Living Vicariously through my Genius Children

I have a child prodigy on my hands.

A few years ago, Anne (and Sara) took piano lessons when she was 1st grade for a few months, but she didn't learn much beyond "Hot Cross Buns" and very basic piano theory. Our piano teacher at the time moved and we never seemed to find the means or another teacher so they could continue.

Did that stop Anne? Heck no. A few months ago, she up and decided she was going to teach herself.

She picked up her old primer books and whipped through those in an afternoon, and the next thing I know, she's playing hymns. With BOTH HANDS. Sharps and flats and everything.


I have so many mixed feelings about this. First of all, it has helped Anne so tremendously as her very own personal therapy. We've had this electric piano for a few years, and it just sits there collecting dust (except for the occasional Classical Concerts we play from the prerecorded songs), but now Anne can create music of her own that just warms my heart. It's so sweet to wake up in the morning to hear her practicing -- and while I'm cooking dinner -- and when she's supposed to be cleaning the bathrooms-- oh, wait, I'm not supposed to say that. Still, she loves that piano so much that I don't have to fight for computer time with her anymore!


HOWEVER....

I'm also insanely jealous.

I, too, took piano lessons when I was a child. At first, when I was really young, I shared a teacher with my older sister, who (in my eyes) was a Concert Pianist....and still is. She can play anything, and it makes me sick and I'm immensely proud that she has this amazing talent.

Honestly, I never had that much motivation to practice because: A) I was a tomboy and would much rather have been outside playing the dirt, and B) she was always on the piano! I never got the chance to practice!!

So each time I went to my lesson, I would come home with sore knuckles because my teacher would smack her pencil down on my hand every time I made a mistake. I think she even broke the skin once....

In any case, now I have a mental block. I did try to take lessons again when I was a little bit older (after my sister went to college), and I actually had a great teacher and a really good experience with her, but unfortunately it didn't last long before she moved away. I guess I just felt like Fate was telling me I would never play the piano well enough to get a calling in Primary.

I'm grateful that my daughter has picked up on this talent...if, for no other reason, to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming piano proficient! I know it's not too late, and I could still learn if I would just put my mind to it, but my instrument is the sewing machine and I can play a pretty good symphony on that instead!

(AND I can do a pretty mean rope twist for a hair-do! Doesn't Anne's hair look super cute?! Not to mention her adorable dimples?)