August 2, 2005 - Tuesday
I signed the boys up for more private music lessons, drums and cello. Both Harry and Jeremy say they want to do it, so we'll do it.

I think I may have figured out where Jeremy got the inspiration to play the cello and it comes from our weekly, Sunday morning pancake (occasionally waffles or French toast) breakfast. We always have a morning concert of sorts during the breakfast of some classical music symphony or chamber music and some time late last fall Jeremy happened to ask about one of the pieces. I often play an instrument guessing game with Harry, and it may have been Jeremy trying to join in. I remember distinctly one morning when he asked and we brought over the CD cover with the picture of Yo-Yo Ma holding his cello. In January, Jeremy later asked about a cello concerto and I thought he must have just liked it. But, this past Sunday, it struck me that it probably goes much deeper than that.

Jeremy was dawdling and fooling around a little too much as we were getting ready for pancakes and I ended up asking him the rhetorical "would you like to have no pancakes this morning?" I've used that line before with other meals, but it's never gotten quite the stunned reaction as I did this time. Jeremy quickly said "no," but the anxiety on his face told the real story. Right away it felt like I'd over-stepped. Sunday morning pancakes, I thought, is probably Jeremy's favorite time of the entire week, seriously, and missing it would be deeply troubling to him. And the thing is, we've been playing classical music, indeed often cello music, near every week of his life and near every time he's luxuriated with his pancakes and pure maple syrup. Talk about conditioning.


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