feels like monday

Okay, here is Kitten Force. She looks like a snake who just swallowed a rabbit. She represents why we people need a treadmill for winter. She is usually a hunter, an avid excerciser. Now, she lazily bats a hair pony across the kitchen floor, or runs around a bit with her brother. She goes outside to do her business, and then wants IN. Camille and Sonja with their nice Little Tikes pianos. Camille is happy.

But wait, that piano looks better....

Sonja doesn't mind switching....
Wait, mine was better.....

No, I want both!

Hmm, this one is okay, but I do like that one.....good thing Sonja is such a good sport.

Here is our puzzle on the puzzle mat. The puzzle mat is frustrating. It is just basically a piece of felt, that the pieces don't easily slide around on, which rolls up around an inflatable sphere. It is very useful, but it is hard to shift sections of pieces within the puzzle.....

Here is my lame dollar store attempt at fighting the winter blahs....

And the sound every mom loves to hear: The empying of a bin of toys....

Mirielle came home from her first day of college, and picked up Camille.

It is snowing those nice big fluffy lake effect flakes. And I can't just stay in and drink cocoa. No, today I have places to go. Mali and Aaron have to get their supply of contact lenses today, and we have to pick up the mini-van. Jonathan is so excited, he wants to go. If we bring him, we will have to fit 6 of us into the truck, which does seat six....and take Paul and Jon to the dealership, while I go on down to the vision center, and then to the grocery store. Mirielle and I made up sort of a menu plan, to help reduce those awful what-are-we-having-tonight nights. It's one thing when you have 5 or 6 or 7 people, and you have to make something up quick, but when it's dinner for 16 or 17, you can't just whip up say, grilled cheese sandwiches. Because there isn't always enough cheese. Or tomato soup, 7 or 8 cans. Spaghetti is the obvious, I always try to have stuff for that. But if you already had that.....and the chicken is frozen solid.....oh, I need to work harder at planning.

Tonight, Abigail is holding down the fort, and so far we have not figured out what she will serve them. I wish I had a freezer full of frozen pizzas and chicken nuggets. But then, that stuff isn't so good for them, either.....

Jonathan and Charlotte Claire were apparently looking for specific items when they dumped the bin, some trucks Jon has that have lights that work. So they can play in the hall closet. Which looks so comfy, since they have pulled out so many things to lay in.....what a mess.....they are calling each other "Obama", since they watched the inaugeration with me today. Which was pretty compelling to watch....the only problem I have is the way everyone just keeps mentioning the fact that we have an African-American president. He is a man. What the heck does race have to do with it? I know we have come a long way, but for goodness' sake....if it were reverse, and people kept pointing out that they were glad the president was white: there would be outrage. I'm sure he would like it alot more if people were supporting him for his other qualities....oh well, so be it. May he be humble, and have God bless him.