Band Concert

Both kids made the homeschool concert band this year. Sweet Daughter is on flute and Sweet Son on trumpet.

Holly Jolly Christmas

Sweet Son is the trumpet player on the far left.

Sweet Daughter is front and center, but you can't see her around the stand. At the very end when the director signals everyone to sit down you can just see her peeking over the stand.

Trumpet Trio

The two boys have been playing trumpet for less than one year while the girl has been playing for 2.5 years. I parent one and teach trumpet to the other two. :) Notice they don't have a director for this piece, they had to count it off, listen, and cut off together.

Wordless Wednesday

Piano Recital

Sweet Son loves piano and plays complex pieces, until recital time. He isn't a fan of recitals and always picks the easiest song possible. So he goes from playing 3 movements of a sonata to barely playing hands together. At least he's still willing to perform though.

Rudolph

End of recital

Voice Recital

It's recital time again! This year Sweet Daughter is singing. She is in a group class so she had a solo as well as a group song.

Whistle a Happy Tune

Ribbons after the recital

The music school offers a program where they earn a trophy after they get 6 ribbons. 

This was Sweet Daughter's turn to get a trophy!

Wordless Wednesday

Practicing their trumpet trio

Sweet Son is the one in the red shirt

Halloween Events

There are many events the kids get to wear their costumes for throughout our area. I don't have pictures of them wearing them to school.

Here they are at his piano lesson - it was bring a friend and wear a costume.

I do not have a photo of where she took him to her voice class.

A fire station has an event where the kids can explore and go trick or treating. We were studying the local government and that day the kids had to research the fire chief. They were so excited to get to meet him in person that evening.

2nd Grade Curriculum Choices

I wanted to post about the materials we used in 2nd grade - i.e. The year you will see me start posting about now since I keep the blog a year behind.

Moving Beyond the Page - Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Rosetta Stone - Polish
Life of Fred - Math
Khan Academy - Math
Typing Instructor for Kids - Typing
The Complete Elementary Music Rudiments, 2nd Edition - Music Theory
Sequential Spelling - Spelling
Private Music Lessons
Homeschool Band
Sports



Moving Beyond the Page we have been using for years and we used the 8-11 curriculum for 2nd grade. We did every lesson in every unit. The kids asked to take it slowly so we only worked from it 3 times a week. It lasted more than a calendar year, but they have grown up and learned so much.

With family in Poland, it is important the kids learn Polish so they continue to work through that. This year in addition to understanding, speaking, and reading it, they added learning to write in Polish.



Life of Fred is a series of math books. The kids were working their way through the rest of the elementary series and started the intermediate series. Since they are so far ahead of where they should be we only did 1 lesson per week out of these.

Khan Academy is a free online math site. The kids were required to spend 40 minutes per week (not all at once) working on math here. By the end of the year both have finished all of 2nd and most of 3rd grade as well as many skills from higher grades.


For typing we increased their goal speed to 20wpm. Our idea is once they can type 50wpm they can be done with typing forever. We are hoping they increase at a rate of 10wpm per year so they would be done with typing around 5th grade.



For music theory we are using the book that prepares them for the Royal Conservatory Music Theory tests. We have also added a private theory lesson for Sweet Son as he surpassed my theory knowledge and I couldn't help him answer questions any more.

We only work on spelling twice per week using Sequential Spelling. When we were just over half way through the first book they both took the new online placement test. Sweet Daughter scored half way through the first book - perfect! Sweet Son scored into the 3rd book so now he is doing his spelling online while she is still working through the first book with me. She will switch to online when she finishes the current book.

They take private music lessons through a local classical music school. Sweet Son is still studying piano with the teacher he has been with for a couple of years. He decided he doesn't want to do a performance test and that is fine. He is enjoying playing and learning. Sweet Daughter is in a group voice class and is doing well. She really enjoys the group class and having more people to interact with.

The kids are continuing with homeschool band, only now they are in the concert band instead of the beginner band. They are still the youngest, but have friends and enjoy it immensely.

Sports vary by kid and by season. Sweet Son strongly prefers solo sports such as swimming. Sweet Daughter strongly prefers team sports with a great deal of competition. With both kids doing different sports it feels like I'm constantly running around trying to get everyone where they need to be.

Belated Canada Day

Canada Day isn't typically celebrated in the United States, obviously. However the kids wanted to recognize the country their Dad grew up in.

Oh Canada!

Kennedy Center

When I lived in DC I worked at the Kennedy Center for the Arts. I knew we would visit once while we were there so I checked out their free performance schedule. I decided the best option was to go see Irish Dancing (I was secretly hoping Sweet Daughter would be interested and want to try it, but she wasn't.)

