of clothes when I leave for work and she can hang them (we use a drying rack for things other than sheets) when she gets up with the little ones. Then we’ll both work on our dried clothes in the evening getting them folded and put away. At least its a good plan.
I received my beautiful yarn from you yesterday and am so thrilled with the results. It also smells wonderful! My husband doesn’t even question anything when I say I’ve received a package from Ginny, my Catholic homeschooling lady. Love your new yarn! Hope you have a bright week!
Carla says
Cute post. I remember those days. As a mother of 6, I started planning supper right after breakfast. Having a garden helped, but it was always ‘what’s for dinner?’ I enjoy seeing your photos of the farm
Pom Pom says
Argh! I know that laundry mishap! Remember in one of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books when they forgot to turn the crock pot on and they came home to NO STEW? Your squash story reminds me of that.
Boys really have their own inner world/council. They think deep thoughts at night and they decide stuff that dictates their future store of wisdom. They also stay awake late so it’s hard to go in and lay hands on them, thanking God for the privilege of influencing sons.
I agree! Autumn is contemplative.
fawn says
I can relate to your post as I have a 10 year old violin-playing picture-hating boy. Sometimes I wonder if the nagging to practice and coercing into performing are worth it, but we keep at it.
Katherine says
Oh! The colour of the yarn in the second photograph. So, so beautiful.
Kim says
Love my new yarn…what to do with it?❤️
Martha says
My girls aren’t twelve yet but I distinctly remembering scowling and protesting every time my parents pulled out the camera when I was twelve. Press on! (Now I TREASURE all the family video and photos they took.)
Brooke says
My 12 year old boy is the same. This spring my two eldest committed to singing a song in a play. Let’s just say we are experiencing the same drama about performing. But we committed so here we are, I tell them! I do think the performance aspect is important too. The change of weather has taken the wind out of my sails too.
barbara arenburg says
Forgot the sugar in my peach pie. Forgot the entire flour concoction for my banana muffins I was so proudly baking for my friend (yes, I put only the wet ingredients in the cups and baked them. Who does that?!!)
Maria says
Wishing you some bright sunny fall days for a change!
Angela says
A violin-playing boy who won’t perform? Love it! I have one of those too! He is 11 and plays viola (his choice) but he has a real fear of public speaking/singing/playing/kung-fu competition. I am letting him work through this in small bits; most recently he had to say one word in a boy scout assembly. He stressed about it for two weeks. But he did it. He felt a great sense of relief…and maybe a tiny sense of victory (I hope).
It was a delight to read about a household where yarn takes precedence over dinner sometimes, it sounds just a little familiar. Keep posting the beautiful dyed yarn; your photos start my day out right!
Gillian says
I hate it when I forget to some something important. There have been times when I’ve cooked something and forgotten to serve it until the rest of the dinner was eaten.
Wendy says
Oh, I hate it when I blow the grocery budget–just did it this weekend, in fact!
The yarn is lovely as always!
Jani says
It was a Monday here too today – all day long! Here’s to a better week ahead. 🙂
Amy says
Reality is highly overrated!