This is a simple explanation of the children/birth orders: a thick girl sandwich (5 girl filling) with the boys as the two pieces of bread.

L (or Elle) is the second girl.

SCHOOL MUSIC GUYS

I must say that the local schools often knock me out w/ the children's music programs. Especially the younger children's school - what they get 100 or so children to do, in an orderly way. That's not even the music, which often includes challenging mumbers (+ great to hear traditional American Folk songs.)

The directors presently are 2 men. Once per year each grade gives a concert. They will take a huge group of youngsters from all standing on the risers, to 20 playing percussion on stage left, 12 on the floor playing bells, 20 up front (in 2 groups) doing some circle folk dance...in less than a minute, all the arrangements are made and bam! onto the next number. Mr. B is particularly a good singer and musician, just flows thru him. He is also technically either a dwarf or midget (midget being taller, under 5 feet). I always like that, he shows by living that being short is of no real hindrance.

ELLE

For the past 2 years, Elle has failed to make the cut for the annual talent show. This year she made it. I think some weird psychological thing was going on for a about a year w/ her, because for awhile she wasn't singing like she used to. This was the period where A (our oldest girl) was really coming up as a singer.

Anyway, the past few months, Elle clearly got over whatever it was...and the barely 11 yr old sang acapella at the show. And just nailed it. Mr. B had decided to not accompany her. In the end I was glad she did it alone.

m (who is just 7), shortly after Elle's triumph said, "I think we're famous."

"Oh?" (dishes clatter; "children, what the heck is going on in there!?" )

"Yeah," m serenly continued, "Everyone knows us at school. They know who we are."

I talked to Elle earlier in the school year about becoming known among her peers. Weeks prior to getting accepted for the talent show, she'd had 2 highlights in her grade's concert - one singing, and one reading an introduction in which her comic and acting ability (didn't know she had either to that extent ) earned her great applause. The entire school attends 2 separate performances during the school day. So it was literally overnight that her singing became known to hundreds of students and a score of teachers.

Since Elle is a special needs child, the peer-attention up to then usually was different. I asked her people were all of a sudden noticing her in the halls and so on - she said yes. I related how that had happened to me as well, and that it could be kind of weird. She was trying to make sense of it while off the stage.

I think she's getting used to it now.

The best part of Elle at the talent show besides hearing her, was seeing my Mom rush into her arms after the show. I have lived that moment...after concerts myself as a child. The other best part was seeing Mr. B, as he was taking pictures of each talent act, after the show. That's the thing with the special needs ones, or the ones who have big obstacles to overcome. Their success is twice as sweet. Anyway, he had this look of delighted affection/pride as he took her picture.

That man listened to over 240 acts, and pared them down to 17. As he said, to hear all those acts within each class's music time, even the many who did not make it to the final show, has demonstrated to their peers what they could do; and hopefully inspire their classmates to work on their own talents.

FAN

I got into music cause I was a fan. Never could I imagine how much I'd become a fan of the children's concerts (especialy at the younger children's school). It is always a good scene, usually packed, and I'm talking entire families from suckling infants to grandma and grandpa. I get to see a lot of concerts, having more than 2.5 children. The little ones esp. love to see their siblings perform.