simple evening at home

Abigail, with Charlotte Claire's help, plays cards with Kathryn, Evelyn, and some friends... One of my girls is making cookies, and boy does it smell good in here...they are homemade chocolate with toffee bits on the outside, and chocolate in the middle...I haven't tasted one yet...

We haven't had the television on at all today.....the girls were thinking of a movie earlier, but decided to play cards instead....I think summer, especially, is to be lived. Watching tv is watching others live....

summer monday

I didn't realize how good I had it when Charlotte Claire still stayed in her crib in the morning until we rescued her....now she gets out and opens her door, which is thankfully a really loud door....this morning she greeted me with these lovely pen marks all over her... Whenever I get the camera out, Jon jumps in....here he is with some of his keys...notice Sonja in the background, she just woke up....they like to bring their blankets out to the couch in the morning....I love it that school's out for the summer....then they can sit there for as long as they want to....

Suzanne shows off some of her new jewelry....

pretty, very pretty....

I am taking a little break this afternoon....Camille is awake on the floor and Abigail is taking the kids, plus two of their friends, in the pool......I have an appointment tomorrow, then an eye dr. appt. Wednesday for Aaron.....at Sears Vision, which is in Sears, which is in the mall....how many children will I end up taking? How much money will I end up spending? There is an Aldi next to the mall....I don't buy too much as far as pre-packaged foods go, but Aldi is a German grocery chain that stocks like 1300 products compared to like 40,000 in a regular store, and the stores are about 1/3 the size...their strategy is to stock 90% of the items people buy the most in the most popular size or flavor....it is easy to whip through there quickly....their milk, bread, and produce is very cheap, and the quality is okay....their canned goods are also cheap, and not too bad....a good place for us to stop into once and a while...

We are eating chocolate. Our family skews all the per capital consumption data.....we don't eat very much junk food, but chocolate goes fast around here....what can be better in the slump of the afternoon than a chunk of a big Hersey bar? Or cracking open a bag of peanut M&Ms?

This Thursday is the opening of the County Fair...last year I took the kids for the $1 ride afternoon....I plan to do that again...Sam is going to a birthday party, so it will probably only Margaret on down, and maybe Molly will be going to help....the kids are looking forward to it...

Joe, 17, Mariel, 18, Aaron, 15, and Ben, 19, are in here (the living room) and it's hard to type....I think I'd rather be talking to them...

fun at my brother's house

Evelyn Joy came home from the party, and decided to be a princess.....because my nephew's wife came with some costume jewelry, and each of the girls got to bring something home...so, they had to dress up.... Here is Suzanne...

And Miss Sonja with her yellow beads...

Evelyn took this one of herself...

At my brother's house, the kids played four-square in the driveway, which was sort of in Jon's way....so he just drove his motorcycle where he wanted to..

Here is my sweet little great niece Grace....she is beautiful.

Mariel.....

Here is my nephew Mark's little girl, Sophie, playing with Charlotte Claire...

They were so cute together...

Here are Abigail and Molly with Camille...

Charlotte Claire sitting on the picnic blanket....

I didn't even get a picture of my niece, the high school graduate! Oops....she is a lovely girl....my brother and his wife have 10 kids: 4 boys, 3 girls, 2 boys, and 1 girl....Hannah, the graduate, is the 3rd girl of the 3 girls in a row...a very nice girl, and extremely funny. She had a good party, the rain held off until the end....I also didn't take pictures of my siblings....oh well....for the most part, people don't like their pictures taken, unless they are little, then they love it....the kids had fun there - just running around and being together....

playing with baby dolls

Suzanne... Charlotte Claire tries on baby Camille's dress...

Suzanne loves her baby....

Charlotte decided to change into this nice winter top, backwards is nice....she takes good care of her baby....

This is what Evelyn Joy thinks she is bringing to the graduation party today.....and you know what ? I'll probably let her....

This is Charlotte Claire's new birthday pram...

Jonny was telling me that his baby is a little newborn.....he is so sincere. And he is using all my diapers....as long as he doesn't put them in the garbage, I can still use them for Camille.

