Here are the links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup and check them all out. See you there.
Baking In A Tornado
The Insomniac's Dream
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
The Pursuit of Normal
The Momisodes
Searching for Sanity
Black Sheep Mom
Moore Organized Mayhem
Daily Dose of Damn
Tiny Steps Mommy
Mom Rants and Comfy Pants
My subject is Do you play an instrument? If so what kind and how often? OR have you ever played? It was submitted by: Moore Organized Mayhem.
Here goes:
When I was in Middle School, I learned to play the guitar. Well, barely. My Mom bought me a guitar and had a friend teach me to play. I couldn’t read music, but I learned chords and I could strum my way through a song or two. Aerosmith, Boston, J. Geils, none of them came calling. I never got over it.
So I decided that my kids would at least try playing an instrument, and while they were young. I wanted them to learn to read music and have some basic knowledge. So the first time that the public schools offered lessons, I took advantage of it. In third grade, the school offered Orchestra. Wouldn’t have been my choice of a place to start, but we went with it. I told my older son that I wanted him to give it a try for one year, then he could make his own decision.
I was really excited when the school called to say they had an instrument for us to rent. The rules were that the instrument went to school twice a week for lesson day, then came home in between for practice. Practice had to be at least 20 minutes a day and I had to sign off on each day. Cool. We could do that.
The Instrument? A String Bass. That thing was as tall as I am. And heavy. So twice a week I sent my kids out the front door and waved to them as they walked to school with the rest of the neighborhood kids. And then I got in the car to drive the Bass to school. OK, there is something seriously wrong with this picture.
Then later in the day, after lessons were over, I had to go back to the school and pick it up and drive it home so it would be there for practice. OMG, practice. That turned into a moral dilemma. Do I teach my young kids to cheat and lie? Or, as I’m in the kitchen making dinner, am I really going to listen to 2 notes played over and over for 20 minutes? Daily.
Homemade Marinara
The next year, when my other son was in third grade, the orchestra teacher called me. She wanted to let me know that she had gotten me a second String Bass so both boys could play and we could leave one at the school for classes and keep one at home for practice. Perfect. Good things come to those who wait, right?
Hell, no. I had promised my older son that he only had to play for one year and he made it clear that he was done. I ended up driving it again. ANOTHER whole year of waving to the kids, having to get fully dressed (cause you don’t just drive a String Bass to school and leave it in the parking lot). In the snow, the rain. . .
So the extent of the musical ability my family has is on nights where I serve Baked Beans with dinner and the boys treat me to this chant:
“Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot.”
I think we’re going to have to chalk this one up to a Mom fail.
Homemade Marinara
Ingredients:
2 cans Stewed Tomatoes (must be stewed)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tsp brown sugar
Directions:
*Process stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and onion in a food processor until mostly smooth.
*Move to a large pan and add the wine and brown sugar.
*Bring just to a boil on medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
