bye, mirielle!

My sweetie pie and I....getting ready to go bye-bye....look at that face she was making...

Mirielle left this morning...it was sad to say goodbye, even though it is only for the summer. I couldn't help but remember last fall when she took off for England, planning to be gone for over a year...then was detained and sent home, because she only had a ticket from England to Norway, and not a ticket for home... But she texted me when she got there, and she is safe and sound...

Here is Katie saying good bye to Mare....

Jon got to start the car one last time for the summer...

Bye, Mirielle!! (after the awful England incident, then the car smashing that she recieved in Conneticut, it is a bit hard to see her go off on her own....)

After Toys r Us and Target, we were hungry. They talked me into the Chinese buffet, the one with the soft ice cream. They were quite silly.

Charlotte Claire was hiding behind Camille....

You can see her running away, behind Jonathan....

Then she hid under the table. I showed her the picture, and she said, "That is NOT me!"

I HAD to go to the toy store today....I had a $3 off coupon that expired tomorrow, AND the dollhouse stuff was on sale....so I got a new mommy with a baby, and a new daddy with a baby. They are African-American, and the mommy has realistic hair, I love them...and I got a set with a canoe and a girl and a horse.....and a new bedroom set. I really NEEDED it.

We went to Target because a few of the girls needed bras...girls, please don't kill me. I didn't mention your names. All I can say is that bras are expensive, although they are fun to pick out...we all thought so, except for Jonathan...the only boy again. He got back at us by making us take him through the toys, and look at every single thing. I also got a few of the girls half/price bathing suits....

Okay...the Chinese buffet.....it was truly a joy to go with these guys. They were thankful, and enjoyed it, and they most certainly got our money's worth, whatever that means. They especially liked the ice cream. I was a good girl, I only had a very small amount of ice cream, and had seconds only of the black pepper chicken that I like so much. I ate slowly and talked with the kids. Camille ate yellow jello, and red jello, and more yellow jello. Then some ice cream and a few fries....she sampled the chicken, and the broccoli, and took one bite out of a smiley face frie, but she went back to the yellow jello. Good thing kids under three are free!

The grocery store after the buffet is challenging. All that appealed to me were drinks. But I got bananas and milk and bread and yogurt and hot dogs and paper plates and napkins.....we went out to the camper to put things away, but the fridge wasn't working...I think I got it going, but since I don't know for sure, we brought home all the cold stuff and fit it into our fridge here.....too many gallons of milk, so we had some good conversation and chocolate milk around the table.

On the way home, we were all tired, but when Kathryn accidentally popped Charlotte Claire's balloon by writing, "HI" on it with her fingernails (what was she thinking??), it was the last straw...the child would not stop screaming. I can still drive with screaming. Then she unbuckled her car seat...I had to pull over.....then open my door...then get out...then open the back door...then she buckled and stopped crying. (jeepers, am I that scary?) ...the thing I didn't like was how absolutely irritated I was at her. Ooh, I was upset. No one could talk, it was SO loud....when we got home, after I got things put away, I took her aside to talk to her...I told her we didn't like it when she cried and carried on like that, and she said, "Oh Mommy, I won't ever ever do that again!"....so I dropped it. Because that is what we want from our children, right? An acknowledgement that they did something wrong, and a hope not to act like that again.....I am thankful, so thankful that I personally can endure temptation by the grace of God, and not just react out of anger. Because honestly, I could have spanked her....and I do not like to spank. Especially when I am riled. In my opinion, it is just wrong. I do think that once in a while, they might need a little smack on the bottom to let them know I am not kidding, but not as a punishment. No, I just think big people are big and small people are small, and it just isn't right. I want my hands to do good things, to bless and soothe, not to slap and smack. Encouraging them to step up and do the good and forgive one another and be kind and gentle....it is a work, and I have to be a good example. That part is hilarious, that I have to be a good example. I am NOT by nature a patient person. I am learning...slowly...I am learning to be gentle, too. Sometimes I almost feel like a hipocrate, because I see how am, and I find myself telling them things like, "Do NOT yell like that! Just wait a minute, take a breath, and say it nicely." Hmm, right back atcha, Mommy. But they know I am in the same battle as they are, and as they get older we can have some good fellowship in our sufferings.... I am thankful for these kids, and sincerely thankful to God for His grace and help.....otherwise, I do not know where I would be.....

monday, right?

The most excellently wonderful thing about summer has to be when one doesn't quite know right off the bat what day it is...

