We packed into the van, 8 in a seven passenger, and off we went to a small city north of here. We dropped Emily, Mirielle, Joseph, Charlotte Claire, and Camille off at the WalMart supercenter, and made our way to the driving test area. We had to wait in a long line of cars, and could see other testers parallel parking and doing their three point turns. I think Abigail and I were more nervous than Aaron, but maybe he just wasn't admitting it. When it was finally his turn, Abigail and I had to wait out in the cold while he was tested. (the boots are too tight, I had to wear my sneakers, which looked lovely with my knee socks and leggings and long jean skirt, but oh well....)Anyway, he passed!!! It came in very handy at Walmart, he went and got the van for us and picked us up right in front of the store.
We sort of broke the law here, putting all four of these guys in the back seat. (Abigail, Mirielle, Joseph, and Aaron) On the way home, they put one car seat back there, and two of them in one of the side seats. The van would fit one more person if it had a bench seat in the middle, but this way it is easier to get in and out. Not that I would know, I haven't ridden back there yet. ha.
Okay, in Walmart we found a clearance aisle. Toys, and I do love toys. I found a few HighSchool Musical dolls with extra outfits for $3 each, and some other small goodies. The frustrating thing was that they were in the process of marking down everything, and I just couldn't stand there waiting as they made their way down the aisle. Charlotte Claire and Camille were both walking, thanks to Emily, who had them in the store before I got there, and they found toy cell phones marked down to fifty cents. They each carried one around the store, then forgot about them, so they get them in their stockings. After I spent almost a hundred bucks in Walmart (Joseph and Aaron each had to have a gift for a boys' party on Saturday, and Suzanne and Jon's class presents, and some pears.....(I love how supercenters have groceries AND regular Walmart stuff), off we went to lunch...it was almost four o'clock, and we were starving. The little girls had had their sippy cup and bottle and some crackers so they were okay, but we were hungry. It was too late in the day for Chinese buffet, once it is dinner hour the prices go way up. We found a Pizza hut, and they actually had a few specials. Emily got to have her hot chicken wings, and her Buffalo wing pizza. Things have changed so much, sitting there with all those grown kids...they were remembering how they hated waiting so long for pizza when they were little.....so they were making it nice for Charlotte Claire and Camille, coloring with them and talking to them. By excercising our extreme self-control, we were able to eat only two pieces of pizza each, and actually brought ten pieces home for the people here. The kids here had oranges and a piece of pizza for dinner, and I was off to the elementary school concert. Then Suzanne and Sonja and I went to the small drugstore in town to get Christmas cards, and got some other good things too. Like chapstick for Suzanne-the-chapstick-loser. Her lips are always chapped in the winter, and she loses like a stick a week. Anyway....home to tired little girls who were still awake. After they were in bed, I made out my Christmas cards and wrapped some presents for our church friends for Sunday's Christmas feast. Have you ever tried to write out cards with kids coming out from their beds to ask important questions, or with kids coming home from the youth meeting and telling interesting things? I am too nosy to just go into another room. Kathryn helped me make sure I got everyone on my list, and the older girls helped me wrap the presents. Then, all of the sudden, I realized how tired I was.....
This morning I woke up to a note next to my chair explaining how to bake the overnight French toast that Mirielle must have made last night after I went to bed. She has a mother's heart, she likes the kids to have a warm breakfast. She is truly thoughtful of them. So the house was warm and smelled delicious, and it tasted pretty good too.
Now they are gone to school, except for Margaret and Kathryn. They got to stay home today because they are going shopping with Emily. That is WAY more fun than school, to get all that time with their sister who has been gone so long. They are going to mail my Christmas cards for me, too. Mirielle is going to stay home and make things for the activity club party tonight, and the girls' party tomorrow. I probably should be nice and make something for the boys......and tonight I am invited, all by my lonesome, to a gathering at a friend's house with all the moms from church. She lives near the church, and figured if all the kids needed rides to the activity club party, she would have the moms over for a nice little gathering, so off I will go. Poor Paul will be home on a Friday night with just the two little girls....which makes me so sad I won't even enjoy myself...well, not that sad.
Yes, busy busy busy....and in all this, it is so important to keep focused on the one important thing, and that is to hear what God is saying in everything. So that I can be good and gentle when I am really worked up and impatient. I can be slow to speak and quick to acknowledge my sin, quick to forgive. Otherwise, life is just empty and in vain.
Wow, give me five minutes of peace and quiet, and blah blah blah!!! sorry....
1 comment:
The snow looks pretty:) How blessed you are to have a Mirielle who has a mother's heart. My oldest daughter doesn't seem very maternal at this point, but my 10 yr old is motherly and it's so nice to have a child like that!
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