summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

staying up late in the quiet....

It is a blustery snowy night out there. (it is supposed to warm up to 31 degrees on Friday, but that will be the warmest it will get for the next week, with the lows being in the low teens every night, and the highs in the twenties in the day....I guess it IS winter...but BRRR.) The older girls went to choir practice, and I was glad to see them get home safe and sound. We watch "American Idol" here, and it was more fun watching it with them.

Since the girls were gone tonight, the boys had to do more clean up than they usually do after dinner. It is a different sort of fun though, to be in the kitchen with Joseph (18), Aaron (17), and Samuel (14). They like to bug the dog. Joseph poured water from a cup into her mouth, and she drinks it all really fast, but that combined with the bits of leftover stew she scarfed down, made her barf a few times. Three, actually. At least they cleaned it up. And very properly too, I'm sure, ha. They also like to make Rosie dance with them, and they like to put food on the top of her nose and tell her NO, then OKAY, and laugh their heads off at her. Dogs don't mind being laughed at when food is involved though.

I am actually the only one up! All I can hear is Rosie breathing, and the sound of the fan in the little kids' room. If it was always like this, I would certainly crave some noise, but at this particular time in my life, it is heavenly. A few hours ago, I couldn't hear myself think, with 6 or 7 kids doing this pile up thing they like to do, which has to be accompanied by yelling and hysterical laughing, apparently. Jonathan was dragging some toys that drive Rosie crazy. Evelyn had a molar hanging on by a thread, and she wanted me to look at it every few minutes, and I hate things like that....I was like, "I just looked at it, okay, I believe you, just yank it out, don't show it to me again, please!" She finally yanked it out, and it had a cavity in it, would I like to see it? NOT really...Jonathan got excellent grades on his kindergarten report card, despite being absent at least once every week or two. The girls are doing really well too. Kathryn is all nervous because she forgot to bring home her vocabulary words, thus she couldn't do her homework....so she most certainly has after school detention. I don't like it, but then it does help them not to forget. (but oh, my soul...my sweet Kap in homework hall..ouch.)

I was thinking today that at this time last year, I hadn't gone through:

1. The loss of my brother....

2. The loss of Champ-the-dog.

3. The loss of our 21st child. (okay that sounds completely nuts...but I have 16 children, Robert, who was stillborn, and that was my fourth miscarriage....so...)

Wow, no wonder I embraced sweet little puppy Rosie with such hope!

I have gotten over Champ, I mean, he was a good dog, but......and the baby, mostly, but my brother Billy...I will never get over.

Well, I didn't mean to make myself cry and ruin my nice quiet time....but I do have to get to bed anyway because morning will be here all too soon.

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