monday morning

And they are all ready for school. Rosie wants to go too. She is being horrible, biting their sleeves and in their way. When she sees kids in coats, she thinks PLAYTIME. I do not like to let her out when the bus comes, because she takes it personally when that big yellow bus takes all our kids. She barks at it and tries to herd it. I would really like an electric fence for her.

Abigail and Mirielle got home safely last night from their long weekend in Conneticut, and the car drives better than it did before the accident, says Mirielle. It is really Emily's car, so it is fixed up right in time for her, as she is coming home tomorrow night!!!

The kids are eating us out of house and home. That is an expression I remember hearing from my mother, does anyone say it anymore? Anyway, I made boxed scalloped potatoes yesterday, I had some different sized boxes, and it made 23 servings all together. ha. What really isn't fair is that they LOVED them and said they were the best scalloped potatoes they have ever had. Well. okay. We went through the three bags of frozen mixed veges, and the ham is pretty decimated. I don't know if I will get another meal in addition to the pea soup I am planning or not. Pea soup, oh they hate me when I make it. Most of them anyway. I want to make some beef for Emily Wednesday night. I am thinking roast with carrots and potatoes and onions. So today might be a good day for the grocery store.

I think I am just about done with my Christmas shopping except for our friends at church. We have a wonderful Christmas feast together each year, with dinner and gifts. The youth kids pick names of the children, and get them a gift, and it is so sweet to see those teenagers giving to the younger ones. I think last year I cried. Probably.

Another thing that is making me cry. Every single year since we decided several years ago that my parents' house was too small, we have been getting together at my brother Bob's house for Christmas eve. He has ten children, the youngest is 15 now. He now has 6 grandchildren, so his family has grown. (my other brother has 12, my sister 7, another brother has two, but hasn't come to Christmas because his wife ....never mind. Anyway, another brother has one child. So that makes 16+12+10+7+1 =46, plus the grandchildren (my sister has two now)) And every year we would gather at his house and have a great time. This year, with my parents gone, and now Billy gone...I don't know...it is just time for us to stay here with our own family and start our own traditions instead of packing up and going over there. And it is very hard for me. I would really still like to get together with my siblings somehow.

So now I have to tell my brother we aren't coming over, and I don't want to . He won't understand. But we have decided that this is what we are going to do. And I don't think he reads this. The thing is, Chrismas Eve at home sounds like great fun. We are going to turn off all the computers, and play some games (charades maybe?), and have our gift exchange. I am sure it will be lots of fun. Especially having Emily home again.

Yesterday was an excellent day. Aaron and Margaret and Mali and Sam and Kathryn and Evelyn and Suzanne and Sonja and Jon and Charlotte Claire and Camille are so much fun. Well, Camille can get annoying very quickly because she just climbs up and tries to do everything, but she had lots of siblings to play with her. Suzanne gave her and Jon and Charlotte Claire a nice long bath. That was nice. I gave Charlotte Claire lots of cookie dough scraps to play with and she just rolled that chunk of dough out over and over again. Then it disapeared little by little as all the kids came by and ate it. yuck.

Anyway, the cake that Aaron and Margaret made was excellent. Three layer chocolate with rasberry jam, and creamy chocolate frosting. It was worth the time they spent on it. And it was nice that we have a new hand mixer. They used the Kitchen-Aid. It is only 4.5 quarts, which is not big enough for the cookie dough.

Well, that is all the boring stuff I can think of for now.