Disclaimer: I did not really fine any of the children for the camera card. I wrote that, but I cannot take their money. Even when we go someplace and they buy something, then hand me their crumpled dollars and pile of change, I usually just tell them to keep it....Besides, no one took it!

Sonja is going to the big big mall in the bigger city today with her cousin Grace and my two nieces, Cheryl's girls. Kate, Grace's mom, and Becky, her sister, are favorites of mine. I love them like they are my own daughters, and it is special that Sonja has these trustworthy and sweet and kind big girl cousins to spend time with.

I am thinking of taking these guys to the library and maybe to the store today. We took out 14 books the other day, and I joyfully located them all this morning. (when I helped them clean their room the other day, I found a long-lost book from the smaller library. ooops, but yay.)

The girls are cleaning up for me. It was Kathryn's idea, and I think it is a grand one. Having them pitch in and get the place nice in the morning before they go on the computers or play or go on bike rides is only right. Right now, however, I am not along side them working, obviously. I told them it is okay that I get to sit here and write for a little while, because I am the Grand High Witch. Okay, that is an old movie that most people haven't watched....

Well, this is proving to be way too difficult to concentrate...(Suzanne and Jon have walkie talkies, Sonja needs me to get her some byb-bye clothes, Kathryn is marching around the kitchen with the backscratcher, Evelyn did the stompy dance because she NEEDS to eat breakfast before she cleans or, according to her, she "will have a heart attack"...well, we don't want THAT to happen. Jonathan wants some clothes, too, he is walking around in his undies. Joseph is playing his guitar in his room, quite loudly, two of the girls are trying to convince me that they need new bras....) .gone are the quiet mornings after they get on the bus, before the little ones gain momentum....not that I mind, of course. After all, we are going on an adventure today!!!

where is my camera?

The VeggieTales have a song, "Where Is My Hairbrush", which I sing quite frequently, sometimes substituting things like "camera" or "phone".....I would say "van keys" too, but honestly, when I can't find those, I am usually not singing. Anyway, today I found the camera that I couldn't find at the beach, the camera I KNEW I put in that diaper bag. It was there all along, in a zipped compartment. I hid it so well, I hid it from myself. (the beach pictures were courtesy of Mirielle's camera)...anyway, right now Miss Camille is sleeping on the couch...she has two little pony tails, and she is sleeping sitting up with her head resting on her hand....it is absolutely adorable, she looks like she couldn't possibly be so stubborn about which spoon she eats her cereal with. Anyway, I found my camera, and WHAT??? No camera card!? A few of the girls, including the main suspect, whom I will not name, are not home right now. So I came up with a plan. I told the kids that whoever finds the card gets a $5 reward, to be payed by the person who took it from the camera....hmm....the problem here is that NOBODY probably took it, so NOBODY will probably pay the reward. NOBODY has any money, anyway....

So, it is very hot here in New York State. Hot and muggy, sticky, sweaty. Yucky...well, there is a teeny breeze. It is a fine day to sit here in my chair with my feet up, with a sleeping Charlotte Claire on the arm, leaning on me. The whole-house fan is on, which doesn't really seem to cool it down very much, but the hum is sleepy.

It is the kind of day in which no work should be done, because one gets too hot and sweaty. I made a nice lunch for the kids today, seasoned strips of chicken breast, mixed veggies, and pasta with butter and garlic. And fresh fruit. I plan on giving them peanut butter and jam for dinner.

I miss my boys. Joseph is in the Adirondacks for the weekend, and Aaron and Sam are in Norway. This morning when we were getting ready for church, I just had this sudden memory of the boys being little and playing in the morning, and having to get them to stop playing and get dressed in their nice Sunday clothes. I know how cliche' it is, saying how quickly time passes, but it seems like they have just slipped through my fingers....like they are growing up and away from me faster and faster....when they were all little, I remember moms telling me that it goes by quickly, and before I knew it they would be growing up, and I never believed them. I thought I would be having babies forever, I think. And to be the mother of a 25 year old woman? How can that possibly be? I know I loved all of my kids with all of my heart, and that I took the time to hug them and play with them, but if I had only KNOWN how quickly it was going to go by, I would have done so ten times more. A hundred times more.

Suzanne and Sonja are having a good old time with walkie-talkies, and one of them just ran through and got a message from the other, very loudly, and now Camille's little nap is over....

Oh here I am saying how much I love them and yet I do not want them to wake up yet, because I am enjoying this little break so much...ha.

Last week there was too much rain forecast, most of which didn't materialize, to stay in the camper, so this week we shall try again. Mirielle is leaving tomorrow, so I am thinking I might go to the grocery store tonight for a few things. It seems smarter than bringing them all with me tomorrow....not that that wouldn't be fun, but....

dinner for eight...

