If You Give a Girl a Piano Lesson. ...

(First of all: Shhhhhh! Three posts in a row? I don't want to say anything out loud to jinx things but.. ..? What is going on here??)

Ahem.

Yesterday I shared a funny story; today I'll share a secret.

You know that dream of Oliver's to learn to play the piano? Well, I told you how I found the perfect, wonderful teacher for him and how through the miracle of modern technology she comes to our home every Wednesday afternoon via FaceTime while sitting in her very own home in San Francisco, right? Yes, it's true and it's amazing. And Oliver is amazing. Every week I am profoundly moved by watching him tackle new and challenging things. He inspires me. They both do, honestly.

And I'm also secretly thrilled that I get to learn how to play the piano right next to my boy. Seriously, I didn't know I would love learning as much as I do! Sometimes I even boot my kids off the piano so I can practice. I squeeze in a few minutes every time I get the chance.

I never thought I had the talent for music. And maybe I don't really have any but there is something so incredibly joyful about learning to create music. I'm definitely hooked.

So, here's the secret:

Yes. That's me. With my banjo.

For the last, I don't know, ten years, I have secretly dreamed of learning to play the banjo. Why the banjo, you might ask? Well because it is such a happy instrument. It brings me joy! And I love old time music! And I want to play!!

So, with a year of piano under my belt, I suddenly thought: Why not? What is stopping me? What have I got to lose?

I found one online at the Seattle Goodwill store, ordered it, obsessively tracked it as it made it's way by truck across the country, signed up for a free online, at-your-own-pace, beginner clawhammer banjo course and have barely put the thing down in the last three weeks since it arrived.

I can't strum, change chords and sing along all the same time but I am having So Much Fun! Sami asked me yesterday when I was going to learn a new song. "This is a new song," I told him. In fact, it was my second two-chord song, the first being Skip to My Lou! "Hm," he replied, "Sounds the same."

Yeah, but just you wait! Today I'm tackling my first 3-chord song: The Crawdad Song:

How much fun is that?? Frankly, I don't do as much with three chords but you get the idea.

Happy Friday, Everyone!