Just a little update

Steve tried to donate blood this Wednesday. This was the first day he has had available without the kids to give and they turned him away. Turns out our little foray into Belize makes him risky for a full year after our return. He will have to wait a couple of weeks.

Ruby had her eighteen month immunizations. I have struggled with the process of immunizing my children. I believe in it. I believe in it for the greater good. But that doesn't stop me from having a broken heart every single time I step into that damn clinic. On the upside we went straight from the clinic to Kindermusik. Ruby's Kindermusik. Her first class ever. One with her name on the registration, where she is finally not just the tag along of one of her older siblings. She loves it. And I love this semester of Kindermusik...it's my favorite and a good thing too since this is my fourth time through Fiddle Dee Dee.

Avery still sings the Japanese song that she learned from the above class. And all three of the older kids still love the book full of itty bitty songs which comes with it... Oopsy, daisy fiddle dee dee, Come and play in the garden with me, meeeeooowww. Avery has settled into making playdates for herself. I am still moderately surprised to discover how enamoured other parents are with this child. Some have offered to keep her. But we can't imagine life without her.

Zoe has recently decided that she might like to play the cello instead of the violin, with a little prompting from one of my girlfriends. How exciting. Now I just have to get it together enough in the next few days to find her a teacher and a ummmm cello. Ouch, I have a feeling that might be expensive. When I crocheted a blanket for my niece this Christmas she expressed an interest in learning and so she is working away on her first little project. She has taken the lead in a run of nurturing games that she and Avery and Ruby play with their dolls and stuffies. And every now and then I catch Aidan joining them.

Aidan has become a DS addict. A bit of a struggle for me to keep him focused on things he would like to do less than play DS, like visit with people, tidy his room, practice piano, do homework, shower, eat, sleep etc. I've had to impose more limits in the last few days than I would have hoped necessary. I hate having to say no to him. And sometimes I wonder if I'm being reasonable. Perhaps I should just let him play all his waking hours until he masters it, gets bored of it, and moves on all by himself. If he wouldn't starve to death, I might consider it more seriously.