things that make me cry....

But first, Evelyn and I last night at Chili's...with

Suzanne and Kathryn...

We went to Target, and got some very important things, like a pair of black tights for Suze, and a shirt for her birthday which is in a few days (she'll be 15!)(my five girls in a row in 5 years will be 19,17,16.15,and 13...by May, they'll be 19,18,16,15,and 14) Did I mention we bought clearanced Hershey Kisses? mmm hmm. More chocolate for me not to eat. But with all these girls, believe me, there are times when we NEED chocolate. They all get it at the same time, then one of the older girls will stop in, and look for chocolate, and I'll say, "Seriously, you too!?" They are on the same schedule.

Now, just to be clear, I didn't want to go to Chili's. I don't like spending (wasting) money on food I can make just as well or better, at home. But in the interest of being the nice mom who does fun things with teenagers, I took them. I did suggest we buy something good and go home and eat with Paul, he being home along since the other kids were at Activity Club, but nooooo, they KNEW I was going to suggest that...ha. So, I, being such a good sport, took them to Chili's.

The snow was falling, the roads were icy, I just had that Let's Get Home feeling, but I was a good sport. We ate our Endless Tortillas with Salsa, and started in on the honey chipotle chicken crispers. Yeah, it turned into a Carb Day, ha. I rarely go out, so why just eat a salad?

Anyhow. They helped me walk in the slushy icy parking lots, treated me like an old lady. "You know, Mom, you'll never have to go anywhere by yourself. You'll always have at least one of us to go with you.", one of them said, as she guided me across the slush.

But what makes me cry? "To Kill A Mockingbird". If you read it a long time ago, read it again.

Seeing pictures of my kids when they were little.

When Paul's sick. He's better, but had a fever for a few days, worked from home on Monday, and is just tired, with a cough...but he keeps on going. And it makes me sad. This whole getting older thing, seeing him get older, ouch.

Abigail is also sick, all the way over there in Norway, and I would like to bring her a cup of tea and sit with her.

What else makes me cry? Kids getting yelled at. The little boy in Walmart who wanted to help scan stuff, and his mama was like, "Just keep your hands offa stuff! NOW!"

I especially hate older kids getting yelled at in public. Oh, I cringe for them.

I cried about the kitty found in the road. Someone had put her in a comforter bag, and tossed her in the road. Thankfully someone saw it, and rescued her from getting smushed. How could someone do that?

I cry when I see newborn babies.

I cry when I read news stories...I mean, there was a 69 year old man who kept the sidewalk clear in front of his house, to make sure the school kids would have a clear path in front of his house. His wife said he hadn't planned on being out long, on Tuesday, he left his tea on the table, and when she told him to be careful, he said, "I will.". She looked out and he was lifting only small amounts of that heavy wet snow at a time. She looked a few minutes later, and he was lying down in the snow. He died of a heart attack. His wife said he was the kind of guy who kept dog biscuits for the neighbor's dog, checked on the elderly lady across the street, and helped other neighbors bring in their recycling bins. The comment section in the local news was filled with friends who attested to his thoughtfulness. His poor wife.

Okay, here's something funny. This morning, my little friend Annika wasn't coming over, the school kids are on vacation, so I didn't need to get up early, which of course means that I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up. I didn't do much, but I did finish my book, "To Kill A Mockingbird" (Emily bought me two tickets to see the play, which is in a few weeks, so I thought the least I could do is give it a good re-read). Anyway, I lazed around enjoying coffee in my around-the-house clothes, looking at hotels in Florida, and at what rides are at Universal, and watching Cam play SIMS on her tablet. I did a few dishes, put in a load of laundry, and that's about it.

I had forgotten that Susan was bringing over William and the twins! Oh well. They are here now, running around in a circle, chasing each other. Should I stop them before one of them gets hurt? They have colored, played dollhouse, and house, and Will played office with Camille. They are so stinkin' cute it's not funny.

It's loud in here, but I don't mind. I don't like houses where you can hear the clock tick, and the other evening, the kids were all busy doing things, and I sat here in the living room...and heard the clock ticking.