ten o'clock, do you know where your children are?

I know where mine are. Most of them. Benjamin is with his friends. Where that is, I do not know. Hopefully he is behaving and not getting into any trouble. He is 21 years old, and trouble IS his middle name. Not really, he is not a bad kid. But...I do worry. Emily Anne is my oldest, 25, and she is at work right now at the big hospital in the big city, working a night shift on a busy floor. Abigail, 23, Mirielle, 19, Mali, 15, and Margaret,13, are at a church conference. Joseph, 18, Aaron, 17, and Samuel, 14, are watching a WorldWarII movie here in the living room. Kathryn, 11, is playing SIMS on the computer, while Camille, 2, watches. Evelyn, 10, Suzanne, 8, Sonja, 7, Jonathan, 5, and Charlotte Claire, 3, are tucked in to bed. So there, I know where my children are. Mostly.

Paul and I are also watching the movie, but I cannot just watch a movie without reading a book or being on the computer. Oh, it is hard to watch, too. Things that happened during that war are horrific.

Mirielle is turning 20 on Monday. I am feeling old. My fourth child, twenty years old. Yikes. Then the next day, Suzanne is turning nine. Yes, nine years ago this Tuesday, I had my twelth child. Suzanne Eleanor. Emily Anne was 16, Abigail Marie was 14, Benjamin Paul was 12, Mirielle Joy was turning 11, Joseph Michael was 9, Aaron Royce was 8, Mali Rose was almost 7, Samuel James was 5, Margaret Cheryl was 4, Kathryn Grace was almost 3, and Evelyn Joy was 18 months old. Sam didn't go to kindergarten yet, so I had seven in school, and the five at home.

Time just flies. When I had little ones it seemed like it would be that way forever, and now they are all just growing up so fast. I know, I know, so cliche'.....I read Camille her stories tonight and cuddled her and rocked her (I took a break while writing this), and she actually asked to go to bed now. I wasn't quite finished cuddling yet, but I carried her in and covered her up...I know she is a big girl, but after having babies for twenty-five years, it is hard to let go. I wish someone would just knock on the door and give me a baby. ha, I must sound like a crazy woman. I am not seriously going crazy for a baby, but my arms WERE full of baby for all those years, and it was the greatest joy. My babies were treated like gold....new clothes, new blankets, (on sale, of course)...new prams and strollers and re-covered car seats...always a nice baby swing.....the Fisher-Price countertop cradlette is the sweetest thing, I still have that...probably for my grandchildren. I have treated the children like gold too, of course, but the babies...I didn't let them cry unless I had to put them down for a diaper change or something important like the toddlers playing in the toilet. I never believed in letting them cry.

We made pizzas again tonight, Aaron and I, and our sweet little Charlotte Claire. For being only three years old, she can roll out a dough with the rolling pin mighty fine. We roll the dough out with flour, then let is rise in a warm oven for a bit, and bake them with lots of olive oil. We decided that pizza without sauce is better, serving the sauce on the side helps it not be soggy. We put butter and garlic powder, then cheese and bacon or red peppers and tomatoes and onions and black olives and pepperoni......Paul put hot peppers on one for he and Joseph. We also made some spicy chicken drumsticks, and a nice salad. Then, ice cream cones for dessert. I try to stay away from ice cream, just maybe having a spoon of it when the kids eat it, but tonight I had a small cone...it was birthday party ice cream....irresistable. Now I feel yucky.. I should have only had a spoonful.

We had a special afternoon visit with one of our friends from church this afternoon. He brought his oldest son over to play guitar with Joseph, and he sat and had tea and fellowship with Paul and I. He is a cancer survivor, if I might be so bold to say, since it has only been three years since he was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer. It is usually fatal. He had major surgery, and thought he would never be able to eat solid foods again. But he has had a miraculous recovery, though he is still quite weak and gets tired out easily. He and his wife have eight kids, the youngest is three. It was so nice to sit and visit with him. He has done what is written in the bible, he has lived the gospel. He is thankful and trusts God, and is such an encouragement.

I am getting too tired to write....and this movie is so sad, "Letters From Iwo Jima".....