ooh, long weekend....

Sonja wanted me to take a picture of her playing with Rosie. Mali and I think Rosie is a perfect name for her, but Mirielle thinks it is awful.... the boys are awful about it...

She is growing fast. We have had her for 10 days now. She has adjusted quite well. She goes in her cage at night, and settles right in. She hasn't peed in there in days.

Suzanne Eleanor, Sonja Kathleen, and Evelyn Joy, all ready for school....

Suzanne and Sonja. They are only 14 months apart, best friends. They used to look like twins, but Suze decided to grow like a weed. Or as my dad used to say, like a flower.

Today is my mother's birthday. She would be 72 years old today. But sadly she passed away 3 years ago this July. Charlotte Claire was just a tiny newborn when I went to see my mother on her last birthday. I remember I hadn't gotten her anything yet, but I promised her a nice outing. Which never happened. She had some wonderful lotion from Bath &Body Works that

she got from a friend for her birthday, Cherry Blossoms. She was thrilled with it. I have it now. Yes, I still have it. I can't bear to use it, I can just remember how happy she was with it...and the smell just makes me sad. I don't know if I should still be this sad three years later, but I miss her so much. The kids were just saying yesterday how much Gramma would love this new puppy. And she would love the child Charlotte Claire turned into, and she would love Camille, with all the affection she has to give. I see the lilacs everywhere, which were her favorite, and I still think, "I need to pick some of those for Gramma..." She was just one of those people who loved and cared about everyone. My friends liked her more than they liked me. Seriously, I would be like, "Lets go into my room, and listen to music", and my friends would hem and haw and want to sit in the living room with my mother. Because my mother cared. She listened. She remembered. We used to tease her that she was nosey, but she really did care. She was so hopeful for so many people, she really bore them on her heart and prayed for them and saw the good in them.

Well, a long weekend! Our weather forecast for here in the northeast is pleasant: partly cloudy and mid seventies today, 30% chance of a shower tomorrow, seventies Sunday and Monday. Perfect. Our big pool is almost empty, so we can clean it out and patch it. I need to go buy a patch kit. And a new dog leash. Dollar store...we could use some snacks for the long weekend, too. hmm. I would rather stay home.

Jon and Charlotte Claire were playing house this morning. Jon asked Charlotte if she wanted to be Katie (Katie and Dave, my niece and her husband), or Della.(me)....Charlotte Claire said, "Dewwa"....Then Jon asked me very politely if I could leave them alone so they could play. It looks like they are having so much fun, I want to play too......