playing store....

They have been planning to play "store" for a few days now. I suggested it, so yesterday we made the paper money. They use real change. I sometimes give them old gift cards, expired coupons, real reciepts, ect....Anyway, I got involved with cleaning up Charlotte Claire's room earler today, and they were out here playing store.....by the time I came out, they had gotten in a fight, and scattered, leaving this behind: This must be the toy department, the truck and car aisle...courtesty of Jonny.... Whoever was running the register must've been mad enough to just throw the money all over.

What aisle sells coffee and diapers together? Kids know what belongs together!

Ah, the cereal and paper plate section....


Canned goods....the cashier was set up on the end table, lots of shopping bags underneath...I am sorry missed them playing....it must've been cute.

What she was doing, I do not know. But she IS eating a piece of Evelyn's pasta.

It is rather chilly today...sort of humid, but cool at the same time....cloudy...drippy....and our pool is still draining....we obviously cannot put the new liner in until it is empty. Oh, what fun we are going to have! But I can't complain. At least we will have the pool running again. It is a blessing when the kids have so much energy, and to cool off. I am looking forward to swimming, too.

Tonight we are planning to go to the local Rec. center's pool. Abigail and Margaret are getting together with the youth girls, so Paul and I will be taking Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire and Camille. It should be lots of fun, except in the locker room. Paul will have only Jon, and I will have all the girls...wait a minute! Well, just the little ones need help, anyways...I just hope there is a reasonable lifeguard on duty. There have been times through the years that we have gone over there with the kids, and the lifeguard is after them for everything, doesn't approve the floatation suits we have on them, tweeeet tweeeet.....a little power makes some people raving lunatics, it seems.

Yesterday I bought Jonathan a thing that hooks to the hose, a Little Tikes sprinkler thing. He has been so excited to use it. I just heard Kathryn tell him, "YOU ARE NOT SQUIRTING ME!" .....whatever possesses me to buy these things?

Okay, today when I was sorting clothes in Charlotte Claire's room, Margaret came in and requested permission to bake a homemade chocolate cake for the girls' gathering. I reasoned with her that it was more practical to make cookies, then the kids here could have some, too. (and me)....so, she made cookies. I have no idea where she got the recipe, but they looked runny and ruined when she was putting them on the sheets. I told her she SHOULD have used my recipe, blah blah blah....well, they turned out wonderful! I have never had cookies like these. They taste light and fluffy and they have milk chocolate chunks....they are almost merangue-y. I need to learn to hold my tongue. Even if they were awful, I KNOW that experience is the best teacher in the kitchen....I just react sometimes because I hate waste....and I just react without thinking.

Paul is out mowing the lawn. He has a vacation day today. He has already put in a new mailbox, and new screens in Abigail's and Margaret's rooms. (our old dog was afraid of thunder....he jumped on every ground floor window in the house....wrecking the screens. I hope Rosie doesn't develop that fear. She was a little hesitant of the vacuum cleaner, but I left it on and made her sit near it and petted her and just kept using it around her...she is fine with it now. )

Ah, my exciting life. I wish I had something more exciting to write about, like HEY, I am expecting twins and Paul said I could get any double pram I want....or we are building a big new house....or taking the whole family on a cruise in the bahamas.......but nah, just blah blah blah....