What is it about men playing instruments that makes us women big squishy bags of hormones? Right now Ben is playing the piano and I love it.*sigh* I find this completely ironic. I didn't even know that he played the piano until we were engaged. We went to kindergarten together. Had been friends for fifeteen or so years and I had no idea until after we were engaged and he sat down at my Moms piano and started playing hymns.I remember thinking 'that's nice.' and then he started playing his own music and I thought 'Aren't I lucky!' Yes I am. 

About three years ago he asked me if we wanted the piano from his parents farm. Ugh! I thought one more thing to fit into our little house and it's ugly.(It's been painted blue, brown and cream.) After some gentle persuasion, I said okay and we brought it home. I figure if someone else painted it, so could I. So the ugly little upright found its way to our living room wall. The next morning I woke up to piano music floating through the house. What a good decision. Now whenever Ben feels like it, which is once or twice a week, he plays and I turn into the aforementioned bag of hormones.

Since we have a piano in the house I've been trying to teach myself to play. Ben has said he'll start teaching the kids when they show interest. His only teaching advice to me so far has been buy a metronome, which I did. So I've been waiting for the kids to show interest. Occasionally I ask and they say not interested.

Charlie is teaching himself the harmonica and he can play three songs now, Twinkle Twinkle, This Old man and Row Row Row Your Boat. The harmonica's good. It could be a girl magnet right? I'm sure even John Popper has his groupies.

The other day he brought a magazine to me and said 'Look Mom authentic bagpipes! I want these for my birthday.'  I said 'really?'  Feeling him out I asked if he would be willing to pay for part of them. Just to see how serious he was. Well then he started planning how much he had and how much he thought he would get for his birthday. I was still stuck on- Really? Okay so I figure he wants them so I'm sure we'll work it out but I'm still stuck on the girl thing. Will women go gushy for bagpipes? I know he's only going to be eight and this isn't foremost in his mind but, Really?  Then he says..." Mom can you make me a man skirt?"

REALLY?     After I settled down a little since I was laughing so hard I almost wet my pants. I explained to him that it was called a kilt and there were probably some Scottish and Irish men out there who would beat him to a pulp if he called it a man skirt.

While I was explaining it to him I thought about kilts and Scots men. Hmmm...Charlie's not going to have any trouble at all. The women will fall over him if he gets a Scottish accent down, I don't think Northern Michigan is the accent women are looking for. Then again, I've heard the lumber jacks got all kinds of action.

Excuse me Ben's done playing. Bag of hormones signing off.