snow day!

Camille likes to snuggle. She is a very rewarding baby to have around, her sweetness more than balances out the trouble she causes, so we will keep her.

Okay, someone snapped this picture of me when I was sick. So here I am. And that same child took this one of daddy playing his guitar while watching something on tv....

Here is the reason for our snow day. Ice all over everything. Icy rain to continue until noontime.

The snow has a nice glossy sheen. I told the girls they should bundle up and go sliding on the yard today. I hope nothing happens that I have to leave the house. I am going to cancel my appointment for this afternoon. I don't like walking on ice. Or driving on it.

Icy. But that doesn't mean Mirielle will rule out cooking on it.

What could be nicer than a snow day?

I was supposed to get to sleep in this morning. Mirielle said last night she would get up with the kids, I am still sort of wrung out from being sick. My stomach still aches, too. But two things ruined my sleeping in: Camille decided to wake up bright and early, and when I scouted out who was up, it was just Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, and Sonja, so no one big enough for me to leave her and go back to bed, and #2....since it is a snowday, Mirielle must have thought she could just stay in bed. So here I am. But it is good. Sonja is driving her around on the Little Tikes tractor, and the other girls are having tea and toast and playing the game of Life. No major fights yet. Fights are inevitable when they play that game.....

Our house is hilarious. I wish it was one of those nice clean spacious well decorated places from HDTV, or an after-edition from Home Makeover. But it isn't. It is only 17 years old. And not falling apart. But with all of these people here all of the time.....the pictures on the walls are crooked. There are clothes on the couch again, because, I got the girls' school clothes out, and then they didn't all go. Then last night I had to get out different ones, because it wasn't a gym day....then some other various clothes that get put there.....and voila, a clothes couch. I fight against it....daily. But then I have been sick.....so. Then there are the toys. We have no toy room, and I do like the kids around me, but my goodness, Jon has so much Thomas track. Sometimes he dumps it all out, then gets distracted. It is like pulling teeth to get him to pick it up, because he insists he is GOING TO PLAY WITH IT, MOM!!! Then we have the so called "empty" corner, where the Christmas tree was. They like to put blankets and couch pillows over there and play. Which is fine. But when certain people "clean" up the living room, where do they throw things? And although they NEVER do it, the kids always put the books the wrong way on the bookshelves, never standing up, always horizontally on top of the standing up ones. The living room carpet: vacuumed every day, still, books, hair ponies, Jon's little cars....The laundry room: do not even look in there. There are four hampers, for lights, darks, ect. Ha. The doorway floor is a mound of stuff. People can't be bothered to actually enter the room and put the clothes in the appropriate hampers. I really need a few hours and some help, and some incentive, to get in there and get things organized again. The entry-way, in the kitchen: too many coats, (and I just bought 5 new ones), too many boots (and I just bought 2 new pair), too may shoes and sneakers (and I just bought two new pair)....too many backpacks.....I would love a mud room, but it ain't gonna happen.

So, here is the question: Is it possible to be happy when things aren't the way I want them? For me, this is where alot of my struggles are. Especially with being sick, and getting a bit behind. Oh, I can get everyone moving and give out chore lists, and get the place in better shape in a half an hour. But just as water seeks the lowest point, and gravity pulls things to the earth, there seems to be a natural state of our house. Sometimes it gets way cleaner, and sometimes a bit messier, but mostly it stays in that normal, lived-in state. I don't really like it, but day after day, year after year, no matter how I try, this is the way it is. And am I happy? Sure, as long as I don't think about it too much. And: if I knew I was having company, a burst of energy would surely help to shine it up in here. The kids are happy....they haven't started fighting yet.

I do have my basic house rules, though, because I hate sticky. And I love my furniture. We eat at the dining room table, which by the way is also the kitchen table, except for sometimes snacks, and sometimes some breakfast things for the school girls, very carefully on the carpet watching Curious George. All children get washed, or wash their own hands before getting down from the table. No drinks in the living room, except for Paul and I, and water for the older ones. And no shoes on in the house. It is hard enough to keep the floors clean. Well, the game of Life has ended. With wild fooling around, instead of fighting.......