if we won the lottery....

was the subject of our breakfast this morning. I told Evelyn that I would sell our house really cheap, buy the lot next door, and build our dream house. A split level, with a huge livingroom/kitchen, with hardwood floors, fireplace, and a windowseat......and a computer room, and a sewing room....and a laundry room, a few bathrooms,and a mudroom near the attached 4 car garage.....then, six steps down, a playroom with a few bedrooms....and six steps up, like 10 bedrooms and a few bathrooms.... and Evelyn said, no, just a big shack that is the kitchen and living room, and a whole bunch of bedroom shacks, so they could each have their own! Wouldn't that be fun, she said????

Margaret is busy working on her cell project, she is the 9th child to do this one. Kathryn is busy with lots of homework tonight, too. Abigail is always doing homework, accounting, yuck. Emily had classes today, and is now tucking Jon in. He adores Emily.

A few of the kids didn't do the jobs they were supposed to do this afternoon. I went to the grocery store with Kathryn, 14 miles away, and 23 minutes each way. We got burger to cook on the grill tomorrow, and some hot dogs, and some salad fixings, and ice-cream with hot fudge for dessert. We are having company.....the kids get very excited about this.....and now the two who didn't do their jobs have extra to do tomorrow.

I just found out you can choke on your camera. As you may remember, the lens is stuck again, because it got dropped by a sweet innocent child who shall remain nameless. We tried and tried and couldn't get it to come unstuck. It looks kind of crooked. So, as I was sitting here reading to Charlotte Claire, I thought maybe if I just gripped the front of the stuck lens with my teeth, I could pull it out. Well, no. It broke off the front of the lens, something shattered in my mouth, and a tiny spring landed in the back of my throat. I didn't actually know it was a tiny spring until I got it out and looked at it. And it didn't work. Still stuck. And now broken, too. I am pretty stupid. All I could think of was how I was going to explain this one at the emergency room....

I have a few kids singing the I-don't-want-to-go-to-school-tomorrow song. I am pretty liberal with that when they are in the younger grades. I have already told the youngest two school kids, Suzanne and Sonja, that they can stay home on Wednesday, because the weather is going to be so nice, in the sixties. They do very well in school, and missing a day here and there does not negatively affect their grades. But a day home with me, that is nice. Hey, they are MY kids. I feel like the school sort of steals them. Homeschooling:::::not yet. They have alot of friends from church in school, and they do okay there.


So, I did my quick trip to the grocery store. $130. Bread, milk, some salad stuff, burger, hot dogs, 4 bags of frozen broccoli, dental floss, 4 small chocolate covered marshmallow pumpkins that are stashed in the freezer, shh, eggs, ice cream, grapes, instant oatmeal,(store brand), coffee, bag of popcorn kernels, a loaf of Italian bread just out of the oven, at a few pieces on the way home, a cranberry walnut muffin for Abigail for letting me borrow her car instead of using the big white van. 2 bottles of laundry detergent, a pound of butter.....a Snapple for on the way home.....a donut for Kathryn, which she saved half of for Aaron......in other words, it doesn't go too far these day, the money. I didn't actually need the bread, for $2 a loaf....but it JUST CAME OUT OF THE OVEN!!!

We got home just in time to join the family for a feast of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I only had a little soup, because I had had some bread....no wonder my stomach is growling...oops...see why I have to write about things?

Then one of the kids asked if we were having dessert......after all the candy they have been eating.....

Well, I think I'll end with a few things I am thankful for....

1. I hardly ever have to go anyplace by myself. Kathryn is the tenth child in our family, and somehow she was the oldest one available to come with me......but we had a great time......

2. The price of gas has gone waaay down.....

3. The hot tub. Margaret took a bunch of the little kids in after dinner....it took the edge off their energy level...

4. My comfortable bed....I know, I have said this one lots of times....it's just that I am thinking about it......remember, I gave up my nap to go shopping.....hey, where's my prize?

5. I am thankful for the people that make up the world I go out into. There are alot of kind, and lonely people in this world.

6. The kitties. I love kitties almost as much as babies....especially kittens, but even when they get old and ornery, I love them....we have Miss Kitten Force, she is so affectionate. She just brightens my day, and Camille loves her. She is learning to pet her nicely.

7. Can I repeat #4? Yeah, I think I need to head that way....goodnight. And if you want to comment and list what you are thankful for , please do. It helps me, and it will help you....and I am curious......thanks!