aaron

well, it is a little blurry, but he was game for it, barely, so I won't push my luck. Aaron is turning sixteen years old tomorrow, my sixth child. Sixteen years ago tonight, I was at a Christmas choral concert for Emily, who was 7 years old, almost 8. Paul and I went to her concert with Abigail, Benjamin, Mariel, and Joseph. I remember how he responded to the music, especially the drums. (tonight, we are going to HIS concert, and yes, he plays drums)...

That night, we went home, got the kids tucked into bed, and my water broke. We got to the hospital around midnight, and he was born early the next morning. He was 9 lbs, one ounce, and the nurse had told me to go ahead and push, and she would go get the doctor. Bad idea. He was born with one push, and I stupidly waited for that doctor....oh....it I were to do it over again, I would have just pushed him all the way out......anyway, he has grown up too fast. Joseph is only 18 months older than him, and they were such pals growing up. They invented the "Bombies" when they were 6 and 7, Bombies being kids who had no parents and could do anything they wanted, including leaving dirty clothes and towels on the floor. Aaron played with Molly when Joseph went to kindergarten. They played "Donny and Anna"....(he is going to kill me, but he was always the sweetest little boy. When people think of little boys, they think of roughhousing and wrestling, but Aaron was never like that)....When he was little he liked fountains and fishtanks. He loveds hot-air balloons, and for his birthday one year we got him a hellium tank and some ballooons. He liked his rock-tumbler and his K'Nex roller coaster. And his lego sets.

Tonight, I get to go to the band concert at school and watch Aaron on drums, Mali play her clarinet, Samuel play trumpet, and Margaret play saxophone. Kathryn plays flute, but her concert isn't until spring. I couldn't go last year because Camille was too little to leave, and too little to bring. This year, she is staying home. I have brought all the kids to these things for years, but now I am at the point where I just want to sit and enjoy it instead of struggling and juggling the baby and toddler.....

So, I did go out and about a little bit today. With all the little ones, plus M. So Charlotte Claire missed her nap.... and now she's a fuss. And Camille took only a small one when we got home....but I got some dinner into the oven (chicken, and roasted carrots), and got on the treadmill for a while....

I have to go get ready....