only 3 days left of school

And it feels like Christmas, because I thought there were FOUR days left! But their last day is next Tuesday, not Wednesday! Yay! Abigail is all done with college, except finishing up her online classes, yay! Joseph is done with high school, Aaron has an exam today, Mali has one today, almost done...Mirielle is going strawberry picking today. She will probably take Aaron and Joseph, and of course Jonathan.... Here is Ms. Rosie with Sonja K. They are both getting big!

This is one of Margaret's pictures....it was taken at our church. It looks like a nice game of beach volleyball.

We sort of live out in the country. Sam and Margaret went on a bike ride, and this is their idea of fun. Sam with the cows.

Margaret with cows.

Here are some of Evelyn's disaster brownies. I do not know the whole story, but I was not home at the time. Apparently, she is celebrating her birthday in school today, since it is in August....so they have a birthday party for summer birthday kids. She thought she could just make some brownies. Well, she made two pans, and somehow the math was wrong...they SMELL good, and that's about it. The consistency is like baked pudding. I hate to say it, but one pan IS gone already.....but she didn't bring them to school. I gave her some Chips Ahoy cookies and some candy to take instead.



This shirt is funny enough, but when it is on the pudgy princess, it is ridiculous.

Jonathan and Charlotte Claire were excited about their new swimsuits from Aldi. $4.99.

Rosie goes to the vet. Mali says she is a good puppy in the van. She is pretty relaxed. Rosie, not Mali.

I don't know what we're teaching him, but he LOVES to start the vehicles. If vehicles have only been around for a hundred something years, how come it seems like some little boys were born with an instinctive obsession with them?

This picture makes me sad. She really thought she was going to Darien Lake with us on Saturday. She was all ready. Swim suit and buckle shoes with no socks. Right. Anyway, we took the car seats out for her and Camille so Abigail and Mirielle could take them to the playground in the minivan. She was so bummed when she realized she really wasn't getting in the big van with us. I almost caved and took her....but I knew she wouldn't really enjoy it....and the way she never naps anymore and gets so tired and fussy in the early evening....it wouldn't be so nice for the other kids if we had to leave because Charlotte Claire was tired...but still, I felt SO bad....

Yes, I did stay up and finish my book last night. Only until about 1:00. And I slept until 6:30. Not too terribly bad. I like reading a book all in one chunk. It was basically a brainless read, but enjoyable. The main character bought 5 prams for her baby, and was going to have a pram room in her new house....does this author know me or something?

Today my big brother is coming for a visit. We are having Joseph's graduation party at his house with his son Peter. We have to do some planning. He throws the best parties. He has 10 kids of his own, and welcomes kids at his parties. He has cans of soda, which they love. My niece Liz is also graduating this year, her party is on Sunday. Her parents, my brother and sis-in-law, have 12 kids and also throw a very nice party. It will be fun. One of my nephews has a band and will be playing....

So my son Benjamin is trying to join the Navy. Wah. We are trying to tie up some loose ends first, like transcripts and credits. When he went to a communtity college, he stayed in the dorms. Short version: after a year and a half, he decided to transfer to a closer college and commute because dorms were expensive, and there was so much partying going on he couldn't study. He mistakenly told the college 3 days after the deadline that he wouldn't be in his dorm room for that semester. He did not register for classes that semester at that school, he did at the closer school. The rule is you have to register for classes to be in the dorms. Nonetheless, since he was three days late, they charged him for the dorm room. Even though they rented it out to another kid from the massive waiting list. They are with-holding his credits. He needs those credits now. It will mean a higher rank after boot camp. I battled with the college, begged and pleaded, but got no where. Now we have to open it up again. Do they realize how many potential students they are losing by being such stinkers to us? Anyway, all these things take time and patience....the two very things I lack!

on and on I go....I need to get Camille....