17 under the roof

It was so good to welcome Joseph home last night. His flight was right on time, and there he was, with his guitar on his back. When he got in the van, it was like he was never gone at all.

Our plan to surprise Joseph with a cheeseburger when he got in the van failed miserably, well not miserably, hilariously. We chose the McDonald's drive-through. We were greeted by a friendly voice, asking if we wanted to try some sort of hot drink. No, thank you, I said, and I proceeded to give her our order, which had gone from one cheesburger for Joseph to 3 hotfudge sundaes, two orders of fries (one for Joseph, one for Kathryn, Mirielle and I may snitch a frie, but we NEVER order our own), and one cheesburger. After my order, nothing. The screen was blank. Hmm. Did it not work? And the lady wasn't telling me my total. So I drove around to the first window, the lady was not there. I honked. It was SO loud. Then a girl came over, opened the window, and told us they were closed....why then did the lady take my order, I asked? "Oh,"said the girl, "that was just a recording..." Okay. Needless to say, we laughed our way out of there. After we got Joe, we went to Tim Horten's and got a few Timbits. I actually had a coffee at midnight, which helped me to stay up 'til 2:30 catching up with Joseph with Mirielle.....I still fell asleep right away. But the night was short! And, I was a good girl and had only two Timbits. The kids were pretty happy to have them this morning. 40 seems like a lot until we get them home.

Today: laundry. There is a huge load in the dryer, the kind of load that needs hanging up. All nice lights, little girls' clothes. There is a load in the washer, too. And a wet load on top of the washer that needs drying. And the hampers are full, and there is a pile of bedding waiting it's turn. There is no way around it, just through it.

The kitchen doesn't look like a bomb went off in there, just maybe some firecrackers. Some idiot made tons and tons of stovetop popcorn, and a batch of kettlecorn on a school night. But I wanted some, and the kids had an early dinner. And their friend Delandie was over. So all the popcorn takes lots of bowls, and lots of cups for drinks, and the pan is dirty on the stove, although I did put some water in it because I slightly burned the kettle corn. Oh well. I probably will never learn. It would have been perhaps wiser to clean it all up last night, but last night it was fun to sit in the living room with the kids.

I need to do some serious sock matching around here, too. My laundry room is getting away from me again. Charlotte Claire thinks the best way to find undies is to empty the whole basket on the floor, and leave them there. The older kids keep their clothes in their rooms, but for the younger ones, I just keep their stuff in the laundry room. Baskets for undies and socks and playclothes. I hang up all the school clothes and bye-bye clothes. The room is lined with hampers of dirty clothes, all sorted by whites, lights, darks, towels, socks, ect. When I go in there, they all scream at me to go first.

I guess the whole laundry problem is like everything else around here. I do it because it is part of the job, and I do like the kids to be clean and neat. But to me, the best part of the job is the kids and talking to them and being with them and doing fun things. I wish I had a housekeeper. Oh, once in a while I get satisfaction from cleaning the bathroom sparkling clean, but when I go in there two hours later and see the toothpaste in the sink and the liquid soap squirted all over the counter, and the dirty undies on the floor, with maybe one lone sock.....it just doesn't last. And I don't seem to have it in me to jump right back in and do it again.....the living room is one room I love to have clean and neat. But the natural order of things is against me. Books somehow belong on the floor, and always a hanger or two, and a stuffed animal. And a towel. And the FisherPrice battery operated piano is out now....and the waffletown. And since Jon was home a few days from school, his train set. They are picked up in the bins right now, but until they get safely back on the toy shelf, they are bound to get dumped again. There are always a few blankets out here, too. It doesn't take long to pick it up and sweep every day.....but....I would still like a housekeeper. I can get the kids to all pitch in sometimes, but honestly, when they spend so many hours in school and have so little free time, I don't like to hog it all with chores. But today might be a good day for a surprise chore list. The surprise chore list gets a whole load of things done in one half hour. hmm. They HATE when I show them that list, but they all admit they like the results.

Well, since I have no schedule at all, today is a blank slate. I will probably of course do laundry and clean the living room, and maybe go in and pick up the other bedrooms. And maybe I'll pick up the dishes box that Rosie shredded all over the deck. She likes to tear things into shreds. Which makes the deck look extra wonderful these days. Oh well....

I am starting to come to terms with the the realization that Camille might be the last baby. As much as I hate it. I really really want another baby. My arms actually ache for a baby. As busy as it is around here, it seems so easy without a little nursing baby. For all these years, I have always had a baby AND a toddler,and at times it was seemingly impossible. Camille is getting more independant, and I actually have time in which I can decide what I want to do next, instead of just being constantly busy with a baby, then everything else. Now, I am happy with my life and the kids and Paul, but I would like just one more. How crazy is that?