good morning, happy wednesday!

After school yesterday, Kathryn got out her guitar, and several of the girls started singing, "Let It Go", and it was lovely. I knew they would hate it if I videoed it, but I sneaked in and got my phone. Sure enough, by the time I had unplugged it from the charger, they were done, and Kap was putting the guitar away. So I snapped a picture of Camille with her library book.

Today is a rainy day. Dark and gloomy and rainy and ever-so-cozy. The birds are singing, and it is spring, never mind that it is a chilly 41 degrees out.

The kids all went to school again today, but I am picking the little girls up 15 minutes early today, which means they will get home almost an hour earlier than usual, because of the long bus ride. They miss a bit of playtime, but I am also picking their cousins up, so they can play here for a few hours.

Yesterday afternoon, after preparing dinner and putting it in the oven (marinated pork chops and potatoes sliced up and tossed in olive oil and seasoning), giving the older girls instructions when to take it out, I took the three youngest kids to the pool. I have had little kids for years and years and years, but these last few are growing up fast. As they kicked and splashed and played volleyball with the giant beachball, I tried to hold on to the moment, tried to appreciate it. I have been to that pool hundreds of times through the years with various children. One time little Samuel got out of the pool with Daddy to run in to go pee, then came out, didn't get his float-y back on, and jumped right on in...down he went, all I saw were bubbles as I scrambled over to scoop him up. He was probably 2 and a half or three. I can just see his curly blonde hair and chubby little cheeks. Now he is in the Army. I feel like an old fool, to borrow a phrase from my mother-in-law, because sometimes I see cute little toddlers and babies, and I get all teary-eyed, because it went by too fast.

Yesterday my sister-in-law came to visit, and brought her 7 month old grandson with her. He is a heartbreaker, so adorable and sweet and cuddly and content and smart, he is just a keeper. :)

This morning, I came out to the kitchen where my girls were gathered, eating breakfast and getting shoes on for school. Evelyn said that she had a dream I was pregnant. I was like, "Yippee!"

Now that Sam has graduated and gone away to the Army, there are only six kids going to school in the morning...Margaret, Evelyn, Suzanne, and Sonja go first trip. Then the two little girls go second trip an hour later. (Kathryn and Jon homeschool) It seems like so few kids, and it is. I haven't had only six kids go to school since the oldest six went, and then I had a whole slew of younger ones at home.

I am thankful that I can be home and enjoy the two homeschoolers, and the older kids when they come to visit (Emily was here for a few hours yesterday). I get to talk to Mirielle in the mornings when she gets home from working at the hospital. I am here after school, too. Sometimes I think I should be working, but then the time I had home would be so limited and stressful, catching up on all the work. I like the days when I can sit and put my feet up and have a cup of coffee when they get in the door from school, and just talk to them and hear about their days while they banter and shriek and eat up all the snacks.

With all that said, I am absolutely thrilled about my trip to Washington state! Friday morning before the sun comes up, Emily and I will be on that plane! Oh some heavenly downtime, and yay! I get so see that little granddaughter of mine. And my precious son Benjamin. That boy was always a handful, so clever and competent, right from the start. He grew up and grew into one of those dreaded terrible teens. He lied and he sneaked and his favorite phrase was, "I do what I want..." He got in trouble, he had the wrong friends, he dropped out of college a few times...we were at our wits' ends, trying to help that boy back to the right path in life. Then...things finally clicked for him, then he left for the Army. I always felt a little bit ripped off by that. Now he is such a decent young man, totally on the straight and narrow, would do anything for his wife and daughter...and he is so far away and I am missing out on him:) So. I am greatly looking forward to being with him for a few days, this fine guy who is my son. The good boy who was in there all along, but overshadowed by poor choices and that ATTITUDE.

Anyway, I am happy to be taking off for a bit, and also excited for the kids because Paul is planning a few fun things for them. In a way it's No Fair because he seems to do fun things when Mommy is gone, but when I am here, blah. I want to get in on ALL of the fun, but since I never have been able to be in two places at once, I shall just enjoy that they can get along fine without me.

Oh, it's hard to get up and moving again...the dogs are snoring on the couches....I want to snore on the couch!