I know it gets old, but it is very strange for me still to have small amounts of people here for meals....there were six children and two parents. We only took up one of the tables! It was so much simpler, that we sort of celebrated. I actually fried the food, a rarity....onion rings, curly fries, chicken nuggets....I didn't fry the baby carrots, or the large salads I made for Suzanne, Paul, and I.

Evelyn and Sonja made a chocolate marble bundt cake this afternoon, I made a chocolate peanutbutter glaze for it....I WAS going to say "no-thank you" to a piece, I really was...but Camille wanted some and it was easier for me to share a piece with her than put her up to the table then clean her up and everything..and then she really didn't want much...so, I had some cake. Yummy.

It was a strange day, so quiet except for when Jon and the two little girls got silly and went beserk. We went outside and I watched Jonathan ride his bike in the road for a bit. I watch for a car, just in case he doesn't see it, and he pulls over and waits for it to go by...it was uneventful, not a single car went by.....Charlotte Claire and Camille climbed up to the trampoline, but I didn't think that was such a good idea....I played fetch with Rosie, I clipped her a bit and brushed her out...

Abigail is a nice big sister. She stopped over this evening after work and just tucked Jonathan and Charlotte Claire in. Emily is also a nice big sister. She took Suzanne and Sonja home with her to her apartment to spend the night.

Thoughts and feelings....I do not write on here as much as I would if this were anonymous, but sometimes I truly feel avalanches of the old POOR ME feelings. I am learning not to entertain them at all, just stand firm and resist, but they still knock on my door occasionally. There is just something so alive in me that wants to be treated well and be appreciated, and when I sense otherwise, oh dear me. Nobodylikes me everybodyhates me, I'm going to eat some worms....

Well, I had more to say about that....about how then it is the next illogical step to be rude in return to those who I sense are not being nice enough to me, and there lies the downward spiral....but thanks be to God that I can be awake to such things!

Miss Rosie is very rudely barking and pacing, and there are no boys here to take her out for me, the girls won't do it...so off I go to see what a nice night it is out there....

beach day

Before we went home, I asked the kids if I could take a picture of them all...they were very good about it, all except for Charlotte Claire, who threw a mini fit, which ended abrubtly when I promised her fries on the way home.

In the back, Emily 25, Mirielle 20, and Mali 16 - then Evelyn 10, Sonja 8,and - Kathryn 12 in front of Evelyn, Charlotte Claire in the front left, Jonathan 6, Margaret 13, Camille 2, and Suzanne 9....

We didn't stay for the sunset this time...we got there a bit after noon and left around 7:30...that was long enough...well, not really, but Paul wasn't with us and I missed him....

Jonathan liked to chase the seagulls. They are beautiful creatures, but very aggressive. Camille was eating her hot dog, and according to her, "A CHICKEN TOOK MY HOTDOG!!".....

Due to budget cuts, the beach was actually closed....no lifeguards on duty. Which made it extra nice...no stupid whistling about stupid broken rules....

I mean, it isn't every day they get to have the lifeguard chair all to themselves!

Suzanne, Evelyn, Jon, and Sonja

Kathryn Grace

Charlotte Claire

Margaret and Camille

The nice mommy who drove the big van all the way to the nice beach....

Jonathan Robert....he didn't seem to mind that he was at the beach with ten of his sisters....all of them but Abigail.

We roasted marshmallows over the coals after the hot dogs...her face tells the whole story.

I brought lots of soda and lemonade and ice water, and let them just have as much as they liked. And they liked!

Little Miss Camille....she is just as sweet and cuddly and bratty as can be...she was in her element at the beach...she didn't seem to think it was a waste of energy to empty the lake into the sand, one bucket at a time.....

Sonja K.

Jonathan

And Mirielle...

They buried each other, they played on the playground, we played in the waves, (which was a blast), and we sat in the sun....they chased seagulls and ate chips and fruit and drank soda...and we sat in the sun....oh, it was glorious...

It is becoming glaringly obvious how much easier it is to do these things without a baby in tow. No prams on the beach, or playpens, no nursing in the shade, no worrying about keeping a baby out of the sun....(I would STILL take the baby though...), but I am enjoying the relaxation....

We saw a young woman arrive with a tiny baby....no hat, not covered from the brilliant sun in any way, not protected from the strong breeze....we really wanted that baby. But we decided not to ask for her....I just said a little prayer instead....

And now these children need some attention...I have swept and cleaned up and had breakfast with them and given Rosie a bath...now they want me...

goin' to the beach!!!

