out the door and onto the bus..

Except for Suzanne, who is still rather pale. I am hoping the school nurse doesn't have to call with the dreaded news that any of them is sick in school.

Last night when I couldn't sleep, I was thinking about what it was like to have lots of little children and babies. It has gone by SO fast, and I enjoyed it, so I may as well remember.....

Benjamin was 15 months old when Mirielle was born. Then 14 + months later, Joseph came along. I remember bringing Joseph home from the hospital, and having someone there to help me for just a few days. We were in the process of buying this land to build our house. We lived in a mobile home. Emily was six, Abigail was 4, Ben was two, Mirielle was 14 months and Joseph was newborn....then Paul started building the house. He worked full-time, then usually came straight here to build. He and my brothers worked on it in the evenings and on Saturdays. They started in July and finished in April. For those months, I only saw Paul on Sundays, when we packed up and went to church. During those months, I had to shop for paint and sinks and flooring and light fixtures, plus fix up the trailer to sell. My mother's health was not so bad yet, so she was with me alot. Aaron was born after we moved in here, 18 months after Joseph, and I considered that "a break"....because after 14 and 15 months apart, it was. Then Mali was 15 months after Aaron. Then Samuel was 16 1/2 months later, then 15 1/2 months later Margaret was born, then Kathryn Grace came 15 months and one day later. Evelyn was born 17 months later, then Suzanne 18 months later. Sonja came along 14 1/2 months later, then I had Robert William, who was stillborn, when Sonja was 13 months. I had Jonathan Robert eleven months after that. Then there were a few miscarriages, and Charlotte Claire two years after Jonathan. Then Camille Anaya was born 18 months later.

Sometimes I don't know how I managed to survive with all the dr. appointments, three kids going through braces (so many visits to the orthodontist!), all the prenatal visits, shopping, youth activities, camping trips every year even with nursing babies and toddlers. Now it makes me tired just thinking about it. Well, now I AM tired, Camille was up four times last night. She says her ear doesn't hurt anymore, great, she has a dr. appointment later. I am thinking about canceling. Because sadly, four times is not above normal for her to wake up. It is not her fault, I have always been there for her and she is conditioned to have a hug when she wakes up and cries....so that is what she expects. And since she is probably the last, it is okay. Sort of.

So through all the years of being so busy, I am certain that I have been blessed beyond measure. Because when you give, you recieve. The times I was discontent because I wanted time for myself were miserable, but when I just gave it up and served and sacrificed, I was happy. That doesn't make sense, but it is the truth. Okay, when I DID find myself with a good book and some quiet, like in the middle of the night, it was wonderful. I am not knocking a good rest and relaxation session.

So today I have my work cut out for me. I have to wash the pans from last night, there was no way I could make myself do that last night when Camille wanted me and it was so busy in here. I have to fold the the things in the dryer and put the stuff from the washer in the dryer and prioritize what goes in next. It seems like lots of piles are screaming, "Pick me! Pick Me!"....Of course there is the dishwasher to empty and re-load, all the breakfast dishes from this morning's bagels and cocoa. The floors always need sweeping and on and on and on....right now I am sitting here with Camille perched on the arm of my chair. She said, "I need you, Mommy." They were playing LittlePeople nicely, and Charlotte Claire tried to attach the school playground to the school, and Camille thought she was taking the school from her, so she swatted Charlotte Claire several times in quick sucession, resulting in lots of crying and losing her school. Right now there are feuding about a pair of pretty sunglasses that belong to Charlotte Claire. Camille had to give them back, and that does not sit well with her. I told her I would buy her some today, but she screamed, NO!! okay. I am predicting that she will try to grab them right off her sister's face soon. hmm. Little angels, aren't they?

And I am fully aware that I think of all sorts of things to write here when I am avoiding starting my real day.