Small treasures/ Male Skarby

1. I went out to Michaels and got some unfinished wooden boxes so that we can put little wooden dolls and accessories, some of which we have aquired over Christmas, away properly.

2. I went to a local violin store and picked up two 1/4 size violins (Elizabeth is growing). I'm going to take them tomorrow to the lesson so that our teacher can help us make a decision which one to buy.

3. I have made a little bit more progress on our trip to Poland, which we are taking in March of this year.

********************************************************************

1. Pojechalam do sklepu Michaels i kupilam kilka drewnianych pudelek na nasze miniaturkowe drewniane laleczki.

2. Pojechalam do sklepu z instrumentami strunowymi i przywiozlam do domu dwie pary skrzypiec rozmiaru 1/4 (Elizabeth rosnie ...). Jutro nasza nauczycielka pomoze nam podjac decyzje ktore z nich kupic.

3. Spedzilam troszke czasu na planowanie naszej podrozy do Polski, ktora odbedziemy w marcu tego roku.

Blue Lake Family Suzuki Violin Summer Camp

 

The girl in the red pants - that's Elizabeth.

Last summer we decided to go to a family Suzuki violin summer camp. It was our first time and boy did we have a good time. Both girls participated in private, group and technique lessons. And Karol who was only one and a half witnessed it all. It was intense and yet fun. Both girls really liked their teachers and so did we. They also participated in concerts for students. We came back from it refreshed and full of new energy. We are hoping to do it again this year. If your child is studying an instrument Suzuki method I highly recommend such an adventure.

W zeszlym roku latem postanowilismy po raz pierwszy pojechac na skrzypcowy oboz rodzinny w duch Suzuki. Bardzo nam sie tam podobalo. Dziewczynki uczestniczyly w w lekcjach prywatnych, grupowych i technicznych. Karol byl tego wszystkiego swiadkiem. Byl to cza bardzo intensywny ale, tez pelen zabawy. Wrocilismy z nowa nadzieja i energia. Mamy nadzieje, ze uda nam sie pojechac takze i w tym roku. Jezeli Twoje dziecko gra na instrumencie metoda Suzuki to bardzo polecam taka przygode.

Suzuki Violin - a Family Affair/Skrzypce w duchu Suzuki - Rodzinna Przygoda

 

Today I'm posting a picture of my husband playing the violin while holding our tiny son, who is two years old now, because I want to talk about parental involvement in learing to play the violin. When we started I was pregnant with Karol and took a few lessons just enough to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It was my husband though who was the one learning more songs and playing them at home. A very good motivator for the girls. As our older daughter started playing more songs things became more competative. Ha ha ha! My husband who is not involved in our violin home lessons, as we call them, would ask me: "What is Elizabeth playing now? Can she play Minuet 1 by Bach?" That's the piece he was working on at the time and he wanted to make sure Elizabeth was not a not ahead of him. Some day she will be. But shhh don't tell him that. Actually he know it. Anyway having Daddy play at home and participate in the lessons as much as he could have been a wonderful thing for the girls.

As for me I haven't memorized as many songs but I have been there to the lessons - private and group. I have been collaborating with the teachers. I have been giving home lessons - making sure we were working on the things the teacher had asked us to do. I have been doing a lot of Suzuki reading and it has been good for my soul. I have been trying to expose us to beautiful music at home. I took the girl to Hill Auditorium to hear world famous violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter in concert. It was a fun outing. I have tried to make the violin home lessons fun. We generally do better when we start our lesson at home with a prayer. I'm trying to say at least 5 positive things before I point out something that needs improvement.

Last year we decided to spent some of our vacation time at Blue Lake Family Suzuki Violin Camp. Oh what fun! We are hoping to do it again this year. I will write about it next time. Stay tuned ...

****************************************************************

Dzisiaj zdjecie mojego meza trzymajacego naszego malutkiego synka i grajacego na skrzypcach. Chce bowiem napisac o nauce gry na srzypcach w duchu Suzuki jako rodzinnej przygodzie. Gdy zaczelismy sie uczuc Karol byl w moim lonie. Ja nauczylam sie tyle, abym mogla pomoc naszym corkom. Moj maz byl tym, ktory uczyl sie wielu piosenek i gral je w domu. Stalo to sie wspaniala motywacja dla dziewczynek. Fdy nasza starsza corka zaczela grac wiecej piosenek, zawrzala troche kompetycja. Moj maz pytal czy nasza corka juz go przgonila. Jak dotad jeszcze nie, ale on wie, ze kiedys to nastapi. Gra Tatusia w domu i uczestnictwo w lekcjach prywatyne na ile to tylko bylo mozliwe to wspaniale skarby dla dziewczynek.

