How To Annoy Your Sister - Part XVII

I Told You... There's A Streak Of Asshole In Me!

I've decided that it's time my niece and nephew resumed their musical training. We've got a long tradition in this family of being somewhat proficient in an instrument or voice, and they're not progressing as fast as they ought.

See, I got them one of those Fisher-Price electronic toy pianos last Xmas, but my sister and BIL are pretty bad about replacing the batteries in it. In other words, when the first set of Energizers went flat, they weren't ever replaced.

Now that Sammy is heading towards 4 years, and Gracie is well into the toddler stage, they need that musical influence so they can be ready to join the marching band as soon as possible. God forbid Sammy becomes a jock, or Gracie feels the pull to join the Whore Corps drill team.

I checked on the cost of shipping the upright piano out to their place, but it's ruinously expensive, and knowing my BIL's attitude towards a cluttered house, it might end up moldering in the garage or the back patio. Can't have that....

So, Plan B!

I'm going to send them the family xylophone! It was Mom's practice xylophone when she was in high school. She marched with that monstrous lyre-shaped glockenspiel, but had this smaller 2-octave hammer-piano at home.

You know those lovely wooden xylophones with the burnished rosewood bars that you play on with yarn-padded soft mallets that make sweet dulcet tones?

This is NOT one of those. Nope, steel bars played with hardwood mallets, making a strident ear-piercing chime with each tap. Kinda like this one, only more beat-up.



And it never runs out of batteries...