"The System"

Wow!  This month has been NUTS!  I started by taking one night to work at a studio, and a couple students on the side.  I ended up having so many students that the studio let me off the hook (I'm forever indebted to them), and I am now teaching TWENTY students piano and theory.  This took some MAJOR re-adjusting of my life.  I have never been so busy.

I would love to just summarize my week:

Monday:
am - home schooling with kids
pm - 4 piano students, Family Home Evening

Tuesday:
am - home schooling with kids
pm - violin lessons, 2 piano students, cello class, cello lessons, 1 theory class, 1 piano student

Wednesday:
am - home schooling with kids
pm - 7 piano students, activity days for the older girls and a theory class

Thursday:
am - home schooling with kids
pm - 3 piano students, kids skipping class and (hopefully) institute

Friday:
am - Story of the World group (every other week)
pm - swimming lessons, date night

Now, if my kids didn't get focused in the morning, I found myself in a hard place because, as you can see, I just didn't have much wiggle room with scheduling and I couldn't drive them to finish up their stuff while juggling this crazy schedule.  Thus, "The System" was implemented.

The System is quite simple really.  I printed out a week schedule for them.  I wrote on each day what they were to accomplish.  I laminated them, so that they can mark off what they got done with a white-board marker as they accomplish the said task. 

 A close up of a typical day.  The time really isn't relative, it's just how the sheet came.

At the end of the day, if all of their tasks have been completed, they get to put a sticker on the monkey chart.  If they have a perfect week, they get two bonus stickers.  When they finish each row, they get to choose a prize (a date with mommy or daddy somewhere).

So simple, yet it WORKS!  The kids were so focused today, and I was able to brush it off if they weren't.  I would merely remind them, "okay, you just won't get my help or maybe even won't get your sticker".  I didn't have to get upset or frustrated or anything.  Miracles happen.... I just hope they continue...

A Preview of a Family Picture...

I feel like I plastered this all over facebook, but for those of you who are not on facebook, I thought I'd show my sneak peak of a photo idea that I had.  It started simple, with just a white background and a "personality shot" of each of the kids.  The it morphed and we fudged a little with the idea... (it's a little bit harder than we had thought to fit a family of 7 on a white backdrop).  We moved location twice and did a few different shots, but this is the only one that I've seen so far.... and I love it.  It's just a true to life family picture.  My friend Liz (http://pigtailsandsnails.blogspot.ca/) helped progress the idea and it came to this.  I'm so glad that I told her about my dream family picture!  She literally made my dream come true!  Thanks Liz!

Our New Addition

I LOVE IT!! 
I got my very first real piano!  It's made it 1885 and still has everything super in tact, the sound it flawless.  I have been breaking it in all afternoon.  I love the detailing on it.  Sigh, I fell in love all over again.

We bought it because we needed to have a piano in a room for me to teach all the students I have enlisted for the fall.  The kids need to be able to walk around the house while I'm teaching, so we needed it to go in the den.  We got it from one of our favorite families (the Hunters), who just upgraded to a baby grand for a fabulous deal.  We are going to love every second of it.

This fall, I'll be teaching 24 students (I've never done that many before) and I'm getting a little nervous as to how I'm going to keep up with the schedule (along with my kids schedules and home schooling).  I'm excited though.  It'll be very interesting to see how the year goes.  We're starting in half an hour.... so here goes!  Wish me luck!