early morning quiet....

The teenagers outlasted me last night, starting a movie when I was starting to go to bed. So this morning, they are all sleeping away while I grab a bit of quiet. I would have liked to sleep longer, but the quiet is better than the sleep sometimes. I actually sneaked out to the living room to grab my laptop, but I couldn't sneak past the puppies, no way. I snapped the leash on Duke, and out we went.

So here I am all wide awake. I hear the little girls stirring. Have I mentioned how glad I am that I am home schooling them this year? They have their little desks all set up, and were begging me for an assignment yesterday, so I had them write a list of ten field trips they wanted to go on. Then they wanted to do more, so they each wrote a story based on one of the places they want to go. Camille's story about going to the New York State Fair is so good, she convinced me to take them again this year.

So my 16 year old daughter Kathryn is in California. She was in Disney yesterday, no fair! She seems to be having fun, but we miss her too much! Evelyn 14, Suzanne 13, and Sonja 12 are going on a trip to Connecticut this coming weekend to visit friends, and their cousin Ellen. There is a birthday party for their Grandma this weekend, so they are torn about what to do. Paul and I are letting them choose. Margaret is staying home and going to the birthday, but I think the other three girls are going on the trip.

Last evening, Paul and I and the two little girls went to visit our friend Joe. Joe is older, the same age my parents would be if they were still with us, in his seventies. He lives in a nice little place in town now, after years of living in the big city. He had us over, along with my sister and her husband, for some wine, Greek olives and Feta cheese and hummus...(he is Greek). My two little girls can be rambunctious little rascals, so I told them to get all their fooling around out before we went, then I helped them choose nice fancy outfits to wear, thinking that maybe if they thought it was more formal, they would behave like little ladies. And surprise, they did! It helped that Joe set up a nice little table for them and served them fancy juice in pretty little glasses. They whispered and sipped and played on their tablets and colored pictures in their notebooks, and were sad when it was time to leave.

Today is Wednesday, half-price at the thrift store day. I am taking some of the girls there to scout around. Evelyn Joy turns 15 tomorrow, some of us went out and about yesterday to get her some presents. Gone are the days when I could just grab something from my closet, although I do attempt to stock things there when I find good deals.

Ah well, little girls are up and chatting....