But first I want to point out an article I just read on http://brunstad.org , about a mom and her battle with cancer. It brought me to tears, and really encouraged me to be faithful in my own thoughts and temptations....

So the beach....Emily has this nice little block of days off, and she suggested the beach today. The weather for today: in the high seventies, less humid, and plenty of sunshine. PERFECT beach weather! We are having chicken wraps, Mirielle marinated the chicken breast, baked it, sliced and baggied it up last night. I cut up peppers and tomatoes and lettuce and olives, and put them in baggies. And I cut up fruit, watermelon and cantaloupe and strawberries, added grapes, and now we can have some cold fresh fruit at the beach. I was eating it as I cut it up, oh if I could have this every single day...I guess I would get sick of it or not appreciate it so much. We are also bringing hot dogs and marshmallows. We plan to be there for quite a while. I have to remember a thermos of coffee!

Only eleven kids are going with us...and a few of them aren't exactly "kids", but they are MY kids.....Ben has to work, Abigail has to work, Aaron and Sam are in Norway, and Joseph is going to the Adirondacks for the weekend on a canoeing trip with the boys from church. So it is Emily, Mirielle (not kids), Mali, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille. Jonathan with ten of his sisters...poor kid!

Charlotte Claire just came out with four grocery bags full of blankets. Hmm, I think she is planning on taking a nap there!

We are going to a beach along the shores of Lake Ontario....it is nicer than the ocean, in my humble opinion, me who has been to the ocean THREE TIMES in my life (Virginia Beach, Delaware, and Jamaica) , Lake Ontario is nicer....no salt, no sand crabs, no rip tide, smaller waves, (although they can get very dangerous when they are bigger)....and less deep hot white sand to wade through to get there......

This is the best part of summer....the younger kids are up and we are not in a hurry, yet anyway, no bus coming....they are watching "Super Why", Camille is all cuddled up to me, Jonathan went out to ride his bike in the driveway, Suzanne is eating a bowl of mini-wheats in Gramma's nightgown....Charlotte Claire and Sonja K are cuddled up under a blanket on the couch, it is not cold, but they like to be cozy, I guess.

no more pencils, no more books!

Kathryn Grace is a lucky girl....look at this small child she has to play with....Miss Charlotte Claire. Oh, the poor kids....growing up with so many brothers and sisters....

Margaret gave Jonathan a nice piggy back ride....poor Jonathan, number 14 out of 16 kids....he MUST be somewhat neglected....

Camille Anaya with Kathryn....No, I cannot even joke about her not getting enough attention. She is spoiled to the max!

Margaret and Kathryn....Marg was born on December 22.....fifteen months and one day later, on March 23, Kap was born. (Evelyn came 17 months later, on August 21st, Suzanne 18 months later on February 23, and then 14 months later came Sonja K, on May 3rd.) Now Margaret is 13, Kathryn 12, Evelyn will turn 11 this August, Suzanne is 9, and Sonja is 8. My five girls in five years. Then Mr. Jonathan, then two more girls......I would love to have baby boy twins for him....anyway, today was the last day of school....we spent most of it in and by the pool. We did have an afternoon break in the house for snacks, they made themselves iced coffee and iced tea, and had cookies and grapes and juice and chips.....then, back to the pool.

My friend/sister-in-law Kim came over with 6 of her 12 kids, and stayed for a good bit of the day. So it was a pool party. Emily was over, and it was quite pleasant. And very warm and humid and sunny. If we didn't have a pool, I wouldn't want to be out in it.

Mirielle was going to leave tomorrow for Toronto....and I said I just knew I would cry....but then she found out she isn't needed until Monday!!! I feel like I was given a million bucks, a few more summer days with Mirielle. Emily had requested a family trip to the beach in the next few days, and now Mirielle gets to go with us! I have nothing to complain about ever....have you ever felt so happy and blessed, that you said that? Until the next thing that comes along that displeases you, anyway...then you forget ALL about that happiness.....

My dear mother-in-law came over this morning. I am certain she doesn't for the life of her understand why our house looks the way it does...it was cleaned up and all, but there is the new window that Paul put in....wait, that was over a year ago!...and no trim around it yet, just raw sheetrock...and it isn't even on the phantom "to do" list. We do not have a real one, but maybe we should. Anyway, we have a huge hole in one of the kitchen screens, which we tried to tape, but it has just ripped more...that has to be replaced. She probably wonders why we just don't do these things...well, so do I, but....only when someone comes over, and I notice them.