Kathryn Grace with her favorite baby, Julie.....

That's what they have been doing here....and don't think for a second that Jon is left out, no he has his baby too.....Charlotte Claire likes to abscond the nearest baby doll and run away, no matter which of the kids is playing with it...the strollers they have are always more appealing to her than the one she has....and she has a nice one....Suzanne has a dolly that can go in the tub (rarer these days of cheap cloth bodied dolls), and she likes to take it in the pool with her....I am not only a stroller/carriage maniac, I am a doll stroller/carriage maniac....I haven't counted lately, but we have at least 15. We threw out a few bent and broken ones a few months ago, and I truly felt pain. Evelyn has a nice Graco that looks real, and we have 4 that are little bouncy prams,....anyway....they like the little toy car-seats, too. We have way way too many toys, but I guess we have way way too many kids, too, so it balances. They play with the toys...Sometimes they go in streaks where it's playing office, they set up their stuff in the foyer.....pencils, notebooks, calclulators, desks....then it's store, with 3 or 4 toy cash registers, and raiding the cupboard for things to buy....they get out a bunch of bags, and the Little Tikes shopping cart that deserves an award for surviving over 22 years with us....and for days, I find these shopping bags filled with all their purchases....sometimes they even raid the bookshelves....and they play library....I love to see them play, but when they're finished and the upheavel that's left behind....I sometimes wish I had stopped them sooner....Then sometimes they play dollhouse, which we have literally bins and bins of....and 5 or 6 dollhouses....they spread it all over the living room....I have a closet full of Little People stuff from the seventies and eighties, when the little people were still little (and chokable, apparently)....and the barn, airport, McDonalds, gas station, A-frames, houses, ect. ect....sometimes we take all this stuff out.....or sometimes it's waffle-town, or duplos....

How can I get anything done when these guys are so much fun? If it didn't take so long to download pictures, I'd put up some more - our living room is being transformed right before my eyes: several little apartments....I'll spare you the details, but I want to play too! Charlotte just moves in with whoever she wants...

Well, laundry calls....we don't have a Sunday meeting today because of the band weekend, where Paul and the older kids are.....I'm trying not to listen to my reasonable side, that's screaming, "Enough, you won't co-operate to get this stuff picked back up, so stop getting more out!!" (all the doll stuff, I mean....) So, I choose to let them play and burn the clean-up bridge when we come to it.....

14 hours seems long, seems short

Well, I wrote a whole post, and the wireless went south, so I had to re-connect, and now I don't feel like writing it all again..

Today was a challenging day, but pleasant...14 hours....that's how long I juggled the younger kids.....Charlotte Claire and Camille had a different nap schedule...at one point, they were both in bed, and I had ten minutes of peace and quiet...

I did end up taking them to McDonalds....Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, Camille, and two of the kids' friends, Caleb and Bethany....yay for the dollar menu and the indoor (airconditioned) playground....Jon and Charlotte Claire just loved running around...they loved the slides....red-faced and smiling, they did not want to leave....but two hours was enough....Camille was fussing for tastes of stuff, and she actually drank about 5 ounces of formula....she was partial to french-fry tastes, though..I hate giving my kids this food, but it sure was fun....even the little ones know it isn't good for them, but I tell them it's okay occasionally...and they didn't have their own fries, two kids for every $1 pack of fries......

Tomorrow is a graduation party at my brother's house, I am excited....he has ten kids, the youngest is 13 now....and my sister with the seven daughters will be there, and my other brother with 12 kids....my younger brother with 2 kids is on vacation...and my other older brother with 1 son will be there, hopefully...and I have one very special brother who isn't married, and has no kids....he is the nice guy who took such tender care of my parents when they were sick....it is good to see my siblings...(there are seven of us).....and all the nieces and nephews....and it is sad to get together without my parents....

