Halloween Piano Recital

I'm having the best semester of teaching piano since I can't remember when.  We had our Halloween recital last Saturday and I was afraid it would be so short that people wouldn't have time to sit down.  So!  I provided refreshments for only the second time in the almost seven years I've been teaching.  My students wore their costumes and once again we tried to coordinate their song to their costume.  Some were kind of off (Bridget wore a Rapunzel dress to play a song from the movie "Anastasia"), but there is something about being in a costume that makes the recital kind of awesome for Halloween.

This is Annie talking with Bridget after the recital.  Annie is three years older, but she and Bridget are kindred spirits.  I love to watch/listen to them playing together.  It's like one mind.

I had the ultimate crew to help me - Mom and Denise and Janessa.  I get pretty sweaty trying to put these things together, so having such great help (even Bridget was setting up chairs!) was a huge relief.

The babies did pretty well.  They probably thought they were supposed to be playing a six-hand duet with me when I was performing.

These are fantastic sugar cookies. I'll have to post that recipe.  I know they're a little rustic-looking and that a witch's hat should be black.  (Unless you're the White Witch - one of my investigators when I was a missionary in Colorado.  She was trying to decide whether to join the LDS Church or become a white witch.  Decisions!  Decisions!)

This is Beatrice.  She learned "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" for the recital.  It should have been too difficult for her, but she came back after one of our breaks and she had it memorized.  I started to cry (Olympic Cry) after she'd played it. 

This is Millie (her sister Abby is behind her in the cowgirl hat).  Millie isn't one of my piano students, but she got dressed up anyway.  :)

Right before it was Bridget's turn, she turned and whispered, "I don't want to do it."  Once again she faced her fears and played her song perfectly, swinging her legs and chewing on her tongue the whole time.  Another Olympic Cry.  I love that she powers through the things that scare her.  She is the best. :)