Tonight I went to an excellent sisters' meeting. Very fun and warm and encouraging. I read chapter seven of Romans this morning, and then we talked tonight about doing the good and finding the evil present, "in me, the one who longs to do good"....it is a good chapter, read it, and eight, too. If I am honest and awake, and willing to listen to God, I will easily see this is true, that no matter what I do, there is evil in me...selfishness, or honor seeking. When I can acknowledge these things, then God can work in me. It doesn't matter about being right or about having the last word, what matters is that I can be saved! It doesn't matter if people like me, I just need to partake of salvation, to get oil in my lamp in my situations. God sees my heart, it matters not in the least what people think of me. One thing that was mentioned tonight was the "generation gap"....but there scarcely is one in our church...the younger ones and the older ones have good fellowship, and get along well.

Emily and I are closer in age than her and Camille are...ha, her and I are only nineteen years apart, and she and Camille are 23 years apart....actually, her and Jonathan are the same distance apart as her and I...just random facts....

fun before the rain....

Yesterday morning Kathryn took the little girls out to play. I found out they were jumping from the top of the slide. Even Camille. Margaret had videoed it, I tried to put it on here but other people were uploading things at the same time, and after half an hour I gave up. Anyways, it was nice they got to play out there a bit because it ended up being quite a rainy day. This is the outfit Camille picked out for herself. Black shirt with brown and aqua skirt. hmm.

In the above picture, her right leg is much paler than the left. She is still favoring the "broken leg", but not as much as mommy would like!

Today is the official last day of school, finally!!!! Suze didn't go, she found out her teacher yesterday, and brought home all of her stuff. The other kids went, though. Emily is picking them up and bringing them home today, because she has a few days off, and she is a nice big sister. She might bring some of them to pick strawberries.....

And, my sister-in-law is coming over with some of her twelve kids today, to swim and play.

Well, Aaron and Samuel got on their plane and headed to to Norway....I will spare the boring details, but after a conversation with someone at the airlines due to a flight delay, Aaron told me, MOM, we have to leave NOW. Okay. I ran the brush though my hair, and grabbed my purse. Mirielle did the same, as Sam hurriedly shoved last-minute things into his carry-on...(he brought a huge hard cover World War II book in his carry-on, he cannot go a whole month without it)....we got them to the airport 45 minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off. Aaron texted me from the plane, they had made it!

Mirielle and I had plans....we had Tim Horten coupons. One for a free medium Mocha Latte, and the other for a 99 cent coffee, any size. Then to Target, again....she needed a few things because she is leaving tomorrow for the summer.

Then home to cook dinner, lemon pepper chops, basmati rice, and broccoli. The girls left for fellowship, Jonathan and Charlotte Claire rode their ride-ons around and around, I took Rosie out for a few walks....(walking the dog out in the rain is actually quite pleasant....I wouldn't otherwise go out in the rain....it is nice. When I took her out before bed, the rain had stopped, but there was the sound of water dripping everywhere, it was very warm out there, and the clouds parted just enough for the almost full moon to shine through. It was absolutely deliciously gorgeous out there.)

Rosie needs a bath, badly. Again. She is certainly like having another child, as far as the time it takes to take care of her, anyway.

Okay.....I got the paper out of the mailbox this morning.....I always scan the front page as I walk Rosie down the road....a story today about a very disturbed young father, 21 years old, prior history of violence, domestic disputes....police are called because he threatened to kill a child...they arrived, 21 year old man was outside with 3 month old baby and a gun....and then he shot and killed the baby. Police then told him to drop his weapon, which he didn't, he fired at the cops instead. They fired back and he is in critical condition. I would have taken that baby. How much anger did this young man have, to do something like this?

I realize there isn't much I can do about these things, but it sure makes me thankful for what I have been given, that God has had mercy on me and has allowed me to be raised in a good way, and has given me His word to work with. I know that in my flesh there dwells the same sin, and it is by His grace that I can learn to overcome such things like anger and bitterness.

On to happier things.....Happiness is:

1. Camille finding her other flip-flop.

2. Paul making a pot of coffee before he leaves for work.

3. Joseph getting up and doing the dishwasher before I get up in the morning.

4. Knowing my friend is coming over today with her kids.

5. Having a big bag full of bags of snacks, like cheese popcorn and chips...lots of kids go through lots of snacks quickly.

6. Ben bringing home pizza from work.

7. School being over, hardly any socks to match!!!!

8. No more homework!!!

9. More relaxed bedtimes....

10. No getting out school clothes the night before....

11. My older daughters dropping in......

12. Staying up late talking to any of the older ones....

13. The happy expectations of the two youngest girls, that their friends are coming over!!!

sad day happy day...

