The kids

I thought I'd write a post about the children, to let you know what they're up to.

Philip - He's not practicing his trumpet like he used to. I think perhaps it is slowly passing from his life. I imagine he'll always enjoy it, and play a bit. But I think it was a big part of his life in 9th and 10th grades, when we were moving, and he was transitioning, and didn't have many friends. It filled his time and gave him a challenge. I think he learned much from it. But life is fuller now for him, and he has activities and friends. He also enjoys watching some fun shows online, he's taking some pretty tough classes this year, and he likes to spend his spare time photoshopping pictures. He does really beautiful work, and I wish he could sell some of it and make some money from it! Maybe I'll post one of his pictures here for you to see his talent.

Anna - Right now, Anna's doing cross-stitch. She's very creative with handwork. I don't think I'd call her artistic in the traditional sense; she can't really draw or paint or sculpt. But she knits and sews and does things like that, and does it rather well. She's also enjoying her 3rd year being involved in the school play/musical, and each year she gets a larger part. I'm particularly pleased with how Anna is maturing at last, and with how well she's doing in school. She is extremely disciplined, and although she comes across as a blondish airhead at times, actually she conceals a pretty ruthless zeal to succeed. She's taking honors classes now, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if she did an AP course before she finishes.

Peter - Peter is blooming into a real teenaged boy. He is all about the chicks. Of course, he's trying to be gentlemanly and obedient about it all, but frankly he is thrilled to be in high school where the girls are nicer and not so silly. He, however, has no clue how to interpret all the sly innuendos of feminine communication, and regularly gets himself into fixes. Adam and I try to rescue him with good advice. Peter's also such a hard worker outside. He is our grunt man in yard projects, while Philip is snoozing in up on a Saturday morning. We're thankful for his teachable spirit.

Julia - Oh my, all of our children are such little individualists, and display such distinct character, and she's no exception. We watch as she struggles through being part of a "class" in school, when all her instincts tell her to be a loner. She does enjoy her friends a lot, and they enjoy her. But she loves to play outside. She has a little grass fort in the shrubbery. She strolled into the living room the other day and asked if I had a copy of Homer's Odyssey. Now she's reading it. Because she lives in our family, she doesn't know that it's odd for a 4th grader to read that. I don' think it's odd. She is forgetful, and lives with her mind in imaginary realms. She has been out of dress-code so often that she's lost her dress-down privileges until the end of the grading period. She just doesn't really think about it in the morning. She sings and hums and makes up games. Like the others, she's fiercely competitive, argumentative, and defensive. Like them, she's also loyal, encouraging, and bright.

That's all for today. One must write about the children when one's day is "ho-hum."