Togetherness

I had grand plans for last night.  I started early on a crock pot dinner to ensure that we would all be sitting together around a table.  I made homemade everything! including ranch dressing that was super yummy, and a dessert I stole off Pinterest.  And I had visions of the six of us spending the evening writing down our summer goals and planning great activities that we could all look forward to.  

Unfortunately, at 3:00pm, I realized that I had forgotten Spell Girl's solo practice with her accompanist at 5:00pm and her recital at 7:30pm.  And I also got a text from TCD saying that she would be going to a friend's house after school to work on a speech project.  ugh...

So, instead of the togetherness I planned, five of us ate dinner...mostly around the table.  And from 5:00pm until 7:30pm, we ran back and forth between Dallas Strings, an apartment complex in McKinney, and our house.  No summer planning happened last night.     

But we ALL went to Spell Girl's bass/cello recital.  It's rare that we ALL attend an event together.  Usually we're going in 6 different directions and we're lucky to get one or two of us at any given activity.  And sometimes, the other kids aren't always interested in the things their siblings are doing, so we've been guilty of giving in and letting them stay home.  But, I think if I could rewind and change one thing about the way we've set up our household, it's that one...I would just make it a requirement that we ALL support one another whenever possible.  It was such a great feeling (for me and for Spell Girl) to look across that whole row and see smiling family faces.  

She has worked so hard this year learning that new instrument.  We all have the benefit of hearing her practice (and it is TOTALLY a blessing to have that gorgeous music fill the house), but it's a different thing entirely to be there watching her perform for a whole audience full of people.  The other kids were excited for her, and a little surprised, I think, at how good she really is.  TCD and the Scout Master were sitting behind three of the older kids in the conservatory who are very, VERY advanced, and they both were so excited to tell Spell Girl that those three kids were very impressed with her performance.  

It's a good thing to have your brothers and sisters see you excel at the thing you really love.  I think it makes them think differently about each other.  I'm so happy that we accidentally ended up in the same place together so that we could ALL enthusiastically cheer for Spell Girl.  Because what better cheerleaders will we ever have than our own family??

Oh, and by the way...Spell Girl got an award last night for Exceptional Progress in her private lessons AND she found out today that she made 2nd chair in Chamber Orchestra at school (That's the highest one!  She'll start there in the fall.)  Can you hear us all cheering over here?