Here is why I cried already this morning:

A 13 year old boy, a few counties over, baby sat for a family on occasion, the children were 5 and 2 and 1. I shouldn't have even read about it, but how can a young boy be so depraved? He did awful things to that two year old, and then he killed her. I just cried for that mother, for that trusting little child. How can God bear to see the whole wide world?

Yes, there is sadness in this world. I also read about a young man who died at age 22, who was severely disabled, yet his family described him as "a gift from God, his life was a blessing.."

I also read about the new cigarette tax increase in New York State...$1.60 increase! That will bring them to $9.20 a pack! That is crazy. I do not smoke but....I think it is mean. Just plain mean.

Today is the last full day of school for the younger kids, with tomorrow a half/day. It just drags on and on. Suzanne went yesterday because she had a pajama party. She wore Gramma's night gown. For some reason, that just cracks me up. She wears it around here all the time. (we washed it for her Sunday night, so it would be nice and clean for pajama day) It would bring Gramma such great joy to know that Suze wears that thing still. It isn't too gorgeous, but it is a connection to Gramma for Suzanne. She has been gone for four years this summer, and Suzanne is only nine. But Gramma really meant something to her, and the rest of us really enjoy seeing Suze wear that thing around, too. The kids in her class probably just think she's poor.

I was planning to take the kids out to the camper today or tomorrow ( I do not respect HALF/DAYS of school. Too long of a bus ride), but the forecast is dismal, warm humid thunderstormy. I am going out there this morning to get the propane tank to get it filled, because the refridgerator doesn't kick on unless the propane is on, then it will switch to electric. yes, this is a boring detail. And yes, we are spoiled campers. But my goodness, camping with a whole bunch of kids is and has been challenging, so we decided a long time ago that a nice camper was a good investment. We bought it when Aaron was a baby, so we only had six kids. It is a thirty five foot camper, with air-conditioning and a big refridgerator, and a separate bedroom in the front with a queen sized bed. Triple bunks in the back, and a dinette that converts to a bed, and a fold down couch. Plus room in the back for a pack n play. Before that we had a Coleman pop-up camper, which was nice too. Because we don't camp in places that have electricity, usually, so we can't use the a.c., and pop-ups let the breeze in. And yes, this is boring.

Charlotte Claire is helping Camille find her new flip flops. I bought them for her last evening at Target, they have cute little straps in the back, and she was so thrilled. She came walking out here this morning, not exactly back to normal, but she's getting there.

Last night I stayed up way too late again. Mirielle is leaving the day after tomorrow, and Aaron and Sam are going today. We won't all be together again as a family for quite a few weeks, and it is sad for Mommy.

Last night I told the kids two bed time stories....the first one was about a mommy who was way too tired to take the kids to the beach because she had SO much work to do. Her children played Wii and rode bikes and played Webkins and read their books and had a good old time, while she swept and dusted and did the dishwasher, folded clothes and hung out towels....then when she sat down for a rest, they asked when they could go to the beach...the tired mommy just was too tired.... WAY too tired for the beach.... Am I mean, or what? Anyway, the story ended with the kids deciding that if they helped Mommy lots and lots each morning, then Mommy would ALWAYS want to go do fun things and take them in the pool and bring them to the beach!!! yes, I am mean. But hey....

The girls are hilarious. They are playing dollhouse. Charlotte Claire's girl is named Anaya, and Camille's is The Big Sister. Their mom told them to wash the tractor in the swimming pool. Charlotte Claire doesn't really want Camille to play with her, but I told her she would get treasures in heaven...Camille thought I meant SHE would get them, and she shouted, "I am going to get TREASURES IN HEAVEN!" Charlotte Claire just looked at me and rolled her eyes.

Things I am thankful this morning....

1. Coffee.

2. Rosie's cage. Since we started putting her in there before the bus arrives, the Getting-the-kids-out-the-door stress has gone down 25% because there is no more risk of her going out and coralling the bus. (We have not yet eliminated the I-can't-find-my-other-shoe or the oops-, where-is-my-library-book syndrome.)

3. Rosie. As I was hoping, her pain-in-the-neckness is being slowly eclipsed by just plain enjoyability. At least to me. I see her through rose colored glasses, she is my sweetie. A few people here do not like her very much, I do not know why. She is exuberantly happy to see me each morning, when I let her out of the cage to take her out for her morning walk, she is so happy, not only her tail wags, but her entire backside. She cannot contain her joy. Every single day. Who else in this world is ALWAYS so glad to see ME?

