we survived the mall....

Well, after Camille fussed for a bit, she decided to get a little nap. Seeing this picture that Mali took when we were driving was a little wake-up call for me. Jon's straps are way too loose, and Camille's chest buckle should be higher..... Charlotte Claire....

Evelyn Joy in the helicopter, she is getting too big.

Sonja, Jonathan, and Charlotte Claire

Sonja

Suzanne in the driver's seat




Charlotte Claire

Aaron loved me for this....and I am sure Margaret did too....

Did Jonathan really walk all the way through the mall with his overalls unsnapped at the side?

Suzanne holding Camille, and Sonja

Camille

She looks so funny....

Suzanne with her piggy Webkin....











Evelyn Joy with Camille

And the snow piles, this one had a tree growing out of it.....

Yeah, we survived a trip to the mall, 12 of us. Mali and Aaron got fitted for their new contacts, while the rest of us walked the mall. We stopped into the toy store, which is going out of business, boo-hoo, and some of them spent a little of their Christmas money. 60, 70, 80% off, but mostly junk.

The only other place we shopped was a place that sold Webkins for $6.99. Two of the girls got them for Christmas, and the others really wanted one, too. So, more of their Christmas money. I had to just be patient while they changed their mind over and over again before finally deciding. And the nice cashier gave them each their own bag. It was 3:00, and we were hungry. Taco Bell sells the Grande meal, with 10 tacos, for $8.90. We got two of them, and 10 ice waters. And we had 3 leftover, to bring home. The kids obviously had fun climbing on the toys, and trying them all out. Without putting money into them, of course. I am just opposed to putting 50cents into a machine just to be rocked back and forth for a few minutes. I think it teaches kids that money has no value.

Anyway, walking the mall with a whole group of kids is interesting. I was tempted a few times to say to people who were actually counting as we walked by, "They were 75% off....., so I got a bunch of them...."

On the way home, I stopped at Dunkin'Donuts to redeem my free pound of coffee coupon (for donating blood), and get a cup of coffee, and some donut holes for my kids. There were absolutely no donuts left, and only a very small assortment of donut holes left. I asked if there were at least 50, (they come in 25 or 50 count), and the cashier said, "Well, that will wipe us out!" And? Did I care? I told her that I had at least 10 kids in the van expecting donut holes. I am sorry, but was this not a Dunkin DONUTS store? If they run out of stuff, oh well, but don't try to keep what's there. I did not say these things, just the part about them out there waiting for some donut holes. I was very nice. I waited until now, to vent...

Next stop, the Sunoco station, big white van was thirsty. With my Price-Chopper card, I got another free fill-up, actually I paid 39 cents for over 20 gallons of gas. That is what I call fun.

Then home, where I had to cook supper.....I cooked up some taco burger, Abigail chopped peppers and lettuce, and we got out the shredded cheese. Served on tortilla chips or in fajitas. Mirielle had stayed home today, and made a chocolate frosted torte with toasted almonds on top, which we had with ice-cream after dinner. Now Charlotte Claire and Camille are in bed, and the kids are quiet and mellow, and ready to get tucked in, too.

The point I was trying to make in my previous post about how to help parents in a Supernanny - type show, was that no matter how many systems and points and charts you make for discipline or rewards, it seems to me that patience and self-examination are the basic necessities for anything to succeed. And those are things that I am constantly working on.

We are going to get more cold weather.....next week, one day is forecast to be high 3 degrees, low like minus 10. I don't really mind the cold too much. When we were leaving the mall, a lady came hustling out in a short-sleeved t-shirt. I couldn't help but smile at her, and she said, " I just returned a coat, and they didn't have another one I liked, so I just said the he## with it!"......Now, when it goes up to 40 degrees, then you see all kinds lots of coatless people in shorts, but today was freezing. Maybe 15 degrees, and windy.

We have to get these kids in bed while they are mellowing out, before the next burst of energy hits.....