quiet morning

I am sure that by the time I post this, it will be noisy in here. But for now, just the sound of the little ones' fan, and Rosie giving herself a bath. I woke up early this morning and couldn't fall back asleep, so I decided to get up. Paul had to get up and leave to work at the dome concession again. The older kids are working this afternoon, and I was supposed to but our friend Delandie came back early from visiting his family in Michigan, so he is working for me.

Today I might do something with the kids. I would like to sneak in another tanning session. I am so stupid. I thought all along when we were planning our trip that I would go tanning before I went because for years now, my version of sitting in the sun does not ever include tanning the back of my legs, and my thighs should be against the law. Even a tan probably will not make them acceptable, but ....anyway, I never realized that tanning took time, and I should have started a month ago. I just thought I would go every day for a week, and voila!! A tan! When I read up on it the other night, I found out about spacing out the sessions, and about how long it takes to build up a base tan. Oh well, live and learn.

And this makes me laugh: I bring all the kids on a fun outing, and leave them to wait in the van (with Mali and Sam, so they would be safe), while I run in and tan for eight minutes. I thought of the headline if a police officer decided to investigate why this big van full of screaming and fighting kids, with no adult in sight, was parked in a tanning salon parking lot. "But officer, I am leaving for Jamaica soon..." That sounds pretty lame, eh? Maybe I'll have Mali sit in the front seat. She looks like an adult. Or maybe I'll just take a quick trip up there and back home, and then take the kids on an outing. hmm.

Martha, I hate to tell you this, but I think I might have a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast.

And now the kids are waking up. Good morning, Suzanne!

Tomorrow is going to be sad, we are going to services for our friend Gwen. I know she lived a long and meaningful life, and there was a blessing over her passing. She was alert on Wednesday, and had a good day, then she died in her sleep during the early morning hours of Thanksgiving. The older one gets, the less old "old" people seem. And when I see how the days and weeks fly by, a long life doesn't even seem so long anymore. I am going to miss Gwen so much, and I am sorry that I didn't get to visit with her as much as I wanted to these last months.

Gwen has 6 grandchildren that are in our church. One is getting married in May (and Charlotte Claire is going to be the flower girl!), one just had her first baby, and one is Abigail's friend and a licensed massage therapist, who likes to come over and visit us and our hot tub. One is in Norway with Emily, one just had his first baby a few months back, and the other is a nice kid who really helps with the younger ones in our church. But Gwen wasn't just a gramma to them, no, she always said she had dozens of grandchildren, every child in the church was as special to her as her grandchildren. She did have a heart for the kids....

I cannot concentrate anymore. Jonathan is up now too, and wants to talk to me. Suzanne is sewing. She needs a locking sewing supply box so her younger siblings will not unroll her thread and lose her needles anymore. I wish each kid had a locker that only they could access. I would like a few, too.