yah, we're goin' to washington!

I am very excited to say that we finally purchased airline tickets and reserved a hotel room for next week!!! Benjamin is going to be on his way to the U.S.A. very soon. Of course it takes a while, Afghanistan is pretty much on the other side of the world. He gets to stop in a few countries on the way back, then Alaska, then Washington state. I told him to at least go outside and throw a snowball in Alaska, but he said he didn't think he would care about anything at that point except: getting home. Home as in Washington, that is. He won't be coming to New York until Christmas.

Buying tickets on the internet is not fun. Especially for a Computer Whiz like me. I do know how to open lots of tabs now, so that helps. But comparing prices, and deciding whether it's worth the drive to fly out of a more distant city than our nearest airport...and then actually making the decision and clicking on, "Book Now". Paul had to go to bed, he was just tired out last night, leaving me to do all the clicking and deciding. If he doesn't like the prices I paid or the flights I chose, ha, too bad, right? Anyway, the tickets are bought and I still need to rent a car...

The hotel I chose has a 24 hour indoor pool! And a hot tub. And free breakfast. And brand new pillowtop beds which have gotten great reviews. And it's reasonably priced.

Anyway. I have two little princesses home today from school. Charlotte Claire is coming down with a cold, Camille has had one too...they got off that bus yesterday and were just so wiped out. Going to school day after day for them seems like rolling a boulder up a hill...by Friday, almost impossible. Jonathan went alone like a little champ, probably because I promised to pick him up early:)

Anyway. I am a lucky girl. I have these daughters...they are so much fun
.

Evelyn Joy 13, Kathryn Grace 14, Suzanne Eleanor 11, and Sonja Kathleen 10.

Kathryn, me, Sonja

In the thrift store, the girls thought lots of clothes were funny. One girl laughing is one thing, four of them...very loud. They tried on trench coats and they picked up purple floral blouses and lacy collared dresses and laughed their heads off. I just let them, actually pretended I didn't know them. I love thrift stores. One of the girls found an Abercrombie&Fitch jacket for $3.99. I found a cashmere button-down sweater for myself in the nicest lavendar color. And a pair of jeans.

I was nice and took them to the Chinese buffet...it wasn't nice for me though. I had only chicken and oranges. No rice, none of those yummy noodles, no pudding jello ice cream pastries frenchfries or onion rings. I still gained two pounds. 2.2 pounds up from yesterday. ouch. and NO FAIR.

Anyway...on the way home I randomly stopped at a little old rural cemetery....

Sonja liked the name on this stone.

Kap liked going through this old gate.

Evelyn Joy

Suzanne and the gate...

in order of age...Sonja, Suze, Evelyn, Kap....

One last stop at the old school house...

A peek at the past...the school house was all locked up, but Kathryn took a picture through the window...a glimpse of 1861.

Suze looking in...

And, one last picture, of Kathryn.

Suri needs to go out, the little girls need attention, and there is so much work to do around here. The girls poured their own cereal, and I heard those magical words, "Char, get the paper towels, quick!". They are so funny. They were talking about being afraid of Page Dark. I was wondering who that was when Char said, "I am not afraid of partly dark, only Page Dark." Camille answered, "It's PEACH Dark, Char!"