ah summer, please stay with us for a while....

This morning, I woke up with a good thought: be thankful. I know, I know, it's a common saying. But when you think about it, it's our nature to think about what we want, what we may get in the future, and perhaps even how unfair it is that others have what we perceive to be more, than we have.

So I woke up some teenagers and told them about this, encouraged them to count their blessings. It's easy to see that the Israelites were foolish to complain when they were brought out of bondage...they had bread from heaven to eat! But they wanted meat! They complained and God hated it! Just think how much more He hates it when we're unthankful and complaining.

I woke up those teenagers not just to give them my thankfulness spiel, but to take them to visit Grandma, who wasn't home. We did go to the playground though, and to get ice cream.

Sometimes I wake up during the night and think of interesting things to write, then forget them when I am actually sitting here with the computer.

I have to leave to go to the baseball game in a few hours. Mirielle, Margaret, and Joseph are working, too. It's not really hard to work, standing on the cement floor at the chicken stand is hard on my knees, and my feet start hurting, but Thursday is Dollar Beer Night (dollar hot dogs, too), and when it's really busy, I don't notice the pain. The other thing is that it's really fun. I like talking to customers, and working with my friends (and my kids). (We volunteer for our church, it's not great money, but it's something)

We are going camping tomorrow! The piles on the kitchen table are growing! When we went a few weeks ago, I forgot a spatula. I wonder what I'll forget this time. Going with little kids is a whole different ballgame than having teenagers and older kids along. Obviously the teenagers, even the good ones, will balk at the things younger kids delight in. They get antsy, and sometimes complain about how boring everything is. Things that were wonderful when they were little get a little lame. But once they get past the teenager-y stage, in their twenties, they seem to realize the importance of enjoying things for the benefit of the littler ones, and they possibly know that life is going by fast, and start to re-enjoy the little things.

At any rate, Paul and I are taking only Jonathan 10, Charlotte Claire 8, and Camille 6. We haven't gone camping with only three kids since...well, since we only had three kids! And back then, those oldest three were 4 and under. So this weekend sounds....relaxing.

And for my disclaimer: I would certainly take another baby if God chose to bless me with one, or if anyone had one they didn't want. I am not relieved to be out of that stage, although it is more relaxing and much much less work. But, I would take the work and the babies anyday!

So we are taking the bikes, and hopefully it won't rain. We'll have campfires and the younger kids will love having all the attention. I am looking forward to having some nice time with Paul, too, especially because he is going to France again next week.

Yesterday I went shopping all by my lonesome. The little girls were totally engrossed in playing dollhouse. Evelyn was going to go with me but she had a wicked headache. I told the girls it was only grocery shopping, so none really wanted to go. I mean, no Target? Nah, not worth it. So off I went...the dollar store, where I got cinnamon raisin bread for a buck, and four packs of Greek yogurt too. Some Ghiardelli chocolates and some six packs of big soft pretzels, and I headed to BigLots. I bought Balance Bars and half price chips and cookies for camping, shampoo and conditioner, and a bag of dog food. Then to Aldi for chocolate, eggs, half and half, milk, apples, bananas. Another grocery store for chicken breast, pretzels, more apples, detergent, bleach, paper plates for camping. Ahh, then home. Going by myself is fun, in a way. I can dawdle without anyone telling me to hurry, I can put five of something in the cart without hearing, "Really, Mom?!", and I can go to another store, and another, without resistance. I made friends with some old people. I gestured for them to get in front of me in line, and when they politely declined, I insisted and told them I had a babysitter at home and was good to be gone for a while and was in no hurry. They laughed and joked that I wanted to be gone as long as possible....

I feel sorry for old people sometimes, when out shopping. I think stores should have benches here and there for them to rest on. Not if they are like Paul's mom, but regular old people:)

So much for writing today...I give up. Teenagers are snacking, Evelyn wants to place an Amazon order, there are questions and giggles and silliness and just general mayhem. And now Suri is standing here looking at me. She cannot talk, but she can give me The Stare. It means to pet her, or let her out, or feed her. She is very insistent, and if I ignore her, she puts her paw on me. Duke would whine, not Suri. She just silently insists I figure out what she wants. Good thing she's cute.