warming up!

It is going to be above freezing today. And since I am going to try harder not to complain, I won't mention that when all this snow melts, there will be mud...and Rosie will be dirty again instead of just wet and snowy.

Today, so far it looks like 6 of the 9 school kids will be going. Jonathan is just plain exhausted. He has this fear of the dark, so they sleep with their door open, and the bathroom light on. When they go to bed, the rest of the house is still like Grand Central Station, so Jon's rule is that when you use the bathroom, you have to turn on the hall light!!! He gets out of bed and turns it on himself whenever anyone forgets, then comes out here and yells at everyone to stop forgetting....so it gets later and later for them, even when they are all tucked in by 8:30. He just looks so tired today, and his kindergarten day is so long, he doesn't get home until after 4:00 pm. So I let him stay home. Sonja is dragging, but she already missed a day this week. Suzanne gets to stay home. She hasn't missed a day yet, and she is tired....Mali is home too, she was feeling awful last night.

I stayed home yesterday. I cuddled with the little girls, and read them stories and I did some laundry, and after school I took Jonathan and Charlotte Claire outside to play, with Rosie. I made homemade molasses cookies, using Paul's grandmother's recipe. His mom wrote on the recipe card to me, "this is enough to make plenty for your big family"...well, I one and a halfed the recipe, (the molasses was in a 12 ounce jar, and the recipe called for one cup, so it just made sense)....and they are gone. These cookies came out of the oven during dinner and after dinner. And every one of them are gone. I guess they liked them. I certainly did.

It is nice to have Suzanne and Jonathan home today, I can tell already it's going to be fun. Jonathan has been playing with these old trains that Ben got from one of his friends. The engine is metal, and has a key in the side for winding. It still works wonderfully, but it is so old. I think they are worth something. I looked on ebay and a caboose just like the one he has was going for almost $200. I want to take them from him, but he is having so much fun.

This afternoon I have to take Mali for a check-up. New York state law says check-ups are mandatory in tenth grade. She will be expelled if she doesn't get it done. So off we go. I am planning on stopping at the dollar store and BigLots, too.

Being a mom is the best part of my life, good thing, eh? Because it is certainly the most defining thing about me, and the most all encompassing. I am like my mother was, I like to be friends with my kids. This can be difficult when I make a decision that I know they don't agree with. Because I want them to like me. I find this influences me too much sometimes. Especially when we go shopping. I have the "magic card", and it is easy to be popular when you have one of those. I hate disapointing them, I love spoiling them. ( it is good I am such a cheapskate though) And not just with clothes. For example, in the grocery store: I recently was tempted to buy some boxes of those awful little frozen pizza pockets, a 15pack for $1. Mirielle was with me. She doesn't like me to buy unhealthy things. But I imagined the older boys, like Sam and Joseph and Aaron...they would devour those. And enjoy them. And I like when I bring home something that they like. But then there was Mirielle....and seriously, I don't like to see them eating junk all the time anyway. So I didn't buy them. Anyway, my point is that when you seek to please your kids, it is hard to make wise decisions. And anyway, you cannot please all the people all of the time.

Last night, I didn't have to make dinner, again. Mirielle made Cornell chicken. (google the recipe, it is wonderful)....she marinated it for a while, then baked it. She made a broccoli stir-fry, and basmati rice. All the older kids had to leave, so Paul and I got to clean up. I found myself tempted to complain, but then I realized how blessed we are to have such good dinners, and hot running water, ect. It IS a lot of work, all those plates and forks and cups and 3 chicken pans, and the other pans...plus I had made cookies, so the stuff from that. Then I thought, when Mirielle was cooking, I was outside playing in the snow. I am so spoiled, yet I still find that complaining.

And the spoiled-ness won't last long. Mirielle will be starting college soon. Emily will be starting work next week, and moving out probably next month. She will be renting an apartment only 5 miles down the road, so we WILL see her. She is taking Abigail too, Abigail who is trying like crazy to find a job. This economy is a little bit scary. I do MY part to keep it going though.

Today I might match some socks. Socks just get eaten up here. They get divorced and separated. When I match a huge basket of socks, I feel like a rich woman. Let's just say right now I am feeling very poor. I DID bleach and wash a nice big load of white socks the other day, but they are all mingling in the basket, yet to be matched up. But as part of the guilt-trip that goes with mommy-ing, the thought of the kids going through that basket for socks when they are in a hurry to get on the bus can literally make me cry. Thus, I will match socks.

This place does NOT stay clean for long. I wish I had a mudroom. There isn't much room for coats and boots and snowpants and hats and mittens, along with the shoes and sneakers. And the living room: Well, we DO live in here. A few pair of sneakers for treadmilling (one is mine, so I can't complain), a LittleTikes piano, 5 or 6 years of Hess Trucks, Jon's train track and the old trains, a blanket, Jon's backpack, a few towels, the jammies Charlotte Claire slept in, her "Pretty Dress", two MickeyMouse pop-up pals toys....and a few socks, duplos, hair ponies, a pencil...and some books....all scattered around randomly. On top of the dog cage is Mirielle's purse, Samuel's hoodie, a hairbrush, a Curious George coloring book and some crayons, one of Camille's shoes. So we will clean it all up and tomorrow it will be the same way again. I just hope and pray I never give up on trying to keep it clean....then we would REALLY be in trouble.