quick morning post, happy birthday margaret!

Well, today Margaret Cheryl is 12 years old. I just gave her a present, a nice hair dryer with a diffuser. She has super-curly hair. (One of the fun things about having so many kids - how many different varieties can you possibly have? Kathryn has straight thick hair, Margaret's is so curly, so is Ben's, Joseph's, Samuel's, and Sonja's (Paul has very curly hair, and so did my mother)....and Evelyn and Suzanne have wavy hair, Charlotte Claire's is soft and fine and kind of curly....on and on, but very interesting, to me....) Anyway, she is making herself a cake from the one of the cookbooks. She likes to bake. Oh yeah, it is a SNOW DAY! I woke up to Sonja bringing Charlotte Claire, crying, into my room, as C.C. wanted her mommy. She refers to me not as "mommy", but as "my mommy"......Which woke up Camille....so, off to the races.....Evelyn told me as soon as I hit the living room that we had a two hour delay, which I couldn't believe, seeing the blowing snow. She checked again, and it was closed. Yay!

I finally put on a pair of boots and went out and got the newspapers for Saturday, Sunday, and today. I am the #1 newspaper fan. Paul just reads news on the computer, but I like all the local stuff. And I am a huge obituary follower. I don't know why. If these people died, at least someone can read about it .....anyway, I trooped through the snow to get the papers. It is so cold out there, the wind is bitter. But the way the snow buffers sound, it just sounds silent. The cold didn't stop Kathryn, Evelyn, and Suzanne from bundling up and going out to play. Their cheeks were red when they came back in, and they needed hot cocoa. Then I made some pancakes (yes, they were out there before breakfast).

I told the kids they can give me what I really want for Christmas, today: a clean house. (one of them guessed I would like a nap, which would be a close second. A nap where the kids didn't get in any screaming fights right outside my door, or decide to have a door slamming contest, or wake me up for some imporant phone call about an overdue library book) I told them it would be so nice if they just cleaned up without me asking specific things. Emily took to the idea, and if she gets them motivated, I am set. They love her, and listen to her better than they do me. I haven't set eyes on Mirielle yet, but I think she has plans to make fudge today. We always bring lots over to my brother's house.

I have not quite finished my shopping. I didn't get much for Paul, as it seems wierd to me to buy him stuff with his money. I'll just be really nice to him.

What can be more cozy than having everyone home (Paul took some vacation time, so I can hear the guitar strumming) , cakes being made, and we have a turkey ready to cook today. Do I have trials? Of course. But there are some times in life, where you can just see how blessed you are. Times to slow down and enjoy life. We can't really go anywhere today, the roads are terrible because it is so windy, and the snow is blowing across the roads, making them slippery. So here we are.

I am going to give the little girls a big present today, since they cleaned up their room: a new rug. They have carpeting, but it has gone through a whole parade of children who use markers, paints, glitter, have fishtanks, leaky sippy cups.......and it is very light beige. So, I bought them a rug for Christmas. But Christmas day will be busy enough without putting a new rug down. (I hate opening all the toys, with the twisties and staple-y things. ) (but on the other hand, I love toys, so opening them and setting things up and playing, it is as much fun for me....)

Any-any-anyways, Margaret was born exactly on her due date, and the labor and delivery were quite quick and easy. I experienced a new thing with her birth, that I didn't really know about until then. When I was fully dilated, I didn't have the urge to push yet. Usually, the nurses would just say go ahead and push anyway, and stupid me, I did. But this time, I was fully dilated, and the Dr. said to just rest. So, I rested. I'm not sure how long it was, but then the contractions resumed, and I pushed her out with very little effort. I later read about this, it was referred to as the "rest and be thankful" stage, I think by Sheila Kinsinger. She was born in the early afternoon, and she was very fussy. I remember that first night, how I hated "rooming in" that night....she fussed and whimpered.....and I was SO tired....and Paul went home to take care of the eight other kids.....Emily was almost 12, and Abigail had just turned 10. We had a 17 year old girl there to "help" us, but believe me, we helped her as much as she helped us. Maybe more. Anyway. We lived. I don't know now how I managed Christmas this year, but I do know this: we brought her home from the hospital on the 24th. And planned to go to my brother's house. Then, as we were getting ready to go, Mirielle, who was 6, threw up. So, Paul stayed home with her, and I took all the kids to my brother's house. With the help of our 17 year old "helper", of course. Who absolutely abandoned me to play foozeball as soon as we got there.....people helped me though, I mostly sat with the baby. Somehow. Samuel must've been only 16 months old, and Mali would have been 3 months shy of three....oh, and Aaron was just 4. So Joseph was 5 1/2, Mirielle 6, Benjamin 8.....oh dear, what was I thinking? Sorry, trip down memory lane....

Sweet little Camille is getting tired, ready for her nap. She is so pudgy. She likes crushed ice. When she hears someone dispensing some, she holds her hand out and whines for some. I need to go get her into bed....