It is hot and muggy here in the Northeast...probably nothing compared to down south, but we only have a few window air-conditioners....and we don't even have them running...so sleeping is a bit hard.....but when you're tired enough....and I think tonight, I am tired enough....

saturday at home

Suzanne Eleanor was born on February 23, 2001.....and Sonja Kathleen came on May 3, 2002....so they are 14 and 1/2 months apart....Suzanne is tall for her age, 7...they think they look like twins because they are dressed the same...Looking at Sonja makes me miss my mother...my mother had red hair, very pretty red curly hair, and freckles...and each of the 40something grandchildren that were born, she would insist it looked like they were going to have red hair....some of my kids have some really nice highlights, and Evelyn has strawberry blonde...but Sonja has the closest to red hair, and the freckles.....her hair isn't as vivid as my mother's was, but close....my mother died two years ago July......she would love seeing Sonja grow up...I love summer....I can have my kids here....we can do spontaneous stuff....I am working on getting Camille to a point where I can leave her here when Aaron has his surgery....it is scheduled for August 18th....Camille sleeps all night, she takes juice in a bottle, and eats baby food...she doesn't like formula, so I am going to try to pump and see if she'll take it in a bottle....I don't want to leave her behind, but she'll be 9 months old then, and probably crawling....4-5 days in a hospital with her at that point sounds crazy. My instincts that bind me to her are protesting, but those caring feelings I have for my 15 year old son, Aaron, need to be heard....he will need me, his mommy, with him at that time. And I can't very well take care of him in his hospital room with a busy little baby....I am consoling myself that Camille will be happier here.....and I'm trying to convince the older kids who will be holding down the fort that they will survive with Camille here....I may have to resort to paying them big money....One of them commented that she will be another monkey wrench in the monkey wrench pile....but they will come around. The hospital is over 2 hours away....I thought of having Camille there, with some helpers, but that would tax them to take care of her in hospital waiting rooms....

I have alot to say, but Camille is napping, and the workload needs chipping away.....not to mention that I would like to get outside...Paul is away at a music weekend with all the older kids....so it is a bit lonely here with just Samuel, 12, on down.....and Ben....who is still sleeping, tired from delivering pizzas last night....with the bigger ones gone, it is actually a bit quieter, and I connect more with the younger ones....I was thinking of surprising them with a trip to McDonalds to play on the germy playland.....let's see, 8 kids plus one friend visiting, Bethany, 2 items each from the dollar menu, plus $2 for me, twenty bucks.....plus 2 gallons of gas to get there and back....is it worth the surprise? If the rain holds off, we could go to the big playground....hmmm.....I know my house would be more organized if I stayed here more, but it is so much fun to do things with these guys...right now they are finding badminton rackets....

Camille Anaya, my sweetie

I was thinking how lucky I am to be so simple....I just love babies...all babies...never met one I didn't want to steal.....and keep....or at least borrow....but my own babies? I cannot put into works how precious they are...Miss Camille is my little darling....she smells delicious, she has kissable chubby cheeks, and she just got her first tooth....she drools, and spits up, and puts her hands together and shakes her arms up and down....she loves seeing the cats, she goes crazy for Charlotte Claire.....she still loves nursing, although in shorter intervals, taking breaks to turn her head to check and see what she's missing....she eats Cheerios now, and eats baby oatmeal...and applejuice in a bottle....my big boys love her...they will just come take her from me, and carry her around....(I've said this before, but I love seeing the teenage boys with their baby sister, and/or little siblings....they are just so not tough)....she likes watching Jonny jump...she will hug me and snuggle and put her thumb in her mouth and wiggle her little feet in enjoyment....then she'll pull back and look up at me, always with that big goofy grin....I just love her to pieces...sometimes the kids ask me if we are having any more, and I say, no, probably not. Why? Because it would be just too wonderful and miraculous to even imagine....it would be amazing and I can't even hope for more...I have been so very blessed....And the funny thing is, some people say, "Better you than me!" Little do they know that I am so excited and awed with each pregnancy, and love each baby even more than the last one....and treasure every second.....If God were to send me another one, I would welcome it wholeheartedly, with complete thankfulness and gladness.....

