Music

Emily and her classmates have been learning to play the recorder for about six months now. Slightly disappointingly, however, they have yet to progress beyond the little three-note ditty they first started being taught back in September.

Their music homework every week is to practise The Tune. And Emily of course is nothing if not assiduous in matters of homework. However, as the months have gone by, our initial enthusiasm has palled somewhat. So encouragement ("Play it again, Emily! Listen everyone, Emily's playing the recorder!") has given way to strained indulgence ("Very nice, darling, but I think that's enough for today, don't you?") to what I must shamefacedly admit is downright intolerance ("Only in your room and with the door closed!"). Where once we swelled with parental pride, we now swell with the effort of keeping our comments to ourselves.

But today was the day that my normally peaceable wife (yes, really) finally snapped. Emily was a scant three and a half seconds into her practise this morning when Nevi very vocally threatened to visit unspeakable acts with a recorder upon the school music teacher, and --

What's that? Emily has just reported that tomorrow her class will be learning a new song!!!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...