Samuel gave his Suzuki Book I cello recital on Saturday, November 14. The program was as follows:



Twinkle Variations

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

French Folk Song

Lightly Row

Song of the Wind

Go Tell Aunt Rhody

O Come Little Children

May Song

Allegro

Perpetual Motion

Long, Long Ago

Allegretto

Andantino

Rigadoon

Etude

Long, Long Ago in C major

Variation of Long, Long Ago in C major

Minuet I

Chorus fron Judas Maccabaeus



So, he played all 19 pieces from memory, with no breaks, from start to finish. It was quite an accomplishment for a 6 year old boy! He concentrated all the way through, and wouldn't look up at the audience between pieces. I'm sure most of that was because he was nervous, but it also seemd as though he was very focussed on what he was doing. He got a huge round of applause at the end, and told me afterwards that he enjoyed it, so that's what counts. He made a few mistakes, and made the audience laugh with the way he dealt with them, which was to stop and say 'blah' and then resume playing the right note.

Samuel has had a good month. I met with his teachers for a parent/teacher conference the week before half term, and he got very positive reviews from them. He's had a few problems this year so far with his behavior, receiving a few 'red cards' and 'orange cards' which are basically cards you receive when the teacher thinks you've been particularly bad. He isn't violent or mean in any way, apparently he was just being silly and not doing what the teachers would ask him to do, or would not obey them quick enough - i.e., if he was asked to get off the computers and go to the carpet, he would just stay on the computers and forget that he was asked to go to the carpet, etc. Anyway, so this behavior went on for several weeks when school first started, but it had calmed down by the time I went to the parent/teacher conference, so the teachers were gushing about all of Samuel's good qualities. He's an 'ideas man'; he loves to blurt out good ideas during class discussions, and has the ability to get other students motivated and involved in class discussions due to his enthusiastic approach. He talks alot, though, not only to give his ideas but also just to talk, which gets him in trouble, so he's like me in that way. Because he's got so many good ideas, he was asked to represent the class, along with one other child, at a meeting with the headteacher about how the curriculum should be changed.

Samuel has also been taking a few horse riding lessons, which he has really enjoyed.

He and I went to Tesco a few weeks ago, and there was a model of a spitfire out front, so Samuel got to sit in it for a few minutes.

Samuel had half term October 24-31. We went as a family to the Lake District, which was very enjoyable. Samuel hiked to Silver How from the village of Grassmere on the first day, about a three mile hike, with gorgeous views. We were hiking up very steep hills with sheep grazing around us! The next day we visited Beatrix Potter's House at Hill Top. We saw several places in her house which she had illustrated and put in her books. One book is 'The Tale of Samuel Whiskers', and in it she had drawn her fire place and her sideboard and her landing, etc. as illustrations for the story. So Samuel enjoyed looking at the story of Samuel Whiskers and seeing how it related to her house.

At the end of the week it was Halloween, and Samuel dressed up as a storm trooper. He also had, by far, the coolest pumpkin on the whole of base, probably even in all of Huntingdon, maybe even England. His dad carved a dragon this year!

Samuel started year 2 this school year, and he loves it! He gets himself to school most mornings, after rising early -usually before 6am, to practice his cello, do his job around the house, and come to family scripture study. He goes to football club on Mondays after school, and loves that as well. Last week at football he got his first black eye! He and another boy named Isaac both were intently watching and running after the ball, and so they didn't see each other, and just ran straight into each other, with Samuel's eye catching Isaac's forehead. It was quite swollen at first, then turned pretty black and blue, but it was almost all gone a week later. Samuel has also had a few horseriding lessons this past month, and apparently he's a natural in the saddle, according to his riding instructor. Just wish we could afford to give him regular lessons! In cello, he's preparing to give his Book I solo concert. The preparations seem to be going rather slowly, but it will all be worth it in the end. Samuel loves to hang out with his friends as well. Cameron came over and played on Tuesday, and Samuel often goes over to his friend Jason's house.

One of Samuel's favorite things to do is put together Lego models. He can put many-hundred-piece Lego models together, with no input from parents, especially not his mother! So, we went to Legoland this summer, although he seemed much more interested in the rides than in the Lego models there. Above is a picture of us in the part of Legoland where they have all the minature countries made out of Lego. As you can see, we're in front of London!