GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone,
Well, first an update from last time I wrote... we were going to meet with the Judge to try and finalize the adoption...HE APPROVED IT TODAY!!!!!! Finally, we have some closure...it's been a long, long road...over 3 years and finally it's over. It's almost anticlimatic. After so long, I would have expected fireworks or something. BUT, I will take it.

So, I have to say that practicing my new song, which I love, Lara's Theme, has been very theraputic. I have been concentrating on the first 6 bars or so. I am trying to get that down really well so that I can feel like I am really learning it. For me, since I took lessons as a kid, I find it easier to practice with the program using the notes C, D, E etc... and then practice on my regular piano. It works out pretty good. I am also playing all the Christmas songs to practice reading notes because Hellene says I am memorizing more than reading. Of course, my memory isn't all that great so I can't memorize too much at a time. Maybe now that I have one less thing to worry about, my brain will work better

Nolan, my 8 yr old, is playing the descendants of shinobi....he loves it. It is really hard and Hellene told him he is going to have a challenge with this one but he wanted to do it anyway. I told him if he was dead set on doing it, he better not let anyone down. Practicing is always a struggle as I am sure it is for most. He plays soccer and that right now is his passion. If I can get him to practice 10 min a day, I am lucky. He has this video game he plays called minecraft and the deal is that if he doesn't practice, he doesn't play. So far, it seems to be working. Hellene had to talk to him a bit at the lesson because he was getting distracted a bit too easily. He was winning at his game and completed what she gave him to do very quickly. He is a busy body so keeping him still is always a struggle.

Rylan is playing Overture and he seems to be the most talented of us all. He does need to practice but his brain works differently and it seems to come easier to him that to the rest of us. I have no doubt he will be ready for the recital. Hellene seems to think Rylan does pretty well too.

Angelina is doing great! Hellene really sees a change in her with her focus and so do I. She has really improved both in concentration when learning her songs and in school. I think I mentioned that she repeated kinder because she was so young when she started the first time and she had to learn the language etc... It was the best thing we could have done. Adding piano has also been the best thing. I see how she is blossoming and it's wonderful to see. She loves playing the games on the program and she does ask for me to set up the program so she can practice. She sign, do re mi all the time and sometimes...not really on the right keys all the time, but she will play anywhere she finds keys, even on the ipad piano app. I am very happy that she likes it. She hasn't advanced in songs much but that may be more my fault that hers.

Overall, I am very happy so far with our success with Hellene and the program. I need to renew my software purchase and I think we will do perpetual because I see this as a program that we can all use. Even my boys that aren't taking lessons use it. Jackson, my 11 yr old is learning Titanic. He even played what he learned on his friends piano. It was great. So, I think so far, it has been well worth the money and believe me....we don't have much extra nowadays after our money sucking attorney. He asked me today to return some paperwork so he could file it for me....I laughed and said, "thanks but no thanks," for $250 and hour, I can read and send in the form myself! I am not stupid....I am catching on real fast!!!

Anyway, sorry for the long post....I had some time and I thought I would share... Take care!

Ooh...one more thing...I have a new phone and I can downloand/upload directly to youtube so I may be able to load videos more often, because to get the camera and do it, is a pain in the bum!!