mariel's concert

She's a senior in high school, and last night was her last chorus concert. I haven't made it to very many, because I don't bring babies to 'em. She really wanted me to be there, and it was soccer night, very busy and no one to watch Camille....so I called my sister, a mommy to seven lovely girls, and she said - sure, bring her over. So I sat with Paul (my dear handsome husband), and Evelyn, and enjoyed the concert. While I was sitting there without children, I of course was thinking of them. I need to work at being there for them.. ...I am there physically, but sometimes I feel almost robotic....I need to tune them in more, be more soft-hearted..... and: Camille was Miss I-don't-know-where-I-am, and therefore quite screamy at my sister's house. But, luckily my sister loves babies, and she held her and rocked her, and even got her calmed down and played a bit....

We had clear skies and a full moon last night - beautiful....! Made for a cold night, though.

I feel like a bad mommy right now...I made pancakes for Evelyn (she's having a skip day), Jonathan, and Charlotte Claire....and I pulled Miss C.C.'s highchair into the living room, and am letting Jon and Ev eat at the coffee table and watch Sesame Street.....but if you knew all the work I already did today, you might understand....I took Aaron to an appointment yesterday, and a quick stop at the grocery store....I had made a pot of soup before I left, which is great for those everyone-going-in-different-directions nights....then left for the concert right after dinner. So, since I have no maid or cleaning lady, the kitchen looked a bit disastrous this morning. And of course the livingroom is decorated in matchboxes, road track, building blocks, Pollypockets, ect., again, just the way they like it.

I have to take Aaron, 15, to a surgeon in a city over 2 hours away....we need to talk to the surgeon about the risks, recovery, details so Aaron can decide if this is what he wants to do....he has an extremely depressed sternum, or sunken chest syndrome. His chest looks like you could set your cereal bowl in it. He is very active, and he has discomfort, pain, and shortness of breath when running and biking. He is a canidate for what's called the "nuss procedure", which is the insertion of a metal bar behind the depression in the chest, and removed in a few years....if he goes through with the surgery, it means about a week in the hospital in this city. What am I going to do? If we schedule for during the summer, the older kids can help here, but I have
Camille the incredible nursing baby.....oh well, we'll see.