THIS OLD HOUSE

makes me think of the Hamilton house near our grade school. Believe it or not, the Hamiltons sent 11 kids to Field/Hall School back in the day.

On the next block were the Hayes kids--6 or 7 of them if I'm not mistaken. Across the street from them lived the Echols. They had 12 kids.

And they all lived right next to the school. Can you imagine?

I had the last of the Echols (and a few others, too) when I taught. She was very well dressed and a sweet gal. Actually the whole family was that way. But I wondered if she ever had any new clothes. I'd think hand-me-downs were big in all 3 families.

How you'd even keep track of that many puzzles me. But what relationships they could have. What closeness could develop.

Or I guess it could go the the way. With little privacy, you might just get so tired of them being around all the time. Seeing them day after day.

Of course there was a Hamilton and an Echols in my class. I missed one of the Hayes by a year on each side of me. What stories all three families must have had.