On Saturday, John (13) participated for the first time in Scholarship-level Federation Festival, which requires reaching a certain level of accomplishment to join. He performed Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 1st movement and Toccata in a minor by Timothy Brown. Our boy earned FIRST PLACE in his division and will be going to States in April! Congratulations, John, on all your months of hard work!
Dad, spying through the glass at John
The girls performed for Non-Scholarship Federation in violin that day (piano being in a few weeks).
Mary was hired as Margaret's accompanist for the first time (instead of our hiring a professional), so she participated in Margaret (8) earning a Superior score in Violin Solo for performing Musette by Bach and Chorus from 'Judas Machabeus' by Handel.
The girls' violin teacher listening outside the performance door
Mary (11) earned Superiors in both Violin Solo and in Violin Concerto. Congratulations, girls!
Forward, march--often with our noses in a book as we walk down the road--we continue through music competition season!
John played the Sonatina No. 38 by Beethoven in a piano Master Class with Kwan Yi. Mary played the Gigue from the Sonata in d minor by Veracini in violin Master Class with Victoria Pan, and the Concerto in g minor, 3rd mvt., BWV 1058, by J.S. Bach in piano Master Class with K Sekino. Also, Mary, being a strings player, was invited to join in the side-by-side rehearsal and later the public concert for the Holberg Suite, Op. 40, by Grieg. (Orchestras have only one pianist at most, so piano students were not invited to join.)
Rehearsal for Holberg Suite
John's Master Class
Chris and I split Saturday in half, each of us staying with the children at the Next Gen event for half the day. It is important to us as parents to protect moral virtue by chaperoning as much as we can. I got to attend the luncheon, which was so very useful. The many professional musicians who are professors at East Carolina University sat amongst us all, as did the music major college students, and they all led discussions with these young folk and offered professional career advice. Sitting at our table was the cellist Emmanuel Gruber, who I saw perform live some years ago, and he was eminently delightful to speak with. I was impressed with how they spoke so honestly and respectfully to my 10- and 12-year-olds, treating them not as equals per se but truly as peers in the musical performing world.
After Mass on Sunday, while Chris was attending a church meeting, I hustled all the children to get Mary a quick meal and then get her settled for her sound check and final rehearsal. Then Chris joined us--our having taken two cars--and we got dinner for the rest of us, and settled in for the two-hour, free concert. This was quite a treat for the public as normally the tickets to see Next Gen on the Road or its parent group, the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, are pricey.
The concert was held at the exquisitely beautiful and historic Myers Park Baptist Church which, although it has strayed quite far from its theological roots and I'm sure many Baptists are rolling over in their graves, has maintained its architectural beauty. The campus landscaping also was exceptional and showed tremendous professionalism by its landscape architects over many decades: what a treat for me!
During most of the concert, Chris stayed out in the narthex with the three little boys so I could sit far up front with John and Mary. The little boys were happy as clams coloring!
Three boys who have captured my heart
Joseph (almost 7) then got to sit inside the sanctuary in the very back pew so his dad could keep an eye on him through a window. Joseph was engrossed and often conducting with his hands.
The final piece was the Holberg Suite, Op. 40, by Grieg, as performed by the professors of music at ECU, the music major students, and local youth, such as Mary. Most of the 33 local students participating were notably older--upper middle school and high-school--and I only saw two other children particularly young, like Mary. I was so impressed that she had learned to play this 18-minute piece of music having received the sheet music only one week prior. In fact, there was even a mix-up and she did not receive the final movement of the piece so she ended up sight reading it for the first time live during the rehearsal on Saturday!
Next Gen requested we not post publicly on social media any video clips, so I will honor that and not post the Holberg Suite here. However, we were granted permission to share privately with individual family and friends, so any of our loved ones is welcome to email me for the link to the unlisted video.
