i am not going!

This is the couch. It looks naked. It has NO HUGE clothes pile on it. It will stay clean like this. ha.

Paul is taking Aaron for his surgery...yay! He was hesitant to get the day off, but he did. I am relieved because my back has been bothering me, and nothing hurts a back like a long ride, and sitting around in a waiting room. He called from work this morning and offered to take him. They are leaving this afternoon, and the surgery will be in the morning.

Yesterday, I was getting the kids ready to go to the gym. Mirielle, Joseph, Aaron, and Mali were staying home, they probably needed some quiet time....and I was getting all the younger ones coated and booted and out the door.....it was loud, and Camille was crying - she does that when we are going out the door, she thinks we are going to leave her home, I guess....anyway, it was crazy....the phone rang, it was for me.....it was the admissions office from the hospital.....just doing some paperwork on Aaron....what is his date of birth please? Um....um...I am gonna guess....lets see...I got the month and date, but the year? It took me a minute....they probably think I am crazy, don't even know my own son's birthday. The rest of the questions were relatively easy. But those birth years, taken out of order, just randomly asked....hmm.

Today we leisurely cleared the clothes off the couch. Sweatshirts, pj's, outfits gotten out for school that weren't worn because the little girls had something else in mind....all put in hampers or hung up or put away. We swept and vacuumed and did the dishwasher....what do you get when you have several teenagers who think it's funny to mock their mama? And each other? Goodnaturedly, mostly. One daughter washed her hands in the kitchen, and shook them off, getting water all over the window. Her sister screamed at her for it, and demanded she come back and wipe off the window. She did it, but knocked things down in the process. The older sister was kind of kidding, but the younger one was really mad. I did not have the heart to make her come back again. They try to enforce things with each other that I try to enforce with them....it is interesting, because when I am not here, the older ones are in charge, and have to be obeyed....but when I am here, it makes the younger ones resentful to have to listen to their older brothers and sisters.....I really work with them to be patient, though. When you back someone up against the wall, you just make it very difficult for them to humble themselves, even though they probably want to. So basically, trying to get them to pitch in and help get it all done, took all the live long day.....but it is a nice afternoon, they made brownies in the Easybake oven, and in the big oven, YaY, and are watching Totoro, a really good Japanese animae.

I need to get a roast into the oven....so it is done in time for dinner. I buy the roast at PriceChopper for only $1.99 a pound, cheaper than hamburger. And oh, so good. And so easy. I just put it in the oven with carrots, onions, and potatoes, and two hours later, the house is filled with the promising smell of dinner, and hopefully it is done.....

I always wish the afternoon was longer....I love my little Camille with all my heart, and I swear she is getting cuter and cuddlier by the day. She gets so many hugs and kisses and so much affection, she can't help but be a sweetie. (where she gets the hair pulling and biting, that is beyond me...though I am sure Charlotte Claire has a hand in that)....anyway, when she is tucked into her nice little green bed, I have something called: freedom! Freedom to sit here with my feet up, drinking coffee and writing.....today, though, there are niggles. Niggles are those pesky little prompts to do other things. The niggles today are : get that dinner in the oven. Wash your hair. ( It is important to keep your hair clean at all times, so if something happens you won't look like a slob.) anyway, other niggles include getting the next load through the washer and dryer, do more work in there without the HELP of the two little hamper-emptiers. Hmmm. I mentioned coffee, and I don't have any. I really should get up and get moving. Listening to those niggles helps me sleep better at night....