and what shall we say?

Sometimes I walk around with things running through my head, and can't wait to sit down and write, but other times I can't think of a stinking thing to say. But this fine morning, let us just see....

Yesterday, we were headed to the small city for some lunch, and a trip to the thrift store, when Margaret called...she lives half an hour north of here...she didn't have to work, so she wanted to do something. Of course we could wait for her to get here!

We went to Moe's for lunch, because it's reasonable, and the food is healthy-ish, if one doesn't eat too many (or any!) of those chips and homemade salsa. I ordered the salad with just a small bit of cilantro rice...and only ate half of it, brought the rest home to Sonja. :) Anyway. I had Margaret, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille with me, and the girl at the register asked if they were all my kids. Yes, I told her. Wow!, she said. That's a lot of kids! So at the risk of mortifying those four I had with me, I said, "This is just 25% of them, actually." She was no math whiz, she looked very confused, and asked...so how many do you have?

Now, contrary to what my teenagers believe, I try not to start this particular discussion, as it's sometimes rather embarrassing, depending on how shocked/surprised/LOUD the questioner is, and sometimes people can even be rude about it. One lady said, "You must be crazy." True, but that has nothing to do with it. Several have said, "Better you than me", which obviously with that attitude, it IS better me than them. But anyway, I try to just move through life like a regular person, which is much easier these days, since I don't actually have ten or twelve or sixteen kids with me everywhere I go, ha. But sometimes, you just have to tell someone...so I told her. And she was shocked/surprised/LOUD. I smiled sheepishly at Margaret, said, "Don't kill me."

But this lady was nice about it too. I ordered water with our meals, and she said, "You can just have soda, it's fine." um...ouch, but Jonathan was halfway to the soda machine, he didn't need to be told twice. Then she gave me four free meal coupons for another day. She said, and I quote, "I just fee so bad for you...I mean, they're beautiful kids, but still!"

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry, but I took the coupons anyway.

Our next stop was the thrift store...Cam found a nice pair of work out pants and a top, and a pair of Adidas slides.

Gymnastics class was fun, Char "has" her back handspring! It's a beautiful thing.

Home...ha, home. I had put corned beef in the crock pot, so I cut up some red potatoes and put them on to boil. Some of the kids, and Paul, don't care for corned beef, but it was only $1.49 a pound, and some of us love it. I didn't make any alternate food, if they don't like it, they can make whatever they want. :)

Anyway...I have been behaving as far as not eating cookies, or chocolate...it's so hard! I stay away from carbs like the plague, except for some of those chips yesterday.

Today we are having a break from the rain, the yard is a muddy soggy sponge, but at least it's not pouring out. I am not sure what is on our agenda today....