Conversations with the Smiths- Part 1

I need a place to record a few conversations we've had so far this summer. 

I haven't had a decent night's sleep in months. First was my typical spring twitterpation beginning in April which left me completely blissed out and high on life, green things, pollen, warmth and sunlight. Who needs sleep with such a potent combination? 

Then there was a medical scare in the family that left me unable to sleep for worrying. 

Then it was stumbling into the rabbit hole that is fanfiction. So, reading won out over sleeping.

Last night, I couldn't sleep because I was giggling remembering some of the aforementioned conversations. I was actually laying in bed in our darkened room next to my sleeping husband and giggling. I finally gave up on sleep and went downstairs to clean up the mess my children recently made of all the photo albums.  

I should have just sat down last night and written this then, instead, I stayed up until 3am when I couldn't read or walk in a straight line anymore. I miss being able to fall asleep at normal times.

Onto the conversations, though. This one from the last day of school, whilst sitting around the dinner table. [On the last day of school, our high school theater director puts up partial cast lists and names all 10ish shows for the following school year.]

Todd to Benjamin: So what are the shows for next year?

Benjamin: [Lists a bunch] and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

Todd: Oh, you should totally sing the erection song!!

Me: That's what I told him, when I heard the show list!

Benjamin: Um...okay.

Nathaniel: [Horrified gasping that his parents are discussing erections at the dinner table]

Me: Every kid wants to hear their parents tell them to sing a song about erections, right?

Todd: To be fair, I just meant that it's a really good song for a tenor. 

Benjamin: [Trying desperately to refocus the conversation] Well, I'm excited!

Me: I guess you'd have to be to sing a song about erections...

Nathaniel: [Moaning, blushing, and running from the table]

Me: Why isn't anyone eating the peas?

Todd: Because they're still frozen.

Me: Frozen peas are great! They were one of my favorite snacks when I was a kid.

Todd: But they're still frozen.

Me: New slogan for the pea council, "Frozen Peas! They're not just for vasectomies anymore!"

Nathaniel: [Groaning from the next room]

I have only myself to blame...

Benjamin plays trombone in band but walks all over the house banging on everything with drumsticks.  Nathaniel actually plays percussion, but has no interest in playing a drum set.  He likes the geekier percussion instruments and specifically asked for a triangle for home so he could "work on triangle technique". 

 Okay, I was a music major.  I played (badly) in drumline in marching band in high school.  I had to take a whole percussion class in college.  And I once played the triangle in a community orchestra concert. (They needed one more percussion player, and I wasn't helping the violins all that much anyway, so nobody complained when I volunteered.)  However, with all that in mind, when he mentioned working on playing the triangle, I just looked at him and said, "There's a technique for triangle??"  Then he looked at me with a withering stare that says, "Ugh, why don't my parents know anything??"  And we moved on.

The point of me telling you this is that I decided to give Benjamin a digital drum set for Christmas.  I did not give him an amp, so I'm at least a little bit intelligent.  It's blessedly quiet and if he starts banging on the furniture with drum sticks, I can send him to his drum set.  He was thrilled with the gift.

I gave Nathaniel a triangle.  He was equally thrilled.  

Blessed weirdos.

I

"Caroling, Caroling"

Another of our favorite Christmas traditions is singing as many Christmas songs as absolutely possible.  We have some wonderful friends who have an annual night "Cookies and Carols" at their house, and frankly, it doesn't feel like Christmas without it.  We adore these people.  And not just because they are the alto and bass to my soprano and Todd's tenor.  It's a delight to sing with them alone, but even more delightful is to watch our kids enjoy one another so much.  

 For me, music is so wrapped up in the Christmas season that it feels wrong without it.  I've been shopping in two stores this last week where they weren't playing any Christmas music, and I missed it.  I love some good Old English hymns, but am just as happy to sing about Rudolph and Frosty.

 I'm glad that our children are learning to love music of the season as well.  Look at this group of cute little girls all happy to sing songs, too!

I feel very content after a delightful evening of good music and good friends.  (And the homemade chocolates don't hurt, either.)