squash-face

Ramona has had a number of accomplishments in the past few days. She cut her first two teeth a little over a week ago, has been learning to sit up, and officially turned half a year old. The time has certainly flown, but it is getting harder and harder to remember life without our little Mona-pie.

Last night the babe achieved yet another milestone--she tried her first "solid" food. I decided to offer her some acorn squash from my parents' garden.
She started out looking excited about sitting in her highchair and putting things in her mouth . . .
. . . but then she seemed to grow increasingly hesitant . . .




. . . and maybe even a little repulsed.
It wasn't all that bad, was it?
Mealtime quickly turned to playtime . . .


. . . both of which required a decent amount of cleanup-time. And it's just the beginning, isn't it?

My Cello Children

On Saturday Jenina and I put together another joint studio recital. This one was special because instead of solos, we had only duets, a trio, and a quartet--all with cellos.
Above is a shot of my boys playing their trio . . . (they tend to reserve their smiles until after the performance)

. . . and below is Andrew with his sister Aurelia. She has only been taking lessons for about a month--it was her debut recital.
Jenina and I played a couple of duets at the very end.
One of them was actually composed by my student, Sebastian. It ended up being the highlight of the entire recital--almost everyone went over to congratulate him and his family afterward. Perhaps I should help him find a teacher for some actual composition lessons.As a teacher I feel rewarded when:

1. A student pursues creativity by his own initiative.
2. A student shows enthusiasm.
3. A student gains self-confidence.
4. A student tells me: "Thank you."
5. A student's mother brings me flowers.
This recital was, for all of these reasons, a rewarding experience. My students are truly an inspiration to me.

little vacation, GIANT CITY

Illinois may be notorious for having limited offerings in the area of outdoor recreation. Skiers and surfers will find no outlet for their hobbies here, and rock climbers are generally confined to grain silos with manmade climbing walls. If you enjoy hiking, like we do, you may be disappointed by the lack of switchback trails and lofty mountain views. Southern Illinois does, however, boast a few interesting rock formations and rolling hills that are significantly different from the flat farmland characterizing the rest of the state's landscape.

Forest and I took a miniature vacation to Giant City State Park on the 28th and 29th. A similar vacation may be appropriate for others if:

A. They've spent much of their lives in central Illinois and feel they need a change of scenery
B. They are poor college students and can't afford a more glamorous vacation spot
C. They have a 5-month old baby they can't bear to leave more than 36 hours

Obviously, we fit all of these criteria.

So, on Monday morning we left little Ramona with Parry and Teresa and began driving south on Route 51.

Once we reached Giant City, here are some of the rocks we found:
The rock formation on the left is supposedly called "Devil's Standtable," but before I knew the official title I kept calling the whole thing "the kissing rocks."




It was a squeeze to get between some of the rocks.



We got a taste of rustic architecture from the depression era at the Giant City Lodge

It was here we also got a taste of Southern Illinois food for dinner on Monday night. We were the only people in the entire dining room, which seats 200. Apparently you don't need a reservation on a weeknight.If you're looking for a nice bed and breakfast in this area, I would recommend the Makanda Inn. It is just down the road from Giant City State Park, and has a lot of unique features.The building is brand-new--just built this yearThe walls are insulated with strawAnd they've incorporated some antique pieces into the decor, like this wood-burning oven . . .. . . and this door from a bank vault in Chicago.The rooms open up to the outdoor deck . . .. . . and feature several pieces of local artisan woodBeautiful bedBeautiful breakfastThe drive to get to all of these places--not necessarily beautiful. But I guess passing through multiple small towns along the highway has its charm.