What kind of mother asks her child to stop practicing his band instrument? Apparently one who teaches 22 first graders all day, brings home a bag of work, stops by the grocery store on the way home and cooks supper while doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen. But enough about me...
When Parker was little, I kind of thought he got his dad's voice. As he crooned off-key in his toddler voice I thought, "Oh well, he'll have other talents." The only instrument he seemed interested in was drums...and that was probably because he liked hitting things with sticks. Last year, in 5th grade, he was required to take at least one quarter of PE, art, and music. He loved PE, tolerated his art class...and fell in love with music! This year he is first chair trumpet in band, and sings in the select choir. At parent-teacher conferences the band director proudly told me, "He's a total band geek!" And it's true. Parker loves his trumpet. I never have to remind him to bring his instrument home. He brings it home every day...and practices without being told. He has a friend who lives down the street and sometimes he comes over with his trumpet and they practice together. In my bedroom. Which Parker has decided has the best "sound"...unmade bed and bras on the floor, notwithstanding.
Being a "band geek" myself, I love that Parker is involved in it. And he's doing remarkably well, considering the short time he's been playing. But after a while, I have to draw the line.
Tonight, after listening to his newest piece, I told him to stop and do his chores. He said, "Okay, just let me put away my trumpet." Ten minutes later, after the third thing I had tried to throw in the overflowing trash can had fallen into the floor, I made a beeline for my bedroom, from which sounds were coming that sounded suspiciously like trumpet playing. I followed the sound through my bedroom toward my bathroom door. There sat Parker, on the toilet, playing his trumpet. I guess that gives a whole new meaning to "tooting"!
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