dinner for twelve anyone?

Here is the scene: our table, with Benjamin, Mali, Sam, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, Camille, and I. It seemed quiet and easy. Seriously. Except for when Suzanne got upset and Ben picked her up like a baby, cradling her and rocking her and trying to get her to laugh. She did not laugh. So half the dinner was for eleven, since I let her leave until she got ahold of herself. I notice the kids have this tendency to "pounce" when I say something to one of them. I spent more time straightening out the pouncers....And they all have their opinions on everything from the kid on the bus who teased another kid because he was Korean (I was livid about that one) to the kid who accused Sam of butting in the lunch line..They are very intolerant of kids with bad table manners. I cannot believe the snobby kids I have raised! ( It is one thing I would suggest, though, for anyone with kids: sit at the table and eat with them every night so they learn to keep their elbows off the table, not to talk with food in their mouths, and not to lick their fingers.)Yes, we solve the world's problems around our dinner table. I had made sort of a dessert to surprise them, two packages of refridgerated biscuits, and two refridgerated pie crusts, with cinnamon and nutmeg and sugar, and melted butter over them, baked. I cut the pie crusts into small strips and rolled them up into pinwheels. They were pretty good. At least when no one has to go anywhere after dinner, we can relax and talk. Tonight, Benjamin cleared up and loaded the dishwasher, Margaret washed the table, I did the counters and soaked the pans.

Rosie had a bath this afternoon, and I have brushed her and clipped some clumps from her fur. Old English sheepdog fur is incredibly hard to take care of. Maybe in the summer I will take her for a haircut. And yes, I do realize that I write more about Rosie than I do some of my kids. But there is a reason for that. It is this: Rosie is just so high maintenance. She is always chewing on something, or chasing someone, or getting her face into the garbage can. She needs to go out all the time, and she needs her feet wiped off when she comes back in. But she is so cute! Even when she starts getting really smelly, I love her. I am tempted at least once a day to get rid of her, but at the same time, I can't imagine life without her.

The pile of clothes on th couch is back, and is growing quite scary. It all started with Mali taking out a load of darks so she could put her stuff in the dryer. That opens the door for everyone to put things there....I had been doing so well with keeping it totally clear. Now, it is daunting again. All day today I thought I would get to it, but....I never did.

Suzanne made a behavior chart this afternoon, so she could threaten the younger ones with a crossed off smiley face if they aren't good. She also had a prize box, but Camille just got into it and ate all the orange TicTacs and all the pink Starburst. Now Camille has only one smiley face. Jonathan copied Suze, and made his own chart, so if Suzanne crosses off any of HIS smiley faces, he can do the same to her. He told me I need to buy him some prizes. hmm.

They are bouncing off the walls, so I need to sign off.....