some fun!!!

Daddy's gone for the day, with the boys (except Jon), to a conference for boys in our church. Daddy is working in the kitchen there! Emily the nurse is at work, Abigail had to go up to her college to do some research, Ben is at work, M. is helping her cousin paint her house, so that leaves just us at home: Molly, 14, Margaret, 11, Kathryn 10, Evelyn 8, Suzanne 7, Sonja 5, Jon-almost 4, Charlotte Claire-almost 2, Camille Anaya, 5 months, and me, the young and beautiful mom. So, we did what every family with mostly younger kids should do: we went to the Chinese buffet for lunch. Only Molly and I were full price, maybe Margaret too. I tell the kids to only take a little, not to waste, and if they like it, get more. I only had one plate, then went back and got just a little more pepper chicken, I love it. Then some tea and some of those yummy pastry things. The waitress didn't seem thrilled to serve hot tea to all of us, but hey, I paid for this lunch.....It can be hard to get over that feeling of embarassment, going out with all these kids. People just look, I don't blame them, I would look, too. Anyway, the kids HAVE to have their hot tea, just HAVE to add those little sugar packets, and stir it up....and the oranges....they get our money's worth just in oranges. They do have some good table manners, all except Charlotte Claire. She kept standing up in her little wooden pull-up-to-the-table highchair, and laughing. For her, going bye-bye is fun, but all this sitting, no fun. She isn't such a big eater, either. So Molly had to hold her and sort of restrain her for the last bit, while the kids finished trying all they wanted to try....Charlotte Claire did a few of those shreiky screams she likes to do, and I saw a lady up by the ice-cream glaring in our direction. I gave her a sweet smile. I am not going to hurry (too fast, anyway) out of the restaurant just because of a little noise. I mean, this is not the Ritz. And let me say this: it was just delightful to walk away from the mess. Worth every penny.

Here in central NY, the weather is gorgeous. Sunny and mild. So of course we had to stop at the playground on the way home...and what did we see? Grampa! My husband's dad is home from Florida! He lives right next to the playground, and he was outside...we stopped to see him, and it was nice. He is eighty years old now....and still so cute and funny. Gramma won't be back in town for another month, as she is going to Europe again.....I don't know how they can be apart for so long....

So, the playground is the same as always, just a different cast of characters...that's what is seems like sometimes...I've been going to the playground with my kids for over 20 years now....but I do try to enjoy it with them. Jon was just beside himself with excitement. He did not want to leave, but Charlotte Claire was tired, and he himself had to pee so badly he was dancing....we let him do it outside, in front of the van...his sisters thought it was so funny, all the way home when they saw puddles, they said they were Jon's pee puddles....

I am guessing that Camille is coming down with something. Her baby cousin was here a few days ago, and came down with a fever that night. She was fussy at the playground, and seemed a bit warm when we got home. We've been healthy for a while, so I can't complain. I just feel so sorry for the little ones when they're sick. To me it says: stop doing what you think you have to do mom, and hold and rock these babies.

Today has been a very special day with the kids. We swept, did dishwasher, cleaned counters, washed tables, picked up, vacuumed, threw in some towels to wash, and dusted the coffee table before heading out this morning, and it is relaxing to sit here in relative neatness while the kids play, and the little ones nap...see, when they are excited to do something fun, I have to cash in on their enthusiasm a bit. Incentive. A few of them groaned when I started getting them working this morning, but I reminded them how nice it would be to come home to cleanness....they don't really care, they just wanted to go to lunch, and if it meant pitching in a bit, okay....