Halloween and Fiddling

Happy (very) belated Halloween!  Perhaps because Jeremy is Spiderman or Superman nearly every day, he made the radical decision to be a "scary ghost" this year.  Mama loved the opportunity to make a costume (the mace and horns were Mama's idea), and we also reached the parenting benchmarks of our first bake sale (Mama made cupcakes, Fran volunteered at the table selling), and our first PTA meeting.

We did several Halloween activities this year: Fall Festival at Lincoln School, the event at the Children's Museum and at South High School (both with friend Luca), trick or treating in Lowery (with friend Tabby), and trick or treating in our own little neighborhood (with friend Jacob, pictured).

 Click HERE for a little video montage of trick or treating this year.

On a more current note, Jeremy had his first solo 'performance' today: His teacher, Katie Glassman, held a "Jam" at her house for all of her students this afternoon in which each student had an opportunity to play with a two-guitar accompaniment in front of a modest audience of other students and teachers.  Jeremy is the youngest (3), and the next youngest is Iris (5).  Then, most of the students are 8 and up to adults.  To say that Jeremy was eager to perform is an understatement; as soon as he arrived he wanted to be 'on the stage'.


(or click HERE for the video of Jeremy in larger format)

His performance of "Boilin' Cabbage" went smoothly (i.e. he alternated sawing away at the E string and singing, as rehearsed), but the climax of the night was when all of the students got to play together- Jeremy stood in the middle of the group in the small living room, working his E string with all his might.  He said afterward, "I was playing and they were playing all around me... on all sides... I felt like the leader of the violin orchestra!"  After about 5 songs, Katie had to gently invite Jeremy and Iris to retire their instruments so the 'big kids' could play the next pieces.  Jeremy was one of the last to leave the party, having also fallen in love with "Little Katie"- a 12 year old who has been playing for several years and also happens to have two moms... one of which is also named Francine (!).   Her lessons immediately follow Jeremy's, so we have seen her briefly each week for the last month and a half.