she's one today, my sweet camille

Suzanne didn't like it when I met her on the deck with the camera when she got off the bus.... Sonja followed Suzanne, and didn't smile for me....

Evelyn wasn't going to come up the stairs.....

Get the cameras away from the movie star....

Little Miss Birthday girl had another rough night, she was up 4 times....and up for good at around 7:00. She has a bit of a cold, not too bad, but I wonder if she has a headache or earache....she doesn't have a fever, but she was 99.3 yesterday....so just sick enough to wake up at night, but not sick enough to call Dr. dr. She loves this piano.....we got it out for her the other day.... Well, let's see what's over here....she is walking between things, always holding on a little....

Ooh, the drawer. This is the drawer that I have kept the brush and hair ponies/barrettes for years....the latch recently broke, and it was Camille's full time job to open this drawer and throw everything out. I finally got sick of the game, and ruined it for her. I put all the stuff in a bag. Now there are only a few things for her to throw. But she still checks it out every morning...

She was not really in the greatest mood for shopping, but we really needed stuff. And I hate going out on a Saturday. It is so crowded. Come to think of it, I wasn't in the greatest mood for shoppping either. I am tired. I DID get my good nap yesterday, 1 hour and 45 minutes of sleep. Add that to the two hours I got, and you've got a crazy woman....then imagine my glee when she kept waking up last night.....but like I said, we needed stuff. So, Molly, my 14 year old daughter, volunteered to skip school to help me shop. I could have gone after school, but then I would have to have hurried to get home in time for Friday night activity club. So, she helped me out today. We got Camille a free birthday cake at Price-Chopper. They have a Baby Club, and give a regular $7.99 one layer cake for the first birthday. It is small, but it will be enough. The store bought cakes are so sweet, they only need a little.

I got some Christmas presents in Target today.....I don't know who of my kids read this, so I won't say....then, to the grocery store. Jon REALLY wanted a car car cart.....as he calls it, but Camille was in the stroller, and Charlotte Claire was in the cart.....I bribed him. I told him if he didn't fuss about not getting the dreaded car car cart, I would buy him a little car. He was quite happy about it. And he was very good. I let him pick out a rather nice one, not just the $1 kind. He likes stuff that hitches up.

My sister in law and her two little guys were with us today, too. We stopped for a coffee and some donuts on the way down to the store (with coupons, of course).....that was enjoyable. I do like my coffee. And drinking one while I drive is relaxing because I didn't have to jump up and do this and that.....just drive, talk to Molly and sister-in-law, and drink my coffee. And eat my donut, if you must know.

Then: on the way home we stopped at Burger King. I know, very bad. But: we were cheapies. We used some free fries coupons we got for halloween, and just got the kids each some fries.....and a little something for ourselves, with a coupon, of course.....

I was planning on a little nap this afternoon, but my 3 little girls, Evelyn, Suzanne, and Sonja, are coming home on the bus in a few minutes. I really want to see them. They are in third grade, second grade, and first grade. I feel like I never spend enough time with each child. But I try to grab them and give them random hugs, and tell them I love them. Last night was study spelling words night, and that can be hard here. Sonja always gets 100%, but Suzanne struggles. If she studies alot, she can do it, but when she doesn't, she can easily get a 30%. But she is a math whiz. And, unlike Paul and I and most of the other kids, she has really neat handwriting. I can't seem to always keep up with all the stuff they do in school. To say the least. But I try.

Tonight's dinner will be simple, because they have activity club, and have to have a quick one. I bought a few loaves of French bread, and some ham and turkey, and lettuce and tomatoes....so, I will make some sandwiches. They will probably have snacks there tonight, too. We are going to celebrate Camille's birthday tomorrow. We aren't doing much. But it's fun for the kids to have a party. I meant to get some balloons today, but I forgot. We did get dustbath for the Chinchilla today, though. Molly has been bugging me about that. Miss Chinchy likes her baths. And I remembered to get margarine, and bagels.....I never get special points for the things I remember, but when I forget things, .....

I need to get a new car seat for the amazing growing baby Camille. She is too big for her infant seat. I have had babies in car-seats since the law was first passed in New York state requiring them. When Emily was born, they did not yet have infant seats available, only the bigger 5lbs-40lbs seats....all vinyl. When I had Abigail, I got a Kanga-Rock-a-roo seat, specially for infants.
But it was too bulky for the shopping carts. Finally when I had #6, Aaron, I got a Fisher-Price infant car seat that snapped on to the shopping cart, and it had the nice canopy.....I have had a few different ones since then, and the larger toddler car seats have improved, too. But they no longer make them with the shields, just the buckled harnesses. Charlotte Claire has one that has a shield. When I let her ride in Jonathan's Graco recently, she pulled the chest buckle all the way down, and tried to get her arms out. So I am not very hot on getting Camille a Graco. I would really like the Britax Marathon, but the cheapest one I have found is $186 + 9.99 shipping, on Amazon......it is good up to 65 pounds. It is pretty, and cushy. Any opinions? Is it worth it? It seems harder to for a child to slide the buckle down.....but SO expensive. But the way I am on the go, I would use it so much.....I don't know. Especially with Christmas coming, it's hard to spend that much....

Charlotte Claire and Camille are taking very nice naps right now. I had Joseph do the dishwasher, Samuel sweep, Margaret clear the table from snack, and Kathryn pick up the living room. Some of them are watching channnel 24 (public programming, kid friendly), WordGirl.....Evelyn and Sonja are cleaning their room, voluntarily. They probably have plans to have someone over......

I have been really happy today. I just see things extra clearly sometimes, I guess like when I am tired, and have to lean on God. And I am thankful for my life. A little while ago Evelyn, 9 years old, was storming around here like a mini-hurricane. So I called her over, and had her look into my eyes. She was trying to avoid it, but I made her....I kept coaxing her, saying come on, come on......so she did, and I said, "Who loves you? Huh, huh, who loves you?"....I think I broke whatever anger she had in her....I then hugged her and hugged her, and told her to fight against that anger that wants to wreck our home. I told her she could do it. And I hugged her, and she hugged me back. And she seems better.

So, I'll take the happiness. There are other days , I know, days that I have to fight for it. But today I am happy.