Dear Miles,

This is your last Monthly Miles Memo of your tenth year.  I’ve been feeling good lately about our overall family situation, and you’re one of biggest reasons.  The biggest news in your life this month has to do with trombone.  Ever since you started a couple of months ago, you’ve been really into it.  You practice without needing reminders, you get excited for both in-school lessons and after-school whole-band practice, and you love earning the ribbons your teacher awards for progress.  One day a couple of weeks ago you came home brimming with exciting news:  due to your hard work and a shortage of low brass instruments in the sixth-grade, your teacher invited you to join the sixth-grade band as well as your usual fifth-grade group.  The group band encompasses students from all the east-side elementary schools, and you told me that only you and a baritone player from another school were chosen.  That will start after winter break.  Your first fifth-grade band concert is tomorrow, and we’re very excited to see you up there, trombone in hand, playing along.

Photo by Gary Clarke

Another special trombone-related thing for you was a featured part in our Family Folk Machine concert.  During a rehearsal, our director mentioned that the song “Precious Friend” would have two brass solos, one by an adult trumpet player and the other by an adult trombone player.  I ran the idea of including you with the other trombonist by the director, and she thought it would be great, so we figured out a part for you.  Your duet sounded great.  You saved it as a surprise for Mubby and Skitter and Nana and Papa, and they were so proud to see you up there, tooting away.  More than one person got a little teary with pride.

School is going well for you.  We had our fall conferences with your teacher, and he seemed like he could have talked for an hour about how much he likes having you in class.  He said you could use a little work in keeping organized and remember what tasks you need to accomplish when, but you’re doing great in terms of hard work, participation, and engagement.  I was most happy to hear that you get along well with your classmates.  Your teacher said he can put you in any group with any other student and trust that you’ll do well together.

Your little brother Callum has been having some difficulties lately.  He’s been in a very big mommy stage and freaks out when I’m available to help him with whatever he needs to do.  This has been frustrating for everyone, including your dad, who is perfectly capable of helping him.  The other night I was away, and Callum was losing his mind in my absence.  Your dad sent me a text that said “100 points for Miles-dor.”  That’s our family code, based on the Hogwarts system of awarding points to houses (e.g., Gryffindor) for a student’s success or good behavior.  He said you really took care of Callum and helped him deal with the tantrum.

You’re not always patient and kind with your brothers, but you are certainly capable of it. In our sometimes tumultuous household, we always appreciate it when you can take a leadership role.  I know (believe me, I know) how stressful and overwhelming it can be to be surrounded by loud, crazy people when you’re a generally calm person.  We’re working together on strategies to deal with that frustration, and it’s satisfying to see you consciously find a quiet place and read a book when I can tell you want to explode.

Your biggest dream right now is to be a YouTube star.  You’ve made a handful of videos, and some of them are pretty good.  You’ve picked up a lot of YouTube tropes from the content creators you admire, such as a joke-based intro and a nickname for your viewers:  Whackadoodles.  Your YouTube name is Mister Whacky, so anyone reading this who would like to view your videos is welcome to search for you and join the Whackadoodles.

Your current favorites: making your own hot chocolate and pasta (probably your two favorite calorie sources), Ethan and Cole on YouTube, using iMovie to edit your own and Tobin’s videos, hanging out with your friend Jacob, reading, and all kinds of music.  You’re still doing well with piano and trombone, of course, and I often catch you singing to yourself as you move through your daily tasks.

Ever since you were a little boy, you’ve been focused.  During a recent snowstorm, we all went out for some family snow fun (actually, fun for 4/5 of us and shoveling for your dad).  Most of us finished our snow sculptures and went inside to warm up, but you stayed out past the completion of the snow fort you and Tobin built.  You added a snowman teammate for your snowball force, including some decorations that your dad might find with the lawnmower this spring.  You were out for what seemed like hours.  I bet that Miles-made hot chocolate tasted better than any cup you’d ever had.

Happy end of your tenth year, my smart, tender, hard-working boy.  I love you so much.

Mommy