Today’s school highlight was music class. We started our introduction to orchestral musical instruments, and it was a lot more fun than the recorders and ukuleles we’ve used in music classes up to now. While we’re doing this unit of study, we’ll get to try playing as many of the different instruments as we want, and then next year we’ll get to pick one to learn how to play. I thought that the alto saxophone was cool, and Rowen liked the flute the best. No surprise that more than half the boys wanted to try the drums and percussion first. Not one guy would even come near a flute, let alone pick one up and try it. Boys!
Rowen and I did our homework right after school, and then we took care of Ethan and Ehlana while Mom worked in the kitchen. Uncle Adam, Aunt Leanne, Deborah, and Nick were all coming over for our Friday night dinner and a movie, and Rowen was staying too; though we weren't doing another sleepover tonight. It’s been a cool, damp day, so we went upstairs to the lounge, watched a little television, played with Mandy, and Ethan and Ehlana told Rowen and I about what they’d been doing all day while we’d been stuck at school. Rowen is getting used to just how extraordinary my little brother and sister are, but she still looked a bit amazed whenever Ethan and Ehlana actually talked with us, or talked about how their education was progressing. I’m usually just amused – especially when they talk about things that bug them; like not having the physical abilities yet to write or type on a computer keyboard.
Those are problems that I definitely can relate to, and I had a suggestion for them about what they might be able to do about that – get Mom to install voice recognition software for them. My idea sent Rowen into the giggles as she pictured Ethan and Ehlana in their carriers wearing computer headsets and working on computers in the office. That did seem funny, but it would also work, and the twins were so fired up about the idea that they had us take them downstairs to talk with Mom about it right away.
Mom was fairly amused, but liked the idea too – especially since she was currently the person doing most of the page turning and computer typing for the twins. She was even more enthusiastic when Rowen suggested that a pair of iPads might be an even better idea for Ethan and Ehlana to start with. That way they’d be able to use the voice recognition software and probably be able to manage a fair bit with the touch screens too.
Since we were downstairs anyway, Rowen and I set the dining room table for dinner, and then stayed in the kitchen to talk with Dad and Nick while they took over cooking duties and Mom and Aunt Leanne went upstairs to nurse the twins. Uncle Adam and Aunt Deborah joined us just before dinner was ready after having another busy Friday afternoon at the clinic; and Mom, Aunt Leanne, Ethan, and Ehlana came downstairs again by the time we had everything on the dining room table and ready to go.
My favorite part of our Friday night dinners is getting a chance to catch up on what everyone’s been doing all week. I don’t always get to hear about everything when we’re busy with other things like game night, Magi lessons, or work. School news from a teacher’s perspective is always fun too, and I’m really glad that Aunt Deborah and Nick are getting so close. I doubt it’ll be all that much longer before Ethan, Ehlana, and I can adopt him as an Uncle!
After dinner, Rowen and I watched Ethan and Ehlana again while the cleanup was being done, and then we watched ‘A Cinderella Story – Once Upon a Song’. We won’t tell on them, but Dad, Uncle Adam, and Nick may have broken a man-law or two by actually seeming to like the movie. There were the usual, required chick-flick jokes, but I definitely heard Daddy humming one of the songs while helping to clean up from our drinks and snacks.
Aunt Leanne and Uncle Adam walked Rowen home when they left, and they were going to meet up with Aunt Deborah and Nick at Sheldon’s. Mom and Dad were invited to go too, and I offered to watch Ethan and Ehlana, but they decided to stay home and make it an early night. We had a little question and answer time with the twins while Mom nursed them, and once I’m done with this archive entry; Mandy and I are going to get some sleep. Even though Dad has to get ready for his week in Crystal Springs; hopefully we’ll manage to have some fun to go along with the usual weekend work.
