Oh what a thrill to see Jim Gill!

This evening it hit me like a ton of bricks: we're too busy.

I should've realized this long before now ... we had an early morning Saturday as we got ready to drive two and a half hours to put hand prints on a plate for Toot Toot's 80th birthday, a late night as all the grandkids cycled through the bath and got into bed only to get up again bright and early for Mass and a birthday brunch, followed by long car trips home. And today, we had two separate visitors and a fabulously festive pre-Gill pizza party before the library concert even began. All loads of fun, mind you, but even fun takes its toll.

All the pieces came together, though, as I held my two girls in my one lap in the front row of the brand new theater in the brand new Main Library in the middle of the Jim Gill concert while they both wailed and got blotchy. Once I realized that what they needed most was sleep, I tried to leave early, but that idea was met with even louder wails-- something I hadn't thought possible. Fiona had really been looking forward to this, the first live concert she was old enough to remember. And honestly, until that weirdly random ache in her side came back with a vengeance toward the middle of the concert, she was having the time of her life. In a ringing commendation, Fiona had said, "I clapped till my hands hurt!" Nora too was all-over wiggly with the music and family and fun, but suddenly her circadian rhythms got the better of her and she became tetchy.

We left as quickly and quietly as we could, so we didn't get a chance to tell Mr. Gill that his music brings our family together, or that we enjoy making our own music, dances, rhymes, and stories. Even through the tears, though, we had a memorable evening tonight. Now we just need to give ourselves lots of rest and down time to reflect upon it.