"Forced Togetherness"

Growing up, there was a standing rule--if one of our siblings had an activity, we ALL went to support them in that activity, be it sports, plays, concerts, or cheerleading (which I still maintain is NOT a sport, Julianne). The only exception was if we had an activity of our own, and then things got a little more complicated. As a teenager, this was not my favorite rule. In fact, I was so busy with my own life that sometimes I just wanted to stay home and be ALONE! But, alas, with 4 siblings, that was never to happen. Looking back, I'm grateful to my parents for their "forced togetherness" that I'm sure has contributed to the closeness we now enjoy as a family, and probably kept us out of a LOT of trouble in those precarious years.

In that same light, and with the same intentions, last night we attended out first extra-curricular activity as a family--Maggie's choir concert. (I know, we're slow at getting our kids involved in things--we figured once it starts, it never ends, right?) It was crowded, hot, and we couldn't see Maggie over the hundreds of heads in front of us, but we had a surprisingly good time! Katie and Bridget danced their little hearts out to the Latin beat as Maggie sang Spanish songs, including "Guantanamera," a childhood favorite of mine. Brooke found a hole in the crowd & was able to watch Maggie deliver her line, "Music brings the world together, and makes us better friends." It was a GREAT night--the first of many, many, for this little family!

Passing the time...

They put the tall 4th graders on the stage and the short 2nd graders on the floor...they obviously didn't ask for my opinion.

Maggie is the first blue shirt on the left...