So after a long day of walking, we walked to the Kennedy Center. Yes, there is a free shuttle and yes, I knew about it. We are a family that likes to walk. I think we did 12 miles every day of our DC trip with no complaints from the kids (or adults).

Watergate Hotel 

So we stumbled upon this. It is an Earth Harp. It is huge and sounds beautiful.

The only issue was we had our dates mixed up and the Irish Dancing was the next night. We caught a performance of the National Symphony Orchestra (no photos). Then came back to the Kennedy Center the next day.  

Sweet Daughter and I joined in learning how to do an Irish Dance before the official performance.

The boys sat on the side and watched.

We are on the far side in different groups, but this was the result of our short lesson.

Band Concert

The kids joined our local homeschool concert band. Sweet Son plays trumpet (cornet) and Sweet Daughter plays flute. They are in beginning band which started in January. The majority of this group of kids didn't know how to read music or play instruments so to go from that to a concert in just a few months is impressive.

The group performing outside on a HOT day.

Sweet Daughter is on the front row right side (legs don't touch the ground)

Sweet Son is on the second row left side (2nd chair in)

Ode to Joy

Theme and Variations

Saints Go Marching In

Not bad for less than 15 classes together, but they certainly have room for improvement.

Piano Recital

Sweet Son loves playing music, but he hates recitals. He said he wanted to play the shortest song possible so that no one would keep looking at him.

 On stage

I'm a Little Teapot

Bonus photo of the kids practicing their band instruments for the upcoming concert!

Guitar Recital

Sweet Daughter was in a guitar class this year and didn't know enough to be in the December recital so she was thrilled to get to perform in the May recital.

Ready to go perform 

On stage

Ode to Joy

Trio

The best part of having the kids in band is we can now all play together. I do need to explain one thing - Sweet Son asked if he could play a high note at the end. I said not for the video since he often misses the note. In the video they are 6 years old and have been playing for 5 months.

Perot Museum, Dallas

We went to explore the Perot Museum in downtown Dallas. This wasn't our first trip there, but it is always fun.

Frogs near the entrance

Lots of frogs near the entrance

In the music lab he is using a midi sequencer

She loved using the drum set 

(this is a very loud room)

Music!

With the kids both playing multiple instruments, the house is never quiet!

Aunt J helping Sweet Daughter with flute

Sweet Son trying to play as loudly as possible

This is an awesome group. They take musicians and combine them for educational performances. We went to one last year that was a brass quintet. Here they had a piano, trumpet, flute, and bassoon. If you have never heard a jazz bassoon performance, you are missing out! I highly suggest any performance by Astraios based on the two we have attended.

Local Band in the Dominican Republic

Have you ever been standing in line and heard a local band and wished you could join them. Apparently that's an actual thing and here's the proof! Musicians just recognize each other.

Band Instruments

A homeschool band was starting near us. The typical child starts band in 6th grade, my kids are 6 years old. I talked to the band director and said my kids wanted to come try out different instruments. She explained they are probably too young and I was fine with that. It would be good for them to have something they aren't successful with. They need to learn some things you just have to wait to be able to do. They both already have 3 years of lessons and can read music, which I knew would be helpful for beginner band, but wind instruments are completely different from piano and guitar.

Sweet Daughter said she wanted to try flute. She held the mouthpiece and after one small adjustment (hers, not the band director's) she was able to produce a full tone. We were all shocked. She could produce the sound on the full flute as well, only her arms aren't quite long enough. We were told she could join if we could find a flute with a curved head joint.

Sweet Son said he wanted to play the trombone. His arms aren't long enough for that. So she gave him a trumpet mouthpiece. He instantly buzzed and could do siren sounds. She said he could join if we started him on a cornet rather than the full sized trumpet.

So, the hunt for instruments was on. These are what we found.

Sweet Daughter trying out the cornet

Sweet Son on the cornet

Sweet Daughter on the flute

(the curved head joint is in the case)

They will be the youngest, by far in the band, but we are going to try it and see how it goes. I don't feel ready to be a band mom. It wasn't that long ago I was a band kid.

Guitar, not a recital

Sweet Daughter started a new instrument this year and wasn't ready to perform in a concert. Being our child who loves performing, she wanted to put on her own concert at home.

Watching Sweet Son's recital with Grandma

Her own recital at home

Piano Recital

Here are photos from Sweet Son's piano recital.

While playing

Posing for pictures (front row corner)

Trying not to smile

Yup, he's 6. :)

Throwback Thursday

First, Happy Thanksgiving Americans! Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for:

You know when you are dog sitting and you call the kids to circle time and turn back around to see this? All three were perfectly behaved and seemed to enjoy singing and learning. The kids are 2 years old in this photo.

Both kids love music and this was from one of their first music classes when they were 3 years old. I am thankful for both kids, music, and all of the teachers who have helped them grow into the wonderful people they are.