My little monsters are jumping off the couch, and Sonja, 6, is giving piggy-back rides to Jon, 4, and Miss Charlotte Claire, 2....she takes them from the chair on one side of the room to the couch on the other, and lets them off...Charlotte Claire thinks this is quite fun....but Mommy has had enough.....let them fool around long enough, and someone WILL get hurt....

summer day at home

My camera batteries are charging, so I am borrowing Molly's camera, which I like.....here is Camille trying to grab the camera strap....I have no strap on mine, so this hasn't been a problem... She wants the whole camera...

Aaron is so good with Charlotte Claire...

Margaret and Kathryn decided to surprise the little kids with a tea-party today...and I was invited. I came in and sat down, the tea was all made, and some nachos, and some chocolate....

Here is Margaret (with the sunglasses on her head)....notice Charlotte Claire sitting on the bench? No booster seat? Suzanne was excited...Evelyn is holding Camille, who likes to join in...

This was on Molly's camera from yesterday, and it shows what a beautiful day we had....

Miss Molly Rose....

Suzanne....(notice Charlotte Claire in the hole behind her??)

Here are Samuel ,12,and Molly 14, in the van....

Sonja, Jon, and Charlotte Claire on the beach....

Today we decided the tables are done, so we moved the old ones out, and set them up...the tops have spots of excess polyurethane, but we don't care anymore....we are sick of having four tables set up, and all the chairs in the kitchen in a group to trip over....

So, they brought the nicer table down to Joseph's room, and threw the older one over the side of the deck...my bigger kids were having quite a time, smashing it up, to burn the wood legs (the top is laminate)....it was so much fun, they decided to smash some more stuff...the old printer, an old stool, a broken gamecube.....they got the axe, and the baseball bat....they were laughing....then they cleaned it all up...they aren't maniacs, really....but it sounds like it, doesn't it?

day at the beach

Okay, I took alot of pictures today...here Sonja and Suzanne are so excited to go, and Jon jumped in the picture as usual....(Sonja has a dolly sippy cup) Someone is covering her face....

We are finally on the road...you have no idea how hard it was....

Camille likes the beach.....she just loves her carriages, snuggles down and finds that thumb....there was a nice breeze from the lake, and she didn't get too warm....

Suzanne, Evelyn, Kathryn, and Sonja are eating their burgers....

Kathryn with Charlotte Claire, Sonja, Suzanne, and Evelyn...the water was so nice.....

Sonja likes the sand, nice and warm....

Camille....

Jonathan.....

Ooh, Camille can sit all by herself....

well, almost....

Evelyn, Jonny, and Kathryn...

Kathryn Grace....

Samuel James likes his baby sister...

Kathryn invented something yummy.....a peanut butter and pretzel sandwich....

Charlotte Claire has a turn in the carriage....

Wow, someone is out.....she was asleep before we got out of the park...and that wasn't her soda...it was an unopened can....she has a bottle in her mouth...

Camille likes to play in her bed...but does she like to sleep in it? We'll find out someday....but not tonight...

When something is wonderful, it can be likened to "a day at the beach".....there's a reason for that.....boy, it was perfect. Temperature in the eighties, coolish breeze, brilliant sunshine. The kids are so at home there, so comfortable, and busy...filling those buckets, dumping them out, digging holes, making sand towers, washing off, rolling around again. Sam, Molly, and Margaret went fishing off the pier, and caught 27 fish, or the same fish 27 times, I'm not sure..but they had lots of fun together....I spent a considerable amount of time in the shade with Miss Camille the incredibly pale baby (I think 7 months is too young for sunscreen)....but it was okay....Charlotte knew where the playground was from a previous trip with Emily, so she tried to head up there a few times unaccompanied......she also likes to just wander down the beach....so, I am mentally tired....tired from being alert and watchful all day....older kids are great helpers, but I still am ultimately responsible....

There was a little boy at the beach today with a horrific cough....he was coughing so hard, he threw up in the water....his mom took him away from the beach, but not home....I saw him off and on all day, coughing....and I mean he was little, 3 1/2 or so....his mommy should have brought him home, and gave him a sippy cup of juice, and put him on the couch with Calliou on, or Bob the Builder....that's what Jon and I decided.....