but officer, I have never been pulled over before...

Alas, I can never say that again..I got pulled over today. Not one of those seatbelt checks, either. The real flashing-lights-pull-over by a genuine New York State trooper. I was on my way to pick up the new used playhouse, and I am not so used to driving the truck. My seat was not adjusted properly, so I had pulled off the road to fix it, and pulled back on....and it still just wasn't right...so the officer saw this, and must've thought I was drinking or something. As he approached the truck, I said, "I have never been pulled over before, sir!" Oh, I am such an idiot. Anyway, I didn't get a ticket or anything....I think part of the reason he pulled me over was there were three little girls in the back seat, Kathryn, 11, Evelyn, 10, and Suzanne, 8......and when I mentioned there was a cop behind us, they all turned around and probably waved, too. The officer looked right in at them....he probably wondered if they were flagging him down or something...he didn't even call in my license, he just let me go....

So we got lost, even though Ben has a GPS in the truck....neither Mirielle or I could figure it out....after we picked up the house, we went to this obscure little hole-in-the-wall ice cream place. It was low-ceilinged and orange walled and seemed like it was a thousand miles in the middle of nowhere. The icecream was good and the fries were fine. Then we stopped at the grocery store, we cannot go all that way without stopping there.....our favorite find: 10packs of instant oatmeal, like apple-cinnamon or oatmeal raisin, for $1 a box. We put 12 in the cart.

Some of the kids were invited to a going-back-to-school gathering/party at my niece's house, so we only had Paul and I here for dinner with Benjamin, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Charlotte Claire, and Camille. It was pretty relaxing, and wow, only having to cook one pound of bacon is pretty easy. We had BLTs with turkey and chicken. And sliced apples. Very simple. Oh, and they were still hungry, so they started begging for the instant oatmeal....I was nice and made 6 bowls of it. Ben ate three packets. I should have bought more than 12 boxes....

I have baby-itis. Again. I read a lovely blog today, time didn't permit going back too very far, but this lucky mom has two boys, two very beautiful little adopted girls, and is expecting another.....the newborn she just adopted is so absolutely beautiful....can arms really ache for a baby? 'Çause mine do. If anyone has one they want to give me....oh that sounds terrible. (But I still will take it)