baking day

But first this picture: Jonathan and his drum. Suzanne created it out of a cookie tin and a ribbon. They had a band today. They do not get bored. I had to make the difficult decision not to go to church this morning. Paul and Joseph were going to work at the Carrier Dome, where the Syracuse Basketball team was playing. Abigail and Mirielle were in Conneticut, and I still had lots (eleven) kids who wanted to go to church. But it was freezing rain, and Camille had been croupy again in the night. So....we stayed home.

I made lots and lots of cut-out cookies, with a lot of "help", mostly Charlotte Claire, and then a double batch of chocolate spritz, while Aaron and Margaret made a homemade chocolate rasberry cake with chocolate frosting for Abigail's birthday, as they are coming home tonight. They put SO much effort into that cake. I hope it tastes as good as it looks. I had to take a trip to the store in the middle of everything because they discovered we were out of baking cocoa. Of course I didn't just buy baking cocoa, we needed milk and orange juice and bread and cheese and oranges. Margaret went to the store with me, and we had TOO much fun. The grocery store has a lunch special, which today was a sausage and peppers sandwich, for one dollar. Margaret and I sat in the car in the pouring rain listening to the radio and enjoying our lunch. It was like stolen time, since Aaron and Mali were home with all the kids.

Then someone had the great idea to go ice-skating. They asked Benjamin to take them. So off they went, Benjamin and their friend Delandie, and Aaron, Mali, Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, and Sonja. (Joseph went to the Chinese buffet with some friends) Paul and I are here with only Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille. We are having a late dinner tonight, when they all get back. Ham and scalloped potatoes and broccoli and applesauce. They should be pretty hungry.

So I had better get back up and put those potatoes into the oven. Dinner for seventeen is almost upon me.....