Nick Turns 10!

It seems impossible but somehow the last decade has tiptoed past us. And the living proof in our house is that Nick -- our millennium baby -- turned 10 this month.

We celebrated with the family taking Nick and his friend to Dave & Buster's, a bigger kid version of Chuck E. Cheese's. Nick wanted some fancy, new (read expensive) soccer cleats, so he got those and another K'nex roller coaster set, which he built in two days ... sigh.

For the first time in several years he didn't ask for a giant chocolate chip cookie in lieu of a cake (thank goodness), so I picked up a fancy chocolate Boston creme cake for him.

Hard to believe that Nick's in the double-digits now. He's matured a lot in the last year, especially when it comes to school and being more focused and responsible about his homework, but it still seems like yesterday that this was the Nicky running around the house:

Nick Strikes Up the Band

We're about in our fifth week of school now and we're finally settling into our school routine. Nick announced during the first week of school that he wanted to join band. And he opted for the clarinet, which I have a feeling is because it is about the smallest of the instruments and he didn't want to lug around a saxophone or trombone or some other thing that would feel like carrying a baby hippopotamus around.

I ordered a rental clarinet and the moment it arrived, the frequently off-key blare, I mean the sweet music, could be heard throughout the house ... if not the neighborhood.

He really is into it and will pick it up and start playing, usually several times in an afternoon and evening. And even though it's only been a few weeks, I can already hear improvement. The steady note that goes abruptly off-note is becoming less frequent.

Nick wouldn't let me take a picture of him playing it. So this one will have to do ... for now.