The only time David (2) was loud was right in between movements of the Holberg Suite when he began screaming back in the narthex during the silent, pregnant pause. The first violinist (who founded Next Gen 20 years ago) set the tone by starting to giggle and the entire orchestra followed laughing for just a few moments--which I'm sure they never would have done during a professional event, but this was just a bit more family-oriented and casual! I just chuckled along with the crowd, but my cover was blown as the Mama of the Screaming Toddler when Chris let David loose within seconds of the concert ending and he ran up the Very Long Aisle from the back of the church to me with the biggest smile on his face, arms flung outward, crying triumphantly, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Mommy and baby were reunited after two long hours . . . and everyone knew whose baby was making noise!
Joyous girl after the concert
We really had no idea what to expect when our music teachers asked us to apply for this event and we got in, but the experience was inspiring and instructive and we sure look forward to participating again, if we are so honored.
Congratulations to John for earning a Superior performing the Concerto in C Major by Haydn at the CPTF Concerto Competition last Saturday! We are so proud of his dedicating daily work to this for six months.
Lunch out with Dad afterward
2. Advent 2018
Advent and Lent have gotten simpler and simpler each year in our home as I have more children to care for and more grades to teach. We have a few sacrifices we are making. We switched the songs we're learning during home choir time to "Veni, Veni Emanuel" (learning it in Latin this year). We have the candle to light and Advent calendar to open. I set out the nativity scene and the Christmas books selection and just hope for the best, like setting out bird seed and hay in snowy winter for the animals to forage themselves.
The list of all the Advent activities we have cut due to an overwhelming lack of time since the earlier years would make for a more lengthy paragraph. I hear so many of my large-family friends talking about what holy books they've chosen to read over Advent in order to nourish their souls while I haven't picked anything because I haven't had time to read a book in months and months, says the woman who read a fat book per week for most of her life.
Mama is filled with self-doubt about it all.
Thomas is enjoying climbing up onto this ledge (with his healed collar bone!) to 'read' the Christmas books I set there for the season. He does not want the books to be brought down so he can sit in a chair or on the floor!
2. John Turns 12!
Happy twelfth birthday to our firstborn!
We had a small, family celebration this year, as we tend to limit Birthday Party Propers to the "big" numbers (e.g., 5, double-digits 10, 13 teenager . . .).
John is a cause of much frivolity and joy. He takes things in stride and one of his favorite pastimes is making interesting conversation with people of all ages, especially adults. This year in school, he has been making great strides in learning much more serious study habits, time management, and being able to carry a heavier workload, and we are proud of his efforts.
4. Christmas Caroling
On Monday night, our parish Fraternus (boys) and Fidelis (girls) groups went Christmas caroling, apparently for the fourth year in the row. This was our first year eligible to join and a record-breaking crowd of 60 young people (grades 6-12) showed up! It was heartwarming to see. (Families of the students were allowed to join in, but mostly it was just the students, not people with little kids like mine. Ours was the only stroller there.)
No one will be surprised that our Mary made sure she was the one to go ring the doorbell at each house to announce our arrival.
My little boys hung in well until about 8:00 when they could no longer hold in their wailing and tears at being out so late. We were done caroling by then, but I pulled my older kids early from extended time eating treats, drinking cocoa, and generally socializing. There was some upset reaction, but this gave us all an opportunity to practice gratitude that we got to go caroling at all since Daddy was out of town on business and unable to be the "nighttime outing parent" as usual, and that I sacrificed my littles being out past bedtime for the sake of the olders: and now the olders have to sacrifice a little for their younger sibs by going home early.
It had actually been a humorously frenetic afternoon with Mama doing it all in Chris' absence.
