show and tell

Things are finally in full swing here at the house o'weenies.
The children are nestled all snug in their schools (and have undergone several emergency procedure drills thankyouverymuch*) and the after school routine of dentist, orthodontist, homework, skate in the town, music lessons has resumed.
Yesterday was our first lesson with the Russian since June and some of us were happy to see him.
Most notably, the dog was happy to see him as she gets a juicy cornstarch-dipped-in-gravy-and-dyed-red bone to munch on on the front lawn whilst he teaches in the living room.
As I ruthlessly sent the piano away, the Russian was forced to bring his electronic keyboard with him to teach the boys. Without it he usually sings the instrumental music and, let me tell you, you don't want him doing that.
Youngest's lesson went okay - he is resistant to lessons right now, but I've been through THIS before so onward we plow...
But Middle! Well, I hate to be tooting Middle's horn all the time (ha ha, music joke) - but Middle sounded very very different. More mature...
At first I thought the Russian was teaching Middle the chicken dance song - but then Middle began to riff off it (is that the right terminology?) and it was the chicken dance song gone jazz.
The Russian was suitably impressed and there was much Bravo boy! and Well done! which the Russian does not offer up freely.

And so, it is fitting that Suse has asked to see musical instruments for show and tell.
I'm not even sure I got them all...



Middle's sax.



Youngest's trumpet - both of these instruments are from the wonder that is ebay.



Oldest's guitar from the trash - I think.



Also Oldest's - but I don't know where it's from.



Oldest's blue Fender...



Some blue guitar that ended up at our house (many Tuvalan teenagers ask for guitars and then never play them - this often results in the 'get it out of my house, you never play it' syndrome, which Oldest has profited greatly from), not to be confused with THIS blue guitar which is Oldest's Fender Jag Stang which we gave him for his twenty first birthday...



and which lies in state.



He has an acoustic too.

And here is my brother's shoe.



Still with me?



These are two of K's guitars. TWO! Okay?

And this is Middle's drum set.



I CAN DO NO MORE.

I'm exhausted now.

Today I will make an apple crumble/cobbler thing and do some ironing and pick my mother up from the airport -
and then I will make porterhouse steaks and we will eat them and watch Survivor.

BECAUSE THIS IS THE KIND OF RIVETING LIFE I LEAD.

I'll talk to you later.
















*I haven't in a while, but yesterday I dutifully quizzed both boys regarding emergency procedures at their school. Youngest politely, and with a professorial tone, explained the meeting places for each of the emergency drills and thoughtfully added that they would depend on the level of emergency. Middle sat right down across from me and looked me in the eye:
Yeah, he said, I know it's level one: lockdown, level two: football field, level three: behind the gym, but I'm telling you now, if we ever go to level two, I'm outta there.
So. Things are well in hand.