I usually get annoyed by parents who brag about their kids, but in this case, I feel I must (plus, this is also a blog I am going to print out for Lainey to have when she is older. If you don't like braggers, just skip this post : ) ).
Yesterday at Lainey's music class, I watched as Lainey followed everything the teacher did. When the teacher shook the maracas in the air, Lainey did too. When she tapped them on the ground, so did Lainey. She threw her ball up when the pitch went up and down when it went down (of course dancing the entire time). Lainey did everything- and I mean everything - the teacher did. Most of the students in the class are between 10 months to 15 months of age, and at one point, the teacher said when students are in Music II, they will begin clapping a beat on their own. Right after she said that and demonstrated, Lainey started clapping to the beat. The teacher then went on to say, students move on to Music II when they are 16 months. As we moved about the circle, we eventually ended up sitting next to the teacher. She quietly leaned over and whispered to me, "How old is Lainey now?" When I told her Lainey is 11 1/2 months, she replied, "Well then, she is very musically gifted."
Musically gifted: not a term Lainey's mommy is very familiar with. Her Grammy, yes (she would play a wide selection of piano songs for us when we were younger and really attempted to encourage us toward music.). But Lainey's mommy musically gifted? No. I might have fudged a few of the hours I logged for piano practice each week. During one Christmas piano recital, I never practiced "Oh Holy Night" because I figured it was a song I didn't know so the audience wouldn't either. I'll never forget the look on my mom's face when I returned to my seat after playing a mix of "Heart and Soul" maybe some "Jingle Bells" and a whole lot of banging. In middle school, my parents enrolled me in band, and I pretty much consistently held last chair in the flute section for the two years I was in it (especially after I banged my flute against the music stand one night in frustration). So if Lainey is musically gifted, it certainly doesn't come from me.
Since she was a tiny baby, though, my family has noticed how she likes to sing to herself. She will sit in her cars seat, just humming some song and often singing herself to sleep. If she is really upset, one of my favorite things to do is hum a pitch; she will stop crying and then match it. She can hold a consistent note for pretty long! We are our own barbershop quartet (when Grammy and Grampy also join along).
Lainey also loves instruments, a lot. Before we went on vacation, I read up on how to get your baby adjusted to a new environment. One of the tips was to bring a favorite toy. I thought and thought about what would be considered Lainey's favorite toy. She isn't really attached to one particular thing except her crocodile xylophone. She will hit it with the mallet all day long if you let her. That dang thing ended up traveling across country with us. I originally packed it in the suitcase, figuring it wasn't really an airplane type of toy. But when we went to weigh our bags, they were just a tad over, so we literally carried that xylophone with us as a carry-on from one departure to the next (some of the other passengers looked really nervous when they saw us holding it on the plane).
When we returned from vacation, Lainey and I stayed at my parents' house for a week while we had our foundation repaired. My mom had a little baby piano for her, and she formed an immediate attachment. One day when my Grandfather was visiting, she came up with a little game to play in which she would play a few notes and then look to us for an applause. As the game continued, she began playing less and less notes seeing just how many it would require to get an applause. Eventually, she acted as if she were playing the note and looked to us for her applause. It was like she was seeing just how little she could get away with. When we did nothing (for there was nothing to applaud) she went back to playing and dancing - her piano playing is more Jerry Lee Lewis than Mozart.
For her birthday, Kevin and I got her a baby red piano, and I can't wait to hear her play it! I will post images of it when she gets it. I asked my mom for a photo of her and Lainey playing the piano together....eh hum.....but it has not been emailed....eh hum....hint....hint....
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