Super Rachel Zana's Spot

One of the best ways to start learning the arm motion for cello vibrato is by sliding a tennis ball up and down on the string while the other hand runs the bow.  My kids think it sounds like a bizarre bumble bee and looks crazy too.   I learned…

  Last Thursday morning all of the kids at our elementary school were encouraged to walk or bike to school.  Anyone who arrived on foot got a free T-shirt.  Despite the fact that at our house walking to school is usually the consequence of missing the school bus, and despite…

Choir rehearsals are finished for the season, and summer weather is here.  To the beach we went last Sunday Night!  Heading to a stretch of beach each Sunday night of the summer has become a family tradition over the past few years.  It’s one of my favorite parts of summer.…

Ever since Mr. Sneaky Pants got glasses, Mr. Trouble on Feet has been insisting that he cannot see well.  He asked for glasses for his birthday.  Dr. Peds was out and about a couple of days ago, and came across some fake glasses.  He brought them home, to the delight…

  Our neighbor halfway down the street turned eight!  To celebrate, an inflatable bouncy house was rented.  You can only imagine what a magnet this was for kids in the neighborhood all weekend.  It was first inflated Friday night.  The birthday party took place Saturday morning.  All Friday evening and…

This is Mr. SP deep in thought.  This is the look I get when Mr. SP wants to strike up a bargain.  This is Mr. SP, filled with quiet optimism that we might turn around and start walking home again.  We didn’t.  I didn’t think to take a picture of…

It was probably two weeks ago now.  We were just beginning a relaxed Saturday afternoon hike.  They picked some dandelions along the road, and Mr. SP helped decorate The Banana’s braid.  Although these two squabble and argue sometimes, my middles do seem to get along the best out of any…

As soon as The Banana gets home from school on Wednesday afternoons, we head straight to the piano with her violin to sneak in a practice session before things get really crazy for the rest of the day.  We grab a quick snack and all of the supplies we need…

  Mr. SP has his trumpet lesson on Friday afternoons, and his trumpet teacher lives just a block away from our neighborhood park.  It’s the perfect opportunity to walk over to the playground while he noodles and toodles away on his trumpet We’ve been enjoying this little routine to end…