Glorious Weekend!

Exhausting too!

Saturday
Fran, Alex and the Pips moved into their new home. Which was exciting.  I was supposed to have the Pips for the day but in the end Lpip went to a friend's for a sleepover, Dpip went to the new house with Alex to 'supervise' and Kpip decided she wanted to stay home with Mummy.  So a relatively quiet day until E&J arrived!  
We were at C&D's in the evening for a Chinese take-away and chat which was lovely although Cat and FE were very tired after a full day's rehearsing for . . .

Easter Sunday!
Well firstly, Fran, Alex and the Pips arrived (very early! and even earlier due to this being the start of British Summer Time and the clocks went forward an hour!) to collect G's old fridge freezer.  We were all very excited about the move, our day ahead ~ and just seeing them really. 
Eric, Janey and I then met Cat and Dave at Croxley station and travelled up to London to meet up with Stella, Rich, Rpie and Ja&Ja for:

The Royal Albert Hall with the Albert Memorial

The ensemble
(very young violinists sitting on the floor in the centre!) 

Ke, J, Cpie and FE were all taking part ~ Ke on Viola and the other three on recorder.












The concert was quite amazing ~ over 1300 children playing Double Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin, Guitar, Harp, Mandolin, Flute, Recorder, Organ and Piano. 

Children, parents and teachers had travelled from 26 different countries and spoke a total of 22 different languages.  

Stella, Rich and Rpie

It was all quite breath-taking ~ incredible talent and praise-worthy discipline ~ and all so keen! 

Stella, Rich, Ja (the Pies' other grandmother) and their Auntie Ja and I sat in the very high seats.  And, of course, Rpie was a perfect audience member!

The concert was truly wonderful ~ lots of well-known classics including (perhaps my favourite piece) Greensleeves played by the guitars and the wonderful Czardas (Monti) played by violins and the ensemble.  Although of course I loved everything in which our children performed! 

To say I am proud is an understatement!  Of the children ~ all four of them for their dedication and hard work, for their parents for the discipline they so gently instill and for their teachers.  Stella teaches all four of them Suzuki recorder and I am very proud of the results she gains.  

I am constantly struck by the wonderful Suzuki method of teaching: 'to create people of beautiful minds and fine ability' and to 'engage in human education through music so that children will grow . . with high sensitivity through an unparalleled musical approach.'  

And then the concert as finished and everyone dispersed . . . but not before a great mass of coloured balloons floated down from the ceiling and we all gathered outside for photos, congratulations and general letting off steam.  Here they are ~ all delighted it was so successful but also knowing they could relax a little now the Easter hols could really start!

Yay! We did it! Cpie, Ke, FE and J

Ke, FE and J ~ until next time . . . .

Time to go home: 
FE, Cpie and J balancing on the Met line train.

Back to our various homes . . . 

And for Janey, Eric and me: Janey's Beef Casserole and Bedtime!

Easter Monday:
Ke's 13th birthday.  We had 'Big Hearty' (traditional English Breakfast with all the trimmings) at my house.  A lively crew: Rich, Stella and all the Pies, E&J and me.  It was the usual noisy, talkative Family Meal with all three of the 'big' pies talking 19 to the dozen, loads (really loads!) of laughs and plenty of nice food.  A lovely morning!
Early afternoon Eric, Janey and I nipped quickly over to Fran and Alex new house to see all they had done. Which is loads in a really short time.  Dpip  says that he has done most of it (!!!) and Alex says he is a really good little worker.  Doing well for not-yet-seven! 
Then Eric and Janey headed back up North and I came home.  And, being too tired to do owt else, sat on the sofa and read my book.

Yup!  A Glorious Weekend!

Back soon

Po xx