playing a piano player

sometimes sienna doesn't answer my question directly, but only does it in significant relation to it. for example, i asked, "do you like playing piano?" she said little brother ben cannot play piano. "he's like this," she showed me knocking the table really hard and fast. "how do you play it then?" her fingers knocked the table, not so hard and not so fast. "oh, what about sister cissy?" this time she fingers hit the table slowly and surely, one at a time.

her judgement of one's piano skill is the speed of the hands. the slower, the better. that's quite a clear perception, for now. she knows she is not there yet. she knows it takes time for her to get there. her famous saying goes, "when i grow up, i can ..."

when her old nanny came to visit us over the weekend, she was so eager to show off her piano skill. i stopped her a few time to no avail. so i said to her in private, "you are making such a noise. either you wait till we finish talking, or you go to your room now." defiantly, she hit the keyboard hard and loud and walked away. end of the story.

now i feel like such a mean mama because the story ended there. i forgot to give her the chance to show off nicely afterwards. she does think that she can play, just not well enough and that according to her, will surely happen as she keeps on practising.