oh, good dinner....

If it seems like I write alot about what we have for dinner, it is probably because it such a big part of my life. When there are 17 people eating, as there were tonight, you obviously have to have enough of what you want to have. Does that make sense? Well, our turkey dinner failed. Because I am Miss Organized, I didn't realize that the turkey from the bottom of the freezer was dated 2005. Oops. All thawed and ready to go, and I noticed the date, chickened out and threw it out. So, we were in the what-do-we-have-for-dinner dilemma. Emily decided to make chicken chili with brown rice, and some nice Italian bread that Emily brought for the girls' party and forgot to bring. Very tasty. Problem: Camille loved the beans so much, I don't want to be the one to change her diaper tomorrow. I only gave her about 10 of them, because I didn't want her to have a tummy ache. Then we had Margaret's homemade cake, boy, was it good. I was just going to have a little taste....oops.

Now, it is after dinner, and Joseph is doing the dishwasher while Sam sweeps. The crazy little kids are playing Wii, I think they are addicted. We have only had a few dozen Wii collisions, where the player swings their arms into a sibling. And Evelyn says her back and arms hurt. Abigail is now vacuuming for me. I asked for a clean house for Christmas, as if I don't ask for this every day of the year.....Mali picked up the shoes, Aaron swept and mopped, Kathryn and Sam cleaned bathrooms, Joseph cleaned and vacummed the hallways. With all of us here in a relatively small space, there is constant picking up of clutter, but otherwise, it looks pretty nice in here.

Abigail and I went in my room with all the stockings, to fill them. We dumped all the goodies on the bed, and were lounging in there, laughing our heads off....I had bought so much candy it isn't funny, wait, actually it was. They read this so I can't get specific, but there is enough. All of it in a huge pile, with me having a few of the extra pieces, and Abigail said, "This is why we can't be on reality tv...." Oh, it was funny. I was literally laying on my side laughing, surrounded by candy. We decided not to use it all, to save some for New Years or something.

I wrapped everything I had to wrap today. Problem: I am going shopping again tomorrow. We need some basic groceries for over Christmas, like milk, to begin with. And I cannot say what else, as kids read this....but not too much.

I think Margaret has had a nice birthday. She didn't want candles, but Charlotte Claire did, so we had candles. I asked her if I could take a picture with her cake, and she declined. So I respected that. They know darn well when I get the camera out the pictures will end up on my blog. And they might get their own blogs someday and get me back. So I have to be respectful.

Our kids have school tomorrow. They had a snow day Friday, and one today, so after a 4 day weekend, and before a huge vacation, they have a day of school. The temperature is supposed to go up to 25 or so, and the snow is going to calm down, so they will have school. I am sending them because they will have their Christmas parties. It seems strange, because it is so vacation-y around here.

Well, Camille is really bugging her big sisters. She keeps going into their room, and they keep bringing her back out. Kathryn is making a barricade......but she is crawling right through it. She is smarter than Kathryn. The girls are going to let her in. Phew.

I need to give some attention now...