A quick post before bed....

Around here there has been much agonizing about Andrew continuing with band. He played the sax last year and considering he never practiced did pretty well. This year, he decided he didn't want to play anymore. The reason? The instrument was too heavy to carry and the 8th graders made fun of the younger kids. Did he like the instrument? yes. Did he like playing in the band? yes He was adamant though and Thomas (not wanting to pony up a minimum of $500 to pay for a used sax using part of the lease to buy rental money) was quick to back Andrew up.

I decided that he wasn't quitting. Everyone told me to just let him decide and quit and to not push him. I finally came out with it. "If the worst thing that happens to Andrew as an adolescent is that I forced him to continue with band for 1 year then I'll be happy". I felt very strongly about it. Andrew needs the extra help making social contacts. I didn't want him to make a mistake that he would regret....(If Andrew had said he didn't enjoy band, didn't like the sax or wasn't interested in learning to play I might have come to a different conclusion.)

Thomas and I went to the music shop today. They only let us apply 70% of our rental fees and the cheapest saxaphone that they brought out was almost $1500. After our rental fees, and a 20% discount we would have paid about $1000. That, of course, was totallly out of the question.

The new me stepped in. "I was told that you also had cheaper saxaphones" (lie). The store manager informed me that they didn't. DH and I stood there for a second and so I turned to dh and said "let's just get the one from Ebay for $400 then". Thomas looked a bit baffled, but played along. I turned to the manager and basically let him know that the prices were ridiculous for used instruments not in pristeen condition and that we could just get the instrument from ebay.

He watched me pick up Zoe's car seat and then said "wait. I might have another one in the back"

Oh YAH!

Cost? $475

So....Andrew got his saxaphone today. I was afraid he'd roll his eyes and act put-out that I was indeed forcing him to take band. Instead, he grabbed the case. "It's really mine? I can't believe it....my very...own...saxaphone. Oh, MOM, thanks". He opened the case and played and played and played (scaring Zoe half to death and sending the cats running for cover!). He was so genuinely happy.

"Thank you for not letting me quit, Mom...thank you"



We'll see how he feels in a couple of weeks when he has to be practicing! Is it a bad thing though that I was happy to be "right" and have dh be "wrong" in this instance :>


Funny side story? I picked up Thomas at lunchtime today in order to go to the music shop. Aidan hasn't driven with us to the hospital since Zoe was in the NICU. I have pictures of him sleeping in his stroller in the NICU! Today, as we pulled up to the hospital door he put his hand on Zoe's car seat and said "Mommy, are we taking Zoe back?" He thought we were going to return her! "Do you want me to?", I asked.

An emphatic "NO" answered my question.....