Piano

Simple Pleasures

Emma started taking piano lessons from a friend in our ward just a few months after we moved here. She really enjoyed it and I was shocked at how fast she learned things. They had a little recital the beginning of June for all the students. It was just at the church in the gym. I wasn't sure that Emma would be brave enough to get up in front of everyone and play her recital pieces but her teacher assured me that they talked about it and Emma really wanted to do it. We got to the church early so that we could sit in the front so she didn't have to walk too far. She ended up being the first one on the program! She panicked a little when I told her it was her turn and we ended up carrying her up to the bench. Jacy, her teacher, sat next to her and she actually started playing! I was shocked and so happy! She had two pieces to play. The first one was by herself and the second was a duet with her teacher. She did a great job and we couldn't be more proud. She was excited about the cute little gift that Jacy gave the students. Jacy is our primary president and I serve as her first counselor. She is also my visiting teacher and one of the first people we met here in Cheney. She is a great teacher and a great friend. We really love their family and are happy to have met them. We are excited to start piano lessons again in the fall and hope that Emma didn't forget everything she has learned.

Miss Emma finished kindergarten!

It is crazy how fast time goes by. Miss Emma finished kindergarten the beginning of June. They didn't have a graduation but they did have a kindergarten program where they sang lots of fun songs for us. Emma was so excited about it. For some reason she thought it was a surprise for me so she kept telling Ivan about it but not me. Her teacher didn't do a very good job of keeping us informed and we hadn't heard anything about it...so it's good that she mentioned it! I'm so glad that Ivan has such a flexible job and he was able to be there.

The area that they had the concert in was super weird. The group didn't even face the audience and of course Emma stood back as far as she could on the bleachers and the girl next to her stood forward so we really couldn't see her...frustrating for a picture freak like me! I just went up stairs and took pictures from the balcony.

After they sang lots of songs for us they turned on some music and had a dance party with all the parents. Emma was too embarrassed to dance but Daddy and Levi had a good time!

We are so proud of Emma. She had a lot to adjust to this year with starting kindergarten and then moving in the middle of the year. Her favorite part about kindergarten was getting to ride the bus and recess. She made lots of friends with older kids on the bus and I think they loved having her there. One day the bus driver got out and talked to me when dropping Emma off after school. He said that the bus had some problems on the way to school and they had to switch buses. Emma was really upset that bus number 6 was broken. I told him that it is probably just because she is six years old so that bus number is super cool. Emma is a smart little cookie and is reading very well! She did very well on her testing and was above grade level in several areas. One area she didn't do as well in was communication...she likes to talk quiet as a mouse and people have a hard time understanding her. She also needs to work on writing. Her teacher said she has the best handwriting in the class but she likes to use upper case for everything. :)

We checked out a few Junie B. Jones books and CD's from the library recently and Emma loved them! We would listen to a few chapters on CD in the car and then come home and read a few chapters. I found some copies on eBay and bought her a bundle of 16 of them as a "graduation" gift. She was really excited! A few of the books even had stickers in them. We have a goal to read all 16 this summer. We are so proud of Emma and know that she is going to do great in first grade!