4. My big van. The air conditioning doesn't work, and I sometimes call it the Driving Garbage Can because it gets so messy, but I can put so many kids in there, it opens up the opportunities to go places......

5. Paul. He is such a good husband. And I am still desparately in love with him. And for some strange reason, he seems to love me too.

6. Our swimming pool. It is clean and clear and warm and heavenly.

7. Wipes. I use so many wipes. Camille just sneezed, and I will spare the details, but wipes are so nice.

8. I do not have to buy diapers anymore. I am not sure if this belongs on this list though, it is a sadness to me. I have had pumpkins in diapers for over 25 years, so it is still strange to me. Miss Camille will be in undies instead of pull ups now that the cast is off. (with the cast on, I put her in pullups because if she DID pee in undies, it would go down her leg and make a smelly cast....) She seems to have caught on to doing her poops on the toilet every day. She is such a big girl, even though I TRIED to baby her, and still do.....

Now I have to really start the day, hmm, what should I put in the washer first.....?

oh what a nice day...

I wish I was home more to enjoy it, but....I took Miss Camille to the doctor, her cast came off, the xrays came out fine, she has to go in and be checked in one month. She has walked gingerly on it, and she went in the big pool, which was probably very good gentle exercise for it.

We went to Walmart....we looked at the fish, we looked at the toys (I bought a new dollhouse set...I can't help it if they keep making new stuff...I mean, it was a baby set! A stroller, and a baby! How could I resist?) I bought three new bike helmets because we don't ever seem to have enough, and I read an article in the paper this morning about head injuries and deaths in children riding without them...I figure thirty dollars is less than a dr visit.

I cannot say the children were horrible in Walmart, because most off the time they were funny and cute and well behaved....but there were moments.....Charlotte Claire might just be jealous of Camille...that would be a good explanation for her pushing Sonja, who couldn't just move away or gently tell her to stop, no ,Sonja either shrieked at her or shoved her back....or she was bugging Miss Camille, who was riding in the cart, only reaching occasionally for random objects to throw into the back of the cart....and Jon: he had a minor meltdown because he just gets so hopeful looking at the toys. He didn't really ask for anything, he just kept saying that we rushed him through the toys, over and over again. Then in the van he said that we just don't like him. Our next stop was the dollar store, and my goodness, I was ready to just go home....but Jon said he was going to be good....anyway, we just got some freezepops and some raising bread in there, then went into Biglots quick....50 cent bags of cheese popcorn, 85 cent Fritos, and some things for the boys to take to Norway with them....

And HOME. I brought some grapes and snacks outside for them, and after a nice long swim, I left with Camille, Samuel, and Mali to get Sam his new sneakers. Target had some he liked for $20, so we got them. Then a quick run through the grocery store next door because we were there....

And HOME, again. Aahhh. I am not going anywhere tomorrow. Wait, I have to bring the boys to the airport.....

happy fathers' day, paul....

Today we went to visit Paul's parents, to wish his dad a Happy Father's Day. Emily was heading to work, Mirielle went on a run, and Aaron was working at McDonalds, but the other 13 went with us. I think Gramma and Grampa were pleased to see everyone. We hung around outside, and Camille wanted to go in the house. She doesn't see too many other houses, and she wouldn't stop saying that she was really cold, and she needed to go in. It was 85 degrees out, and sunny, so we didn't buy it. Finally I was nice and asked her if she had to go pee, and because she is no dummy, she jumped up and down and said she did have to go, she had to go bad!

I had parboiled chicken ths morning, and left it marinating in Cornell sauce in the 'fridge all day, then put it on the grill to sizzle up at dinner time....we had salt potatoes (tiny baby potatoes boiled with lots of salt, one pound for every four pounds of spuds....they are SO good), watermelon, and a salad with carrots and radishes and peppers and tomatoes....it was nice to have so many of the kids here. We ate out on the deck, it was deliciously pleasant out there. For some reason, and I don't want to speak too soon, but the mosquitoes have not been very bad this year. It makes such a difference....

Tomorrow Camille goes in to get her cast off. She will get the leg x-rayed, then if it has healed properly, she will be all set. Hopefully, that will be the case. I would hate to see her have to get another cast. I won't be lonely at her appointment, either. Kathryn is done with school and is going to help...and Evelyn really wants to go with us, and is doing nothing in school...and Sonja has a field trip from the school into town for ice cream, and doesn't really want to go, and Jonathan really wants to see the cast taken off...and we can't leave Charlotte Claire home, so it will be six kids, and me. Mirielle will be helping out at school, helping her cousin Katie, who is the French teacher, give the proficiency test. Mali might go with us too....

