Music School

The summer holidays are really so tricky to negotiate. This year the calendar has fallen so that A&E have no less than seven weeks of school holidays, it's made me realise that at this time of year I am often dreading, rather than looking forward to, Christmas. Additionally occasions such as this make you realise without doubt that parenting is a two person job. I also look enviously at friends who ship their children off to grandparents for the summer or who at least have them on hand for occasional-days of love and support.

Unfortunately we're not so lucky so the kids have had to do a variety of holiday programmes and I combine this with help from kind school Mums to get us through to February. It sounds fine in principle but holiday programmes are usually pretty expensive and somewhat ridiculously a lot of them finish at 3 or 4pm so not really ideal when you work until 5! In addition it means that Audrey and Eli are often exhausted by the end of the day which leaves us all a bit tetchy and grumpy. It's not ideal by any means but we don't have an awful lot of choice.

This year, on a friend's recommendation I signed them up for a music school running at the Canberra Girls Grammar. It was pretty expensive but the appeal of having them at least in one consistent place rather than a double drop-off around town - meant that I was happy to pay for the convenience. Until this point neither Audrey or Eli have really played instruments as the school takes a fairly low-key (no pun intended) approach to music tuition.

Neither of the kids were that concerned with which instrument they would play. I chose trumpet for Eli (I've always fancied myself with a trumpet) and guitar for Audrey - again an instrument I've tried but without much success.

Due to the cost I found it quite an exclusive crowd when I parked among the SUVs and BMWs to drop them off. The place was full of posh kids heading off with their organic cucumber wraps - one Mum was even in tears saying goodbye to her kids (it's a school holiday programme people!).

Audrey and Eli went off quite happily. They were both really excited when I picked them up at 5.30 - they'd mastered a few notes - Eli could get a really good blast on his trumpet and Audrey practiced her guitar until late that evening. I don't know whether it'll be a phase but day one was certainly pretty good. Just three and a half more weeks of holidays to go!