apples

Off we went....Kathryn Grace, Evelyn Joy, Suzanne Eleanor, Sonja Kathleen, Jonathan Robert, Charlotte Claire, Camille Anaya, and I.......here is the happy Camille with Sonja. And Sonja with Charlotte Claire

Evelyn Joy, ten year old co-pilot....
Here is Camille...she loved the big bins of apples. This is how we pick them, they are so cheap! Only $4 for a whole bag of McIntosh, $5 for the other varieties....I have no idea who that heavy lady is holding her....

Charlotte Claire.....and that lady again in the background picking out squash...

Jonathan loved packing the apple bags. I was going to buy 5 bags of apples, two of the Mc's and three of the others. Before I knew it, they had 4 bags of McIntosh being filled. I had wanted to bring some apples to my brother, and to my sister, so it was fine....Here is Jon, with that lady in the background again, with Camille, Sonja, and Charlotte Claire.

To Camille, everything is an adventure. She wanted to keep the squash.





There.

And here is what we brought home, after dropping off a bag at my brother's house, and a bag at my sister's house. She invited us in, so we all visited for a while with her, two of my nieces, and her sweet little baby grandson, Will.

It is so nice to have all these apples. When I pay $2.50 or $3.00 in the supermarket for a three pound bag, and they go so fast.....I like to cut them up so they share. But they like them in their lunches. This apple place said they have SO many McIntosh apples, almost 100 of the big bins of them. Wow. I wish I knew a good place to store them, I would buy more and have them throughout the winter. We are also itching to bake now. I bought a whole bag of Cortland, they are excellent for pies.

Rosie is nice and clean. Apparently, Mali, Joseph, Aaron, Sam, and Kathryn went in the hot tub,and let Rosie in with them. She just begs and whines, she loves water. She just had a bath yesterday, so she probably didn't get the water too dirty. Anyway, they blowdried her afterward. I asked if she liked it and they said she did not, but Aaron held her down. They used the girls' hairbrush, but Sam washed it afterwards. She looks nice and fluffy and sweet.

Paul is at a fundraiser for church with Abigail and Mirielle, they are pouring beer for a college football game in the city. We had a nice pizza dinner without them. Well, I guess it was nice. The convection oven feature cooks the tops and bottoms of the pizza, but the middle was still soft. So as I played musical pizzas, serving the kids the edge pieces, while they ate and fooled around and played in the candles, Camille pooped. Oh, there is nothing more fun than a diaper change during dinner. Then she didn't want to get back in her booster seat because she had no nap today and was falling apart. She was also soaked because she insisted on a big girl cup, and the kids who were sitting with her gave her a whole cup of drink instead of just a bit....and she spilled it, of course. So the pizzas were finally all baked and out of the oven, and the little kids were done and getting down. It was so cozy in here though, on a chilly rainy evening.....we had only a soft light on and lots of candles. It smelled like Pizzahut in here, with bacon and peppers and pepperoni and black olive pizzas.....Jon and Charlotte Claire, and Sonja helped me make them. The kids all came back to the table for dessert, Nesquick push-pop ice creams. Yum. Then it was over, and the mess! 12 kids, one mom....Joseph did the dishwasher part, I washed pans and counters, the kids got the table cleared and washed....

Snack time after the little kids got in bed, Joseph, 18, Aaron 16, Mali 15, Sam 14, Margaret 12, and Kathryn 11 were raiding the kitchen for cheese, cold drinks, and apples. And chocolate. I realized very clearly in that moment how lucky I am. Those six kids, all getting along and happy and having a great time together on a Saturday night. My favorite kind of Saturday night, too, rainy and cozy.

The younger girls, on the other hand, have to learn how to get along. Evelyn and Sonja fought about something very important, so important that they had to hit and scratch each other. They were both screaming bloody murder (now that's an expression 'ya don't hear anymore! My mother used to say it...)Suzanne was crying because they were crying, and Jon, who had been all tucked into bed, was all upset and out here crying. So I told Evelyn and Sonja they have NO computer for a week. And everytime they fight from now on, they are going to sit on a chair. It is one thing for sisters to argue and disagree sometimes, but when they get physical about it, and scream like that, no way. I told them they are not going to act like animals in this house. They repented and apologized and I hope they mean it and really work on it....I would rather get them to the place where they can see themselves and work on being good beause they know it is right, rather than me having to get after them so much and have punishments. But alas, it is my job to teach them and guide them and help them choose the good.....

Here is their latest fort from my kitchen window.....I recognize that sheet as a good useful one...hmm.