nine

Nine is just a number. Nine kids go to school from this house each morning. (plus Mirielle goes to college, but she's no trouble, so I won't count her). So nine. Just a number. Aaron is the oldest school kid. I made him a cheddar cheese bagel half, and a cinnamon raisin bagel half this morning. I asked him about his trip to Ottowa, and he said it was fun and he went to downtown Ottowa and it was cool and they hung out. Okay. I didn't see Mali and Margaret this morning because they went to the gym with Mirielle, then straight to school. Samuel: he had on these shorts.....I thought they looked awful, and it is not spring yet, but.....he loves the transition to shorts, and when it gets sunny here and over 40, it sort of is spring....Kathryn: she brought her Egypt project to school today. Rosie-the-bad-dog was trying to escape through the gate when she was leaving, and I thought her whole project was going to take a tumble down the stairs, but it didn't. Just gave me one more gray hair. And Rosie escaped, and chased the bus down the road, barking. Then I had an hour before the second trip kids had to go out the door. I made them some bagels too, and they chose snacks, either oranges, apples, bananas, or some pretzels. Jonathan couldn't find his library book, and Sonja couldn't find her backpack. Suzanne and Sonja wore their new outfits and sneaker/shoes, and Evelyn was a bit jealous. And, Evelyn was having a bad hair day. She said, "I hate my hair! It is SO stupid!", to which I replied, "Tell that to God, He made you..." Okay, that wasn't very nice of me, but it quieted her down pretty quickly... Here is Jonathan in his new jacket, and Suzanne and Sonja...(Evelyn was in no mood for photos this morning.) Suzanne and Sonja have both had their hair cut recently. Sonja has curly tangly hair that would bring her to tears, so now it is short and managable. Suzanne's was fine, but she wanted it cut too, so she could brush it herself. This picture is before their hair was done. I much prefer longer hair, but when it makes the mornings miserable and causes pain, what good is it?

So, now they are gone, wah, and Camille is up. She is playing dollhouse, and Rosie-the-bad-dog is chewing up a nice hair pony. rrrr. And the house, oh it is a mess again. How does it get this way? I know I have been gone alot, but jeepers. The clothes monster has visited the couch again, along with a load of clean sheets, and a load of clean towels. The little girls played dollies and got out two double doll strollers, there is a ride-on tractor and a little pink ride-on, two sit'n spins, a few of Jon's trucks, and a whole slew of dollhouse stuff, plus a bin of plastic soldiers and a dolly carseat...and that is just in the living room. The kitchen: pizza pans from last night to be washed, the cups and plates that didn't fit in the dishwasher last night, and over by the door: oh my goodness, boots and snowpants and coats and jackets and wet socks from their outside play.....where is the maid when I need her? You know what would be nice? Like 4 or 5 maids, just on Monday. They could sweep and vaccuum and do a few loads of laundry, and clean the bathrooms and straighten the books on the shelves and hang all the snowpants in the foyer....and maybe even give Rosie-the-muddy-dog a bath. (Yes, the snow is melting, and that makes mud....Rosie doesn't watch where she steps. I have to towel off her paws when she comes in the house).....

A carload of maids is not coming over, so I guess I should start myself. I don't know how it gets this bad every Monday. And we are having company next week too, so I wanted to do extra, like sort through the growing pile of papers on top of the microwave....ha.

And just to justify myself a little, even though I don't like to justify myself....it is cluttered in here right now, but not sticky and gross. The tables are washed and cleaned off, and the floors get swept several times a day, and the dishes in the sink are rinsed. That is one of my big nagging points, I make them rinse their dishes when they put them in the sink. How can one be a mom and not nag? I am trying to perfect my nagging methods though, by making sure that I am kind and gentle.....it is hard to find that fine line of letting things go and teaching them responsibility, yet being good to them....I could easily just scream, but that is not what I want to do. And now I fully realize that I am rambling....Charlotte Claire is up now too, so I have more than enough to take care of. More work than you can shake a stick at, as my mother used to say.....oh, and Camille has pooped and it went up over the top...bye!