I try, I really do...

I wonder what it would be like to be a successful person, you know, one of those women who does everything right...never forgetting to make a phone call, always making lists and actually remembering to bring the lists to the store, the type who never has to re-wash a load of clothes because she couldn't remember when she put them in the washer....the kind who can so easily say, "no thank you, I am watching my weight" - when she weighs no more than my ten year old.

What I am saying here is that this morning, I feel like such a failure. Yesterday I had ice cream pie. Evelyn crushed up those chocolate sandwich cookies, stirred them with melted butter to make the crusts....the mint one was topped with hot fudge and broken up Mint Three Musketeers Bars. The chocolate peanutbutter one was even better. blah. So I ate really lightly at dinner, since this was my afternoon snack, which usually is like a hundred calories. Then after dinner...dang it, I ate a whole serving of Lindt Chocolates that my brother Bob gave me for my birthday. 250 calories. Then...oh dang, then Mirielle made home made kettle-corn...she puts brown sugar in it, and it tastes like caramel corn. I vowed not to have any...then the smell...what the heck, I'll just have a small bowl...rrrr!!!! All in one day! blah.

So today is a new day. I SHALL behave.

I have been up for two hours already. I drove Samuel to work. I have to get up at 6:30 with Sam because Suri gets so excited to see him in the morning, if he goes in his room to get dressed or into the bathroom, she starts yipping. Then the younger kids wake up. So I get up and take her outside. She rode with us this morning to drive Sam. Then I took her outside a few more times, in between playing Fetch and Rub Suri's Tummy. She is all settled in now for her morning nap. When she is sleeping I can relax and not worry about her sneaking down the hall and making a puddle. She doesn't seem to do it out here anymore, so she is learning.

Today we are going on an adventure. Eleven of us. Sonja K. is going over to play with the twins, Sebastian and Linnea, and their big brother Will. But the rest of us here are going to a state park with waterfalls that we have never been to. If I had asked the kids last week to do this, they probably would have balked and complained about "going in the BIG van", blah. But this week...I think they are getting a little weary of sitting around doing nothing. Well, some of them stay up 'til the wee hours, then wake up at noon or one or even two. They take a quick swim here and there, watch movies and you-tube and read books. The little kids play outside more, on the rope swing and the regular swings and coloring with sidewalk chalk, playing with Suri. Anyway, when we planned this adventure, I was pleasantly surprised at the enthusiastic response.

I like to let the kids do what they want during the summer. We have the occasional chore list, and they have things I ask them to do, so they aren't total bums. But I think it's nice to let them have some down time. When I was growing up, I loved summer, loved when I couldn't for the life of me figure out what day of the week it was. They go on spontaneous bike rides, and the older ones sometimes take the younger ones shopping, or on little adventures. They do things with the youth kids from church, and they have a lot of free time.

Joseph went and got the Dump Permit yesterday so we could get rid of the stuff under our deck. We are also taking down the sauna, since we don't use it, and yes, it has been used for a few years as a storage closet. That stuff was hauled away, including sniff sniff, a lavendar Emmaljunga carriage bed. It had gotten musty and old...Joseph asked me if I would really want to put a baby in it...wah.

Anyway, it feels nice to get that stuff gone.

Our garden is growing well, we have been eating yellow squash and green beans, and lettuces and spinach. The tomatoes are plentiful but not ripe yet.

Paul is leaving soon for two weeks away for work...and we are thinking of going camping without him. Joseph and Sam and Aaron would have to stay here because they are working next week...so that would leave Mirielle, Mali, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, Camille, and I...and Emily would come up for a few days. All the girls except for Abigail...unless she could take two days or so off from work, probably not. (poor Jonathan!) Anyway, we are thinking it might be fun....in tents. With Suri. I feel almost crazy, but doesn't it sound fun? It would get them out of the house away from the computers and put us all together....the campfires would really be fun.

The garbage man is here and there is no Bad Dog to bark at him. wah.

Suri already has a different disposition than Rosie ever had. She is super-friendly. She automatically sits down when she wants something. She told me she wanted to eat this morning by jumping on the bag, then sitting next to it, looking at me with those puppy eyes. So I took a handful of food, told her to sit and Stay!...backed up a few feet, put a few pieces down and told her it was Okay. She did not get up until I said Okay. I did this like fifteen times, each time moving away further. She got it every single time. What a joy to train her...seriously.

I don't mind going down the decks steps so frequently, either. I lost eleven pounds in the few months after getting Rosie, just from moving more. I don't count that in my weight loss tally, because it was before I decided Enough Is Enough. Anyway, I figure it can't hurt me to be more active.

It is such a nice day, going up to 90 degrees, sunny, going on an adventure...did I mention that I LOVE summer??! But just to keep it real...I am fully aware that there will still be bumps in the road and glitches in the happiness, after all....how many daughters do I have? There is no such thing as Smooth Sailing around here...good thing I know that God is near, sends all things for my very best....