I taught a full school day up till the last minute we had to depart
Having laid the boys down a bit early for nap, I woke them after only a short time, which would be especially tough knowing that they'd be awake two hours late due to the caroling
2:45 I delivered John to CCE school at our parish
Dropped off at Goodwill and drove home
4:45 I delivered Mary to girls' choir practice at our parish
I unloaded all the children and went inside to sign some mandatory paperwork for the next semester
I visited our friends for a play date, as they live right near the parish
6:15 I returned to the parish to pick up John and Mary
I drove us all to Chik-Fil-A for dinner
7:00 We returned to the parish just in the nick of time for Christmas caroling
9:00 Tired, crying children home and tucked into bed
5. St. Nicholas Day
My two girls baked gingerbread cake for us the day prior, and made an extra large batch so we could freeze some extra cakes for the Christmas season.
On the eve of St. Nicholas, I was just about to read aloud about the saintly bishop to our younger children when the baby broke a Corele plate: they're durable until they finally break and then they shatter into approximately ten thousand pieces which bounce into every conceivable corner of the kitchen, including around corners and into other rooms and upward to land on counter-tops. So, while I spent a lengthy time sweeping, I assigned Mary to read aloud to the boys.
We were handed down these little kid ski goggles and our three-year-old has been wearing them much of the time, including that night when he said he wanted to sit on the ledge (as usual) and "read mine own books."
After the littles were tucked in, I filled their shoes with chocolate coins, oranges, candy canes, and I set out our family presents.
The girls and boys each received a beautiful new crucifix for their bedrooms and they were truly actually quite excited by that gift, about which I'm so grateful. We also gave three new books: "An Orange for Frankie," "Candy Bomber" (about WWII), and a collection of Charles Dickens' five Christmas tales, as I want to read aloud "The Cricket on the Hearth" this season. Lastly, a new figurine of St. Nicholas joined our crew.
There have been fancier breakfasts over the years, but this tired mama is flagging, especially when one's husband is gone two weeks in a row, so I served pancakes (made in a double batch last weekend and frozen for this purpose) with sausages and homemade whipped cream (that was the fancy part), around which I wrapped Christmas ribbon. Not quite "Martha Stewart."
6. Profound Thoughts
I haven't written anything deep, no essays, nothing thought-provoking on this blog for what seems like months, maybe this whole school year. I really do have numerous essays in my head running. I have blog drafts of a couple of big topics I've been researching to share. Every week, I have deep meditations I want to share.
But there is never time to get back to my computer and dash them out, and come early Friday morning when I try to get out a Seven Quick Takes, they're all gone.
7. Miscellaneous
For the last two weeks, my Margaret and Joseph have been the only ones to show up for tennis class, so the coach has happily let our three-year-old be involved, too. Then when my John and Mary show up an hour later for their class, all the Lauer kids join together for a game of "Happy Feet" before I take the younger set home, and that's very fun.
After the very big day of celebrating Margaret's First Holy Communion, Mary (9) was due in the evening at the Charlotte Piano Teachers' Forum Winners' Recital because she had previously won first place in her age bracket. This earned her her first monetary prize, and we are so proud of her diligence!
Mary with her teacher
We decided that Mary and her dad would be the only ones to attend because it was so important to us that the out-of-town guests didn't shift attention away from the more eternally important sacrament Margaret had just received. This was a difficult parenting decision but, we discerned, the one with better Catholic teaching. Mary was very understanding, even though it would have felt so natural and good for these five visiting adults to go watch her perform in person.
I stayed home making final preparations for the funeral the next morning and making sure everyone got to bed early so they would be well rested. Of course, rest was not to be found for me, but that can be told with the next installment!
She'll head to compete at the state-level of Royalty a month from now, which means another month of our hearing the Invention played at least 20 times per day. I get asked, sometimes, about a child being "just so gifted" in music, but really, most of it is an excellent teacher and incredibly hard work. As Suzuki himself said of practice, "After ten thousand times, understanding begins."
2. David at 8 Months Old
Aaack! I note that David turned eight months old on Wednesday and I forgot to take a picture with his cute little "8" sticker.
Easter eggs make great toys.
Milestone: David's first bath in which he did not cry!