Then in the evening I have to take Samuel James shopping for sneakers....he has been telling me for quite some time that he needed some before he goes to Norway....and he is leaving on Tuesday. With Aaron. For a month. And Mirielle is leaving for Toronto on Thursday. For the summer. But we won't be too lonely here. Two Norwegian girls will be staying at Emily and Abigail's apartment for 16 days, and since they work, we will be taking the girls to the beach, and maybe shopping....and Margaret's friend Renee from Detroit might come visit again.....for at least two weeks....and my sister's grand daughter Grace might come to visit us....

Tomorrow is the first day of summer. I hope to make it a nice and relaxing and fun summer for the kids. I was feeling a bit guilty about how Paul works so hard and I am home going swimming and lying in the sun and thinking up adventures....then I realized it IS important what I do. I am sowing God's word into the kids as we play, I am the Recreation Director, yet it is not all play...even though it is much easier to run this place than it used to be, now that the youngest is two, there is still quite a workload. I like to have them all pitch in and get the work done in the mornings so we have the days for doing what we like. Of course every meal is work, and for the Mom, it isn't just all fun and games.....still clothes to wash and groceries to buy. But still...summertime is sweet. I love it SO much.

ice cream fun

Camille was all packed to go for ice cream. Have we taken them THAT infrequently, that she thinks there is packing involved? Or is she just wierd? Sonja K. is NOT supposed to drive this tractor anymore, it is on it's last leg, or wheel. We got it for Benjamin when he was two, nineteen years ago.

Charlotte Claire

Suzanne finishing up her cone.

Charlotte Claire chose cotton candy flavored ice cream because it was pink...I chose to help her catch the drips because it was GOOD!

Jonathan had mint chocolate chip.

Another cotton candy girl, Sonja K.

Is there anything more maddening than going for ice cream with someone who didn't get any? Mr. Paul eats very healthily these days.....so he just went along for the ride, and to pay.

Evelyn Joy...

Suze with Camille....

Jonathan and Charlotte Claire...and all the free chocolate milks. One per customer, Customer Appreciation Day. We brought them home and gave them to them with their dinner.

Charlotte Claire...too bad there is a lady's backside in the background. I do not know how to edit things out. Oh well...this was cute anyway.

Suze with Camille

Evelyn and Camille, all ready to go home from the ice cream place....

I don't know why I like this picture....maybe someday we will marvel at how cheap gas is now?

Sonja K., coloring in bed. My girls can write entire stories with just light from the bathroom across the hallway from their room.

This is our dollhouse tractor. The steering wheel really turns the front wheel, which is just IT for Jonathan. We have had this since Ben was little too, actually we got it for Emily over twenty years ago. Toys just ain't made like they used to be.

After our ice cream outing, (yes, I had one. Even though Paul didn't. I WANTED to nevermind and not have one, just enjoy the kids enjoying theirs...but I saw the mint chocolate chip....oh well. I look lovely eating ice cream, too. I am just the cover girl for why one should NOT have ice cream...but it sure was good) anyway, we got home and went in the pool AGAIN. It isn't just bliss, going in the pool with the little kids. Suze will splash Evelyn, and Evelyn will yell at Suze, then one of them will jump in and moon everyone.....and then there are the Ladder Wars. Charlotte Claire is at home on the ladder, and when Jon wants to take a break because the water is very deep for him and he doesn't wear a floatie this year, he has to have it out with her. He also likes to use one of the inflatable rings, and there always seems to be one less ring than there is child. And then there is the ONE floating lounge, which has been worth it's seven dollars many times over, but oh my goodness does it cause trouble sometimes. I must admit, it is fun getting in on tipping someone over....

Then we cooked some coneys (spicy white hot dogs, snappy grillers) on the grill, and had pasta salad. They had so much energy still, I don't know why, but the two little ones were going wild. I sighed a sigh of relief when I tucked them in...even though I love them to pieces. I just plain get tired at night.....

Today when we were driving to the ice cream place, I was thinking about my kids. I hope they know how much I love them, despite how much I can WITCH at them, with a capital B, for important things like leaving their shoes all over and leaving cups in the living room, and empty ice cube trays and leaving the cheese open.....I am still in so much need of patience. I have been encouraging the younger kids to get along better, to stop and think before they speak, to be more patient and forgiving, to really work on being nice...so we can have a peaceful home. When I tell them these things, I am fully aware that I need to work on things myself, too. Don't get me wrong, it isn't utter chaos here....but there are times...yes, there are times....