A while

I haven't posted in a while but I thought I should let everyone know what the news is in Lake Woebegone.
First, Drue returned from his Peabody audition with confidence and an idea of what to expect going into other DMA interviews. His exams went well enough- ear training was rough but when you haven't had to dictate for 3 years, things are bound to slip. HIs Theory exam went very well and he was interviewed for an Assistantship in that area. He enjoyed his time at the school- said it felt like a castle fortress but in a good way. He likes the faculty there and felt very welcomed by them. Here's the catch though: Peabody, while it IS a top 3 music school in the nation, does not fund well. Tuition ALONE is $33,000.00 per year. This is quite a chunk of change for po' kids like us. We will not be moving to Baltimore in the near future- even if they offer to fund considerably- its just too darn expensive!

James is saying more words! He can say "eyes" now and tried "cheeks" yesterday. His favorite game is to point to facial features and hear the names- eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, ant-brain, hair- always in that order. So we're extremely happy that he's trying to say new words. He is also beginning to read books to us! After hearing the book a few times, he will say some "words" and turn the page, say more, turn page etc.. however, we have noticed that its always the same sounds for certain pages! This is important because it lets us know that he is identifying certain sounds that go with certain visuals and repeat what he can back to us consistently. He LOVES to "sing" songs with me and does what actions he can- its really neat to see him ask for a certain song by doing his favorite actions from that particular song! I'm so thankful to have a healthy boy who is developing well at the pace that is right for him. Still waiting to hear MaMa, but he can do the sign so I guess thats going to have to work for now.

I am doing well enough. I had to go get a back brace for preggy women yesterday because I've been struggling with my back for about 2 months now, trying everything I can and nothing was working. So, my Dr. suggested I try a back brace. Its not a pretty thing, but it seemed to help yesterday- my jury is still out but I have hopes. The baby is also doing well- kicking and rolling around in there. No hiccups yet, but I guess its a little early for that yet. I'm at 6 months on Sunday! I can't believe how fast the time with this one seems to have gone. It must be because of all the other stuff I've been doing:). My piano students are doing well and I'm proud of the progress they are making- and most of them actually practice! Imagine that! My life right now is in limbo because of all the stinkin' WAITING I'm doing right now. I guess thats just life right? My sister is waiting for her hip to heal. My husband is waiting for more acceptance letters. I'm waiting for a new baby and talking from the boy... the trick is to enjoy life between the events! And my life is really going as well as it can right now. I'm thankful for that.