"well, your brood is big enough...."

That's what the dr said when I went in for a check-up today. I suppose he was looking at that number that seems too huge for reality in the box that said, "number of pregnancies" (21) Twenty-one official pregnancies, sonogrammed and confirmed. And at least one that I didn't go in to the dr for, did the home pregnancy test and lost it at seven weeks. Yes, I suppose sixteen babies, a stillborn baby, and four + miscarriages is enough. I say that easily enough, but I am still hoping! My dr. is such a good guy, he would celebrate with us......

I went to the dr all by myself, so I got to stop at the store all by myself. I got some chicken and some mozzarella cheese and some wraps (Wegmans has these tomato basil fajita wraps that are SO good) and canned green beens and eggs and some Italian bread...their bakery bread is also SO good. I have a pot of soup/stew on the back burner. So the bread will go nicely with it.

Jonathan stayed home again today, but I think he is okay to go tomorrow. Having him home keeps the little girls so busy and hopping. They play "huckle-buckle-beanstalk", in which one hides an object and then they all look for it, the finder yells, yes, "huckle-buckle-beanstalk"! They play ship, and house, and cars, and store, and doggies, and pet shop. They have their little spats, but are friends again before I am done figuring out who did what to who.

hmm, who can I keep home tomorrow?

Mirielle went to pick Mali up from cross-country practice for me. Kathryn is setting the table, and I am sitting here having a good old time. The internet wasn't working this morning, so I got a lot done! Tons of laundry, and some sweeping and cleaning up and organizing......the clothes monster is very small, but not all the way gone yet. It still growls at me.

My computer is working nicely except the cord is still fussy. Camille comes over and climbs up on me and the cord gets knocked out. But Camille still has these chubby cheeks, and she is so sweet and cute. Last night when I was putting her to bed, I remembered the song, "Teddy Bear Picnic". I don't think she has heard it before, she liked it so much I had to sing it three times......

None of the kids work at McDonalds anymore. It is a long story, one that I shan't tell. And shan't isn't a real word, I don't think, but I shall use it because I want to. No, they didn't do anything wrong. Anyways, in respect for their privacy I shan't tell. Wait, that makes it sound more interesting than it was, so I SHALL tell. Aaron didn't want to work on Labor day weekend, and was told NOT to call in or try to take a day off, as it is a very busy day there. He did not want to miss the youth conference, so he took the whole weekend off, which led to having FOREVER off. Then Ben, I do not know the whole story there. He didn't go in on the right day, then didn't tell Mali, so she thought she didn't have to work, but she did, and didn't know it...so she is done too. oh well. They aren't crying about it. Aaron just landed a new job at the small grocery store in the small town a few miles down the road. Ben is looking for something just to tide him over until he leaves in November. And Mali is fine just going to school and running.

All the little dramas. And the big ones. Now Abigail only wants an orange car. Her money, I suppose. But I am not calling any dealers asking if they have orange ones.

It is rainy here again, so cozy and cuddly, with soup on the stove and the table all set. The kids are playing quietly, the dog is sleeping under my footrest and Paul will be home soon. One would never know that sixteen people live in this house if they walked in right now. It is picked up and neat, there is piano music coming from Margaret's room, Samuel and Kathryn are on the two desktop computers. Well, I suppose the number of shoes by the door, and perhaps the pile of backpacks, would be some clues that there are more than a few of us here.

That's the thing, sometimes of course it is mayhem here, as Paul calls it, Monumental Mayhem. But usually, it isn't. Rats, me speaks too soon!!! Jonathan just brough like a hundred trucks out here....talk about loudness on the wood floor, three kids scrambling to claim which trucks they will get.....

Jamaica, Jamaica, we are still hoping to go again....I hope so. We still get along so well and enjoy our time together, Paul and I. Although I wonder if it is because we have had so little of it all these years that really it is like we have only been married ten years instead of twenty-six and a half. ha.

Well, kids are talking to me now...I am too distracted.