surviving the birthday sleepover...

How many kids at Evelyn Joy's 10th birthday? Hmm. 13 of ours, and 4 friends. And me. Paul was at a meeting for most of it....it is hard to fit things in sometimes, so I just planned it, and he already had a meeting scheduled....

Evelyn had a nice time with her friends...all of the little kids enjoyed them too...
Camille the monster. Oh, but a sweet and cuddly monster.

Charlotte Claire fell asleep in this unlikely position....she looks like I feel right about now....

I found evidence on my camera of the snack-fest that went on after they finished painting the other night.....it looks like onion rings and pizza rolls....




Here is my sweet niece Olivia with Camille....Olivia has eleven brothers and sister, including a little brother just a few months older than Camille......

So, we survived the sleepover....the girls settled into bed at midnight, then the usual nonsense went on...but amazingly, no major fights. I don't even remember any minor ones. With seven girls sleeping in one room, that is pretty admirable. Jonathan bunked in with Charlotte Claire.

Tonight is the night of The Surprise Party That Didn't Happen. We planned to do a s.p. for Samuel, as his birthday was the 2nd of August and we didn't do anything for him yet....so, Aaron secretly invited some friends over....three came......and they talked about going to the drive-in. Sam still did not know that they were here for a party, he just thought they came over. The time came when the others were supposed to come...one mom called, her boys were sick. Paul called the 4 others' house, they just plain weren't coming...THEY could have called!! But they didn't. So, Sam and Aaron went to the drive -in with the other three. I sent them with glazed donuts, half-moon cookies, salt-n-vinegar chips, and Hawaiian punch.....Sam does not know that we planned a party and it fell through. He just thinks I had lots of snacks on hand.

In other news, (I always wanted to say that!), the mousies are alive and it's day five!!! I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. Who is the #1 mousie feeder? Uh-huh. I even wipe them down with a piece of wipe after every feeding, to stimulate blood-flow and help their digestion. I don't really even like them! But they are miracle mice! Last night, I squished one accidentally with the ricebag we use to keep them warm and it still lived......I got their box down from the top of the bookcase, and only one mousie was in there! I moved their bedding around and looked all around, only one...I looked up to the top of the bookcase, moved the ricebag, and there was the other one, under the ricebag. Oops. I thought it was dead for sure. I put it back in the box, it wiggled, but mostly it was still. I called Suzanne to say goodbye....but it didn't die. When I looked in their box this morning, I wasn't too surprised that they were STILL ALIVE. How? I feed them formula with a medicine dropper, it runs down their faces, they don't seem to suck very much directly into their mouths, but I guess they get enough. What in the heck are we going to do with them? The girls are glad they are still going strong, they are praying for them, you see. But they are also glad that I do most of the feeding.....

I noticed a number "5" on Charlotte Claire's bedroom door yesterday. Just tonight when I put Camille to bed I noticed a "6" on my bedroom door....wait, yes, they numbered all the doors in the hall with black marker, in huge numbers, at least 8 inches long.....they must've had a pretty good reason, I guess.....I will ask them tomorrow.....anyone have any guesses?

Aaron and Mali are bad in the stores. I already knew that, but they reminded me this afternoon. I went out to drive some of the girls home, and to go to a grocery store in a different direction that I have only been to once, and now think I cannot go back to ever again. They each took a produce bag and blew it up a little, tied it off, the put the bag on their head so the blown up part rested on the top of their heads......then they talked to me in their Indian accents all through the store, as they pretended to beg for brownies and cheap toys. They are 15 and 16 years old, for crying out loud! They are so darned funny though.

We had some good dinner tonight, taco salad....and sweet corn on the cob....and ice water. It seems I spent the better part of my day preparing food today. This morning Paul and I made pancakes and bacon for lots of people.....17, I guess. Then for lunch we had grilled hot dogs, big soft pretzels, strawberries, and popsicles. The girls were gone by dinner time, but we had three extra boys.

Mirielle, Mali, and Margaret are at the video store, and the younger 7 are all tucked into bed, finally. Not sleeping yet, though. Jon just came out to tell me that Suzanne won't lie down and be quiet. Evelyn just came out of the bathroom, again. It is like 10:30, they are so tired, they need to just go to sleep. Charlotte Claire is sleeping in her room, and Camille is sleeping in my room.

I can't believe this but I have to go feed the mousies again. And Miss Rosie. Yeah, I get the kids in bed then have to take care of the animals....I need a vacation.