3/30/08 The Musician

We had a really special visit today, from my friend Anna (Papa Paul's daughter) and a young woman, Lauren, who's staying with her in her home in Minnesota. We see each other every few years, and it's always great fun. Anna and Lauren were visiting coastside for a workshop in Berkeley, and they took the time and trouble to rent a car and come visit us way down here. How lucky for us!

Anna is a professional cellist, so the boys were very excited about a real musician coming to visit. I told Gabriel that being a musician is very special, and that you have to work very hard and be the best, because there aren't a lot of jobs for musicians. It's easy to be an engineer like me or Dad, but you have to practice a lot to be a musician. The parent-brainwashing continues!

Anna is one of those people who's awash with talent: artistic as well as playing with kids. She's a complete natural, and can take the most mundane objects and turn them into a play paradise. It took no time for her to win over Katrina, who was in such a fabulous state today that my tales of her difficulties rang hollow.


Lucky me, I got to make a big breakfast with lots of fun choices (including my new discovery, Herb-Baked Eggs, which I love having an excuse to make, in individual ramekins this time). Anna and Lauren and I got to catch up alone at first, but then Julian joined us and charmed them completely with his adorable little-boy questions and comments. And, his polite (phew) asking for yet more yogurt. That kid can down an entire pint of Pavel's Russian Yogurt single-handedly. Katrina vyed for more attention too as she stuffed down three buttermilk pancakes and a wheatbran muffin.

Anna's friend Lauren brought her violin, and this was really fun. All 3 kids were fascinated at listening to it, and I found even just casual playing of a few classical bars downright moving, having it so close.



Gabriel was very anxious to "show off" his piano, the violin came out, and this turned into something between a jam session and a lesson. Lauren very generously showed the boys how to use the bow. I was more nervous than she was -- violins are delicate and expensive instruments!

Then Anna amused the boys by making some silly sounds and singing with the violin, playing it like it's a cello, though that particular part of the humor was lost on them. It's truly remarkable to see such talent in action, both in terms of ability to entertain, and musically.


Then they both got lessons how to finger and bow the violin, though in a cello fashion. Lauren helped the bower control the bow, and it turned into a 4-person effort to play "Hot Cross Buns" cello-style on a violin!

I never knew that fingers are counted differently between string instruments and pianos, and didn't know that the bow is held at a different angle for cellos and violins. (My mother, who's now learning the viola, would no doubt know this .... drat, I forgot to mention that to Anna, though she probably knows!)

Then Gabriel and Lauren played "Three Blind Mice" together, though you can't hear the piano, or Julian's shy singing, very well.


Lauren and Anna were both beside themselves over our orange tree, and took a big bag of freshly-picked oranges with them (thank goodness, we have plenty of oranges). I've been in California too long, because having an orange or lemon tree in your yard is completely common here -- but when you're coming from Minnesota, where it's snowed Halloween to Easter -- it's a treat! Lauren did express some disappointment about not being able to wear a sundress though. "It's kinda cold in Berkeley!" Yup! Sorry. I explained to them a bit about that little fog problem in the North Bay, a tightly held "state" secret.

We said a cheerful goodbye, with the boys completely riled up and pushing for even more attention, running like mad and showing off -- they were both in love.

After Anna and Lauren left with some new maps and a detour to the coast planned, Dave took the boys to the BMX park to un-rile them, and they haven't been there in a long time. They had a great time there, while I cursed my bad ankle fortune. I'd have loved to take Katrina on a short run after her nap, but yesterday's "sculpt" class at the Y has both ankles buzzing and tingling with pain. Grr.

The day was a lot for Julian. This was his contribution to pre-dinner cleanup.


Gabriel has "sharing" tomorrow, and this month's topic is "Jobs in the community." He has to talk about what he wants to be, what you do in that job, if you wear any special clothes or uniform, and draw a picture of himself doing the job. And what do you think he wants to be when he grows up? A musician., of course!

3/30/08