monday morning and a house full of school skippers...

But instead of dwelling on who didn't go, I shall mention who DID. Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, and Suzanne got on that bus this morning. Sonja K. isn't feeling well, she has this cold and feels stuffy and dizzy. Char barfed twice yesterday, which was interesting. She was all pale, she ran to the bathroom, then not long later was swirling and twirling around on the deck blowing the bubbles Emily gave her for her birthday, wearing a long dress that flared out when she spun...laughing and having a good old time. She came in the house and was still bouncing off the walls, then bam, she ran in and threw up again. hmm. Oh, and Jonathan has a tooth bothering him. I am not sure if it is one tooth trying to come in and getting impacted, or the one behind it acting up. I will let the dentist figure it out. Jon's cheek looks very chipmunk-y. So of course I didn't send him. It started bothering him on Thursday night, and the dentist is closed on Friday...so it had been a long weekend for Jon. Anyway, Camille has a cold too, plus there is no way in heck she would get on that bus without Jon and Char.

Joseph, who is between jobs right now, ha, will be glad to look after them while I take a swim this morning, thankfully.

Not that I so much feel like taking a swim. I am stuffy and blah, and could seriously hibernate today.

I took a long walk yesterday, then did a small afternoon workout in Margaret's room while she played the piano, which was nice except for my pounding head. Sinuses, I guess.

So when I get back from the pool, I will call the dentist and see if they can fit Jon in today. We seriously need some groceries, but I don't think he will be up for a stop at the store. We'll see. He is too big to ride in a cart, wah.

Char just said, as I coughed and choked, "Poor Mommy, I prayed for her, so she is going to get better alot faster."

Camille has on my huge polka-dotted bathrobe, and just told me that her tummy hurts really bad. Oh joy.

Now, I don't really like to encourage the kids to watch television, but I admit I just told them to turn on, "Curious George." They are fussing and fretting, those two little princesses. Char insists on lying on the couch, but Camille wants to sit next to her and won't just lie on the other end, keeps trying to move Char's feet.

Suri just sneaked down the hall and started chowing on the kitten's food. I heard her, so yelled for her to stop. She did, then came over to my chair and looked at me. I didn't pet her, just told her to lie down. She walked over to her mat bed, which she usually doesn't sleep on because she prefers couches, and just plunked down, looking at me. I was not about to call her a good dog, but I think she knows I still love her.

You know what I like almost better than chicken breast? Boneless thighs. More fat, more flavor, crispy in the oven.
We had some for dinner last night. We could live on chicken and veggies. And watermelon. Oh, watermelon season is upon us again, and maybe ours will grow in the garden this year. And, cherries are ripening! I love the summer produce.

Our garden is huge this year. 48 tomato plants, all different varieties. Melons and peppers and snap peas and lettuces. Our grapevines are surviving, and the rasberry bushes are multiplying. We still have to plant yellow squash and zucchini. And cukes. And radishes. Paul says it is therapeutic to walk in the dirt with barefeet. Suri thinks so too, she likes to walk right on the plants. I think it is more therapeutic to put my feet up and write, but to each his own. And I do like the veggies. I don't mind weeding and watering, either.

My son Joseph turned 22 the other day. I use his age to gauge how long we have lived in this house, he was a baby when we started framing it, and eleven months old when we moved in. That was a hard year because Paul went straight from work to the building site, and was here on weekends. My brothers and Paul built it while holding down full time jobs. Bob had at least 8 kids then, and Tom had five. Emily was six when Joseph was born, Abigail 4, Benjamin 2 and a half, and Mirielle fifteen months. (little did I know what was to come, my first two were the only ones to be that far apart. I lost a baby at 12 weeks between Abigail and Benjamin). Anyway. How I do go on....boring my own self. Joseph turned 22 last week, and we didn't do much for his birthday. He wanted some protein powder...I also got him a new pillow and a package of socks. Yeah, I know. He is an interesting boy. I know I am his mother, but his drawing is awesome. He can also write music and play the guitar. He is teaching himself graphic design instead of incurring so much debt in student loans. He is so respectful of me, he gets me. He has this perception, and when I really need it, he will say something so comforting. He will also help with anything around here I ask him to do.

Benjamin and his wife Ashley seem to be doing all right. They are moving from their tiny apartment to a two-bedroom house, since they are expecting a baby. Ben is taking college classes, and got an A+ on his first test. Ashley is feeling fine, and is super excited to be having a baby. I just hope he doesn't get deployed again.....