they don't care how many cards are in the deck.

That's number one on my Kids Are So Funny List this morning.

2. The three youngest are playing cards in their underwear.

3. They help each other and look at each other's cards, then get upset when they lose.

4. Camille was up with the birds, all excited to show me how she can now play, "Hot Cross Buns" on the piano, while Charlotte Claire exclaimed that it was an easy song with just a few notes. The two of them have such a love/hate relationship, competitive but still friends.

5. Jonathan and Charlotte Claire each lost a tooth the other day. They waited a few day for our forgetful toothfairy to get her act together...and when that toothfairy finally borrowed some dollars from Margaret (they got $2 each, which is high, but the toothfairy felt guilty)....Miss Camille started trying to pull out a tooth. She really wants some money.

6. The kids like saving money. Camille suggested to Char that they pool their money. She said, "With your $88 and my $14, and the two dollars Mom owes you and the one dollar she owes me, we would have one hundred five dollars!" I asked her how she figured that out, she said, "I used all my fingers and toes."

7. Camille told me this morning that there are two Gods. One that hears our prayers from the sky, and one that people say, "Oh my God!" about.

8. Last night I told the little girls a bedtime story about a little girl who didn't get on the bus, she sneaked in the back door and climbed back in bed. Her mama didn't know it, and left for the day. Little girl at home got out all the playdough, painted pictures and tacked them to the kitchen walls, put markers on all her dolls for make-up, trimmed up their hair, burned toast, dropped the gallon of milk, and flushed a hotdog that didn't taste good not cooked, down the toilet which backed it up....she tried to be a good girl and empty the kitty litter, but she tripped and dropped it into Mama's chair...I was telling this story, and all of the sudden Camille burst into tears, sobbing and sobbing. She said she did not like that story, did not like that Mama had to clean up all those messes. It was too cute. I told her it wasn't really true....but she said, "It makes me sad, Mama!"

Okay, bit of truth here: sometimes these three youngest kids almost drive me crazy. They get silly and sillier, they make huge messes, they argue and bug each other, they fight and come crying to me about it. Jonathan is mostly the peacemaker, but he can get really really silly too. The two princesses are very slappy with each other, mostly Char slaps Camille, Camille gets brokenhearted.

Admitting this by no means indicates that I love them any less. In fact, some of their fights are absolutely hilarious. I try not to intervene so much because I think Least Said Soonest Mended, plus it is normal sibling behavior and they usually figure things out. Although I do make the one who hit the other sit in a chair until there is an apology, and sometimes a bit longer if the apology is just so ingenuine and the child needs a few minutes to gather herself. Notice I said, "herself". That's because Jon doesn't hit. He mostly gets mad when his sisters smack when eating, or lick their fingers. And sometimes they just think it is good fun to bug each other. Recreational bugging. Sonja and Jon are experts at it.

Now, I know how fast kids grow up. In fact, I just told these three to, "stop bugging each other, just grow up!" But I didn't really mean it. I don't want them to grow up too fast. Even if they are loud and crazy sometimes.

Today I am going to get these guys to clean up their rooms a bit...then take them to Movie Night at church tonight.

Aaron worked all day yesterday doing a tiling job for a fundraiser for church. He got home after 10 pm. He left again this morning, early. Sam worked all day at the school, then went and worked with Aaron, cutting tile and cleaning up. He had a long day, but was very positive about it. They will be working like that until the job is finished, hopefully this weekend.

So I went to the pool this morning, yay. I am re-starting this healthy lifestyle, again, for the fiftieth time. But guess what? It ain't over 'til it's over, and I am not giving up. I went from being 100% serious to just maintaining, and have been trying and trying to get that seriousness back. My metabolism has changed, I can't eat the way I used to, can't cheat even a little or the pounds go on. It's not fair. wah. poor me. Sometimes I see thin people eating bread and chips, and I think NO FAIR. But guess what? It is none of my business. I need to stay on track about me, worry about what I can and can't put into my own mouth. I also need to be more proactive about what I CAN eat, rather than focus on what I can't. I want to stock up on that 10 calorie jello and the 15 calorie popsicles. And more frozen spinach. Or not, our garden will be yielding spinach pretty soon.

Anyway, I am pretty happy about this....I love that feeling when I have exercised alot. My arms ache this morning from my swim, and I like it.

The kids are about done letting me have a break. There are 8 older kids still sleeping...they will begin arriving in the kitchen soon, opening the 'fridge and saying we have nothing to eat....drinking coffee, brightening up my day.