Jezeli chodzi o mnie to ja nie umiem grac tyle piosenek z pamieci. Ja zabieram dzieci na lekcje prywatne i grupowe. Daje im lekcje domowe, tzn. ide sladami naszej nauczycielki. Staram sie duzo czytac o tej pasjonujacej metodzie. Okazuje sie to dobre dla mojej duszy. Staranm sie, aby nasz dom wypelniony byl piekna muzyka. Zabralam dziewczynki na koncert skrzypcowy swiatowej slawy Anne-Sophie Mutter. Byl to wspanialy dla nas czas. Staram sie, aby nasze lekcje domowe byly pelne uroku, zabawy i nauki. Staram sie przykluc najpierw uwage do pieciu pozytywnych szczegolow dotyczacych grania, a dopiero pozniej zwrocic uwage na cos, co wymaga poprawy i pracy.

W zeszlym roku spedzilismy czesc naszych wakacji na Rodzinnym Obozie Suzuki. Bylo wspaniale. Ale o tym nastepnym razem. Do uslyszenia ...

Where love is deep, much can be accomplished (Shin'ichi Suzuki)/Gleboka milosc pozwala na wielkie osiagniecia (Shin'ichi Suzuki)

 

This is me, holding my son in Baby-Bjorn and my three year old daughter

I'm planning to do a few posts regarding our adventure with the Suzuki violin. Two years ago I went to the Michigan Catholic Home Educators conference and I attended a session on the role of music in homeschooling. The speaker Andrew Padwa ecnourage us to start young children with Suzuki violin lessons. I took his advice to heart, especially since my grandmother from Poland gave us a half size violin, which belonged to my grandfather's grandfather. Anyway... I found a wonderful teacher right in our parish. My oldest daughter was almost five and my younger one was two and a helf years old, when we began the lessons. It wasn't always easy with attention, practice, etc. It has been very rewarding though. Our house is filled with music. We participate in private and group lessons every week (except in the summer time). We have gone to classical music concerts. Our girls have played at their own concerts.
I like the Suzuki adventure not only because it brings so much beauty to our lives but also because what I have learnt from Dr. Suzuki. Namely paying attention to the love and respect for the dignity of every child! We are learning to play the violin so that we might become more beautiful human beings and not necessarily to become virtuosos. I'm very grateful that God "put" Dr. Suzuki on my path. It is defenitely one of my most treasured relationships.

To zdjecie to ja, moj kilkumiesieczy syn w Baby-Bjorn i moja trzyletnia corka

Bede pisac kilka razy o naszej przygodzie z gra na skrzypcach metoda Suzuki. Gdy bylam na Michigan Konferencji Katolickich Edukatorow Domowych dwa lata temu bralam udzial w sesjii dotyczacej muzyki, w ktorej wykladowca zachecil nas do zaoferowania naszym dzieciom lekcji gry na skrzypcach w duchu Suzuki. Postanowilam to uczynic. Znalazlam wspaniala nauczycielke w naszej parafii. Moje corki mialy wtedy prawie piec i dwa i pol lat. Nasze przygoda nie byla zawsze latwa, ale byla zawsze wynagradzajaca. Nasz dom jest wypelniony muzyka. Uczestniczymy w prywatnych i grupowych lekcjach. Chodzimy na koncerty. Nasze corki graly na ich wlasnych koncertach.
Jestem zadowolona z naszej przygody z Suzuki skrzpcami nie tylko, poniewaz wnosi ona tyle piekna do naszego zycia, ale takze ze wzgledu na fakt czego "nauczyl" mnie dr. Suzuki. A w szczegolnosci zwracania uwagi na milosc i szacunek dla godnosci kazdego z naszych dzieci. A takze ze gramy na skrzypcach, aby stac sie piekniejszymi ludzmi, a nie koniecznie aby zostac wirtuozami. Jestem bardzo wdzieczna, ze Bog "postawil" na mojej drodze dr. Suzuki. Jest to dla mnie niewatpliwie relacja, ktora bardzo cenie.

Many Treasures in 2009/Wiele skarbow w 2009

We had a wonderful beginning of the 2009 year around here. We stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve. The girls were very excited about that. On New Year's Day we played and I worked on our plans for the new semester. In the evening we visited with friends and what a wonderful celebration it was. We wish you finding many treasures in the New Year 2009.

Mielismy wspaniale rozpoczecie Nowego Roku 2009. Dziewczynki bardzo sie cieszyly, ze mogly nie isc spac az po polnocy. Pierwszego dnia 2009 roku Elizabeth, Julia i Karol bawili sie, Scott gral na skrzypcach, a ja przygotowywalam nasz program szkolny na nowy semster. Wieczorem odwiedzilismy naszych przyjaciol i byl to wspanialy wieczor. Zyczymy wszystkim odnalezienia wielu skarbow w 2009 roku.