Oh Hey, More Kids Stories

Work was so ridiculous today. I don't know if it's because of the short school week or the full moon, but the kids were hilarious today. Usually I can tell ahead of time when days are going to get weird, like the first day it snows, or the last day or school, or that one week in October when they kids had a 4-day weekend right before Halloween. So insane. I don't even know why I bothered to teach that day. During two separate lessons, we just colored for a good 20 minutes. Out of a 30 minute lesson. I even warned the parents and everything, and they practically shoved their kids into my studio, exasperatedly shouting "IT'S FINE, JUST GO," before going next door for a margarita. I mean, I imagine that's where they went.

There are just those days once in awhile when all the kids are a little loopy or crazy or crabby or funny, or all of the above. I love those days. I leave them exhausted and happy and full of stories from the hilarious kids I'm privileged to work with every day. Whether they're being crazy or tired or funny or just themselves, I feel so lucky to get to experience these things. Here's a few of the wonderful moments from today:

S, age 9, comes in and informs me that they did not end up naming their new kitten "Reem," which had previously been a possibility. Instead, it's named Pandora, Panda for short. I tell her I'm not disappointed, but if she gets another cat ever, she should name it "Reem is Great." She half-assedly agrees.

M, age 8, smiles when she plays her Harry Potter music. She sits at the piano and smiles while playing. It's so lovely.

K, age 13. Oh lord. K and I somehow got on the subject of the game Would You Rather. I give him my favorite one: Would you rather have teeth made of sand or hands made of plastic gloves filled with yogurt? Immediately, he chooses yogurt hands. "But how would you do anything?" I ask. "How would you play video games and take out the trash and brush your teeth?" He thinks about it. "Okay, with the sand teeth, could you buy dentures?" he challenges. I tell him no, that's against the rules. He says he'll think about it and let me know. He then inquires as to whether I enjoy other games like this, and I tell him about the game Genia made up in her dream, Gross Food Combinations (name two foods that are fine on their own but gross together). I give him the example of tomatoes and milk, to which he indignantly responds, "No, that's fine! It's just a basic tomato-cream sauce!" I had no idea he was such a gourmet cook! "Well," I answer, "Think about like tomatoes and ice cream." He shakes his head. "Naw, people totally make that. It's fine! It's kind of like a parfait. Although you'd probably call it a BARF-ait, right?" I stare at him, astonished, then immediately make him give me a high five. Tears well up in my eyes and I tell him that this is one of the most hilarious things I've ever heard. I also tell him that he'd get along really well with most of my friends. We laugh and laugh and laugh...

K, age 12, sight-reads a new piece. Right when I'm silently marveling at her intense focus, right in the middle of a complex line of music, she casually says to me, "So, got any plans for Thanksgiving?" She keeps her eyes on the music, her fingers keep playing, and she begins a conversation with me. "Really?" I ask her. She doubles over laughing and exclaims, "I didn't realize what was happening until the words were coming out of my house! NO, my mouth, not my house, my mouth!"

M, age 8 - We play a duet together. And if I do say so myself, we play it fantastically well. Right at the end, I turn to her all excited and say something like "We're so great and awesome!" She busts out laughing and pointing at my face and yells "You've got bug eyes! Your eyes are giant and buggy!" Thanks, M. She also smiles a lot when she plays. You don't even know how magical it is to see a little kid smile while creating her own music.

D, age 7 - I ask her what holiday we're celebrating this week. She answers "Piano." She then looks uncertain, but doesn't say anything else.

N, age 14 - I persuade him to try playing "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen. He gets through the piano solo beautifully and I nearly cry for the second time in 4 hours. I tell him that I'll probably be real emotional if he ends up working on this song. He responds with a smart-assy "Well, I'll see what I can do about it then."

The solo part is right after 5:30.

Oh these kids. I mean, do you get why I go to work early when I'm in a bad mood? I mean, you do understand, don't you, just why I love my job? Wouldn't you?