Our Little Piano Playing…Trekkie?

Your Kid is Learning – Grin and Bear It

My son is quite amazing. Like my husband, he never ceases to amaze me.

I was talking to my father a few months ago who was explaining to me how loud my younger brother and sister are (they are 5 and 2 years old – long story), and how every play activity seemed to be a loud one. (He was not finding joy in these particular moments. Lol.) He…umm…I guess you can call it…reminisced?… back to when my sister and I were little, and called it “work”. Thoroughly irritated, I tried to empathize with him since I currently only have one child, and he has two at home. However, I recalled how I had been watching my son (his grandson) develop and grow as he learned new things, and yes some of this “learning” IS loud, but I really do enjoy these phases.

My perspective is different, as I see it as hitting milestones. So yes, banging blocks together, while loud, is developmentally appropriate. So I’m grateful that he is capable of doing something that a few months ago, he wasn’t able to do. When I explained this to my father, he pondered it a moment, then said, “I never thought of it that way.” (I guess you can teach an old dog, new tricks.)

Along with banging toys, my son has also learned to create so many sounds with his mouth and voice. From crying to cooing, and yelling to babbling, and all the spitting and tongue clicking in between, these are things he has learned to mimic. Though a few may cause me to cringe, I have learned to grin and bear it, and THEN clap in affirming praise because for my son, it’s something new he’s accomplished.

Either a Big Ham or a Musical Prodigy

My son truly is adorable. He’s got the most contagiously, shy smile aaaaand…. he even has dimples. Too cute, right? He has a little toy piano that belonged to my husband as a child. And while it’s terribly out of tune, it’s a real piano. The ivory keys are even the proper width of a full size piano (which we also have). He LOVES to play on this piano. When he started pulling himself up on things at around 7 months, he would just bang on the keys in the middle over and over… and over again. Then I’d clap and say, “Yay! Great job! That’s beautiful.” I would even sing along, “La la la.”

As he continued to learn and play on this toy, he learned to pound on higher and lower keys. Then came the day, at about 9 months, that he stood there and let out this forceful “Ahhhhhhh!” as he played. It was so awesome to witness this yell because, you see, he was singing.

Now, just days away from his first birthday, he will play some of the keys one at a time. (Though sometimes a passionate pounding of the piano is apparently necessary for a musical prodigy.) He’ll play a few notes and then turn to look at me and my husband, (or whoever else may be visiting), and smile that dimply, sweet smile. You see, he has come to expect, and even ask through his actions, for praise and affirmation. I don’t know about you but I think that’s pretty cool.

His “piano playing” has changed over the past 5 months, and is already quieter, more melodic, not to mention easier on the ears. He’s a little performer, who loves to make music for his adoring fans, though few they may be.

Our Little Trekkie

Uh oh, you’ve discovered a new secret about us: we love Star Trek. We’ve currently been re-watching the Deep Space 9 series and on the weekends my son watches with us. (I know, I know, screen time bad. Outside, good. Yeah, I’m with ya there.)

He doesn’t really pay attention to it at all, until the next episode starts (ok, ok we are binge watchers – you caught me!). When that musical introduction comes on (where are all my trekkies at?), my son literally stops what he is doing and watches the screen. At first, I thought it was because of the special visual effects of the intro, but then the sweetest, most amazing thing happened…

With his tiny little mouth, he formed the smallest “o” you’ve ever seen (seriously, it would melt your heart), and he let out a quiet, yet distinct, “ohhhh….” He is singing along with the musical introduction of Deep Space 9. It is precious!

“…I will sing and make music.
~Psalm 57:7b

(Admittedly taken very out of context of the original verse.)

What about you?

Tell us what amazes you about your kids.

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