An Inspiring Evening . . .

Last Thursday, Ky, Bugaloo, and I had a fun and inspiring Mother/Daughter date. We went to dinner, enjoyed some yummy food and had a good time chatting. I took this time to ask them both how they liked the books they have been reading lately and what they had learned from them. They were very animated in their explanation of the different art techniques, the stories of composers, the facts about soccer and hummingbirds. They expressed an interest in learning more about all of these things and I told them about some other resources we had and that I would look into finding more books for them. Bugaloo read Black Beauty and just loved the story.

After dinner and a quick stop at a local store, for some much needed items, we made our way to the main event for the night. When we got there, as we were waiting in line, I noticed that the great majority (maybe 90%) of the other people were dressed very casual as if they walked in off the street. We were attending a concert of a symphony orchestra. The girls and I were not "fancy" dressed, but we wore nice skirts and dresses. We would wear the same thing to church. So here is my question for all of you;

When attending an event like an orchestra concert, a piano concert, a broadway level play, etc, should we not teach our children that it is a special occasion and that we should dress accordingly?

I really want to know, so share your opinions.

The orchestra did a wonderful job and we especially enjoyed the guest performer, Jon Schmidt. He is an amazingly talented pianist. He made the show fun and wonderful to experience. We love listening to his albums in our home. Usually once a day, we listen to his songs. While standing in line for him to autograph a cd, we overheard him telling a young piano student that if he really wanted to be a great pianist, then he needed to be obsessed with the piano for about 6 months and then he would know. Ky said that she was going to increase her practice time to an hour a day and Bugaloo said that she wanted to practice more too.

Bugaloo, Jon Schmidt, Ky

The best part of the evening was watching the girls' faces while they listened to Jon play. Sometimes they sat back and listened and at other times they were on the edge of their seats, eyes wide, and their faces glowing. Those are the moments that inspire and I am so glad that I can give my children experiences that inspire them.

What experiences have you given to your children that have inspired them to do or learn something?

Jon Schmidt performing ROCKmaninoff (prelude in C sharp minor)

Enjoy !