David now crawls everywhere and speedily. We have to re-train everybody to shut the bathroom doors because David likes to crawl in there straight for the toddler potty (ew!). He can climb up the stairs out of sunken den, so you know it's only a matter of time before he finds the stairs going up-up-up!
Hangin' out with Mama while she reads in the grass
3. Joseph
I look forward to teaching Joseph in Kindergarten next fall. He's five now and ready to learn, if only I could carve out time to teach him.
Joseph doing Snap Circuits
Photo of Mama by Joseph
In between CCE recitations, I had Joseph jump on the trampoline, reminding me of the last five-year-old son I taught: John six long years ago! These boys are JUMPY and FULL OF ENERGY. Just call Joseph 'Tigger.'
4. Growing Up Fast
These kids are growing up so fast. My Mary (9) is an incredible domestic help to me, so often a second pair of eyes spotting needs and filling them. When Mom and Dad say 'no' to something, Thomas (2) now goes and asks Mary's permission!
One morning, Mary made our family French toast from start to finish!
How pleased I was when John spotted a string trimmer on sale and requested--begged!--to be allowed to buy it with his own money, so he can add edging to his business services available, along with mowing (bagging or mulching) and blowing. I so often question our parenting choices and trying to figure out what we're doing, but it seems like a Good Thing when an 11-year-old wants to work and earn money toward a goal, and wants to put his own investment into it. ("Mama, I want to pay for this because I'll make more money than it costs because now I can charge for edging.")
5. Outings
On Sunday, we tried a restaurant in hopes of booking it for my mom and stepfather's upcoming funeral reception, and it passed the test.
We had our usual tennis and Scottish Dance lessons, plus I even took six kids shopping in public with me . . . TWICE. I took them to Play It Again Sports--buying used is the way to go!--and grocery shopping at Aldi's--and then I vowed I'd never do that again. There were crabby adults actually staring, pointing, and making commentary at us as I had to keep five kids still, having sent one child to go get a store employee, because my two-year-old had thrown a bottle of applesauce on the ground and smashed it everywhere. I made a chain of safety across the very slippery mess and directed people around it, lest anyone slip, while we waited. It wouldn't have been so bad except for the tiny martyrdom of shoppers staring, and then laughing out loud, "She even has a baby on her back!"
Ice cream we paid for
I tried this year to take the children for a free cone at Ben and Jerry's on Free Cone Day, but even pulling into the parking lot, the kids starting exclaiming, "Mama's never going to stand in that line!" They were right, as the line snaked far through the parking lot. Instead we drove over to Baskin-Robbins and paid for our sweet treat, causing me to wonder whether Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's results in higher ice cream sales at other stores.
6. Outdoor Fun
Mary hung a new swing in the tree-bushes in the front yard, so the kids have been enjoying that new area of fun. They've also been drawing extensively with their Easter basket sidewalk chalk, and playing a lot of hopscotch with said chalk.
Now that the kids have taken five weeks of tennis lessons, we finally tried simply going to play tennis on our own for the fun of it.
On Thursday, upon finishing school work early (motivation!), we took the stroller and made our way to the tennis courts, where two kids at a time took turns playing singles (because we own only two rackets right now!), while three other kids ran around pell-mell and I walked laps around the court with the baby. It was a wonderful way to get in some exercise as a family!
7. Final Day of CCE
Catholic Classical Enrichment wrapped up for the 2017-18 year! Our last day consisted of memory testing, presentation of certificates of accomplishments, the choirs singing their songs, and a potluck.
The choir: Pre-K, K, 1st
Margaret earned one certificate, Mary three, and John two. My sweet Joe couldn't quite earn the certificate he was going for, but that falls on his mama who hasn't been able to carve out any time to teach him this year. How different will be his Kindergarten year when his job the last two years has been to "go and play!" while I teach the older ones, as compared to John and Mary who had done daily dedicated school with me for two years before starting Kindergarten? Other moms of large families seem to be able to manage more, but this is what it's like around here: keepin' it real.
