one day 'til Margaret's birthday...

Margaret Cheryl....she is going to be 14 years old tomorrow.

When Margaret was born, my oldest, Emily Anne, was eleven years old, almost 12. Abigail was ten, Benjamin was eight, Mirielle was six, Joseph was five, Aaron was four, Mali was two, and Samuel was sixteen months.

Margaret is our ninth child. When she was born, she started the More Girls trend, as it was a tie, four boys - four girls before she came. Little did I know at the time, but she was the first girl in the Five Girls In A Row in Five Years. (I have often thought it is a good thing we don't know what the future holds...I got through those years one day at a time, but if you had told me THEN what was coming...)

Margaret's birth was such a good one. It was when I discovered the Stop and Wait phase of labor and delivery. My contractions totally stopped when I was fully dilated, but the dr. was patient, and let me rest with no pressure to get on with things.....when the contractions resumed, she was born within minutes....she was 8 pounds seven ounces. She was born at 3:17 in the afternoon, right while the Christmas feast was going on at church. She was a beautiful little girl, with lots of hair right from the start. We left the hospital on the morning of Christmas Eve. (as I have written here before, yes, I did go to my brother's house for our big annual get-together with a two day old baby and all the kids while Paul stayed home with then six year old Mirielle who started throwing up that day.)

Anyway, I have always felt bad for Margaret in the birthday department. She does get shortchanged. I have gotten her some gifts, but it is such a hard time to have a birthday party, and there have been years in which I have owed her a party for.....well, months.

Tonight, Ashley comes home and they get officially engaged! I need to find that camera cord, or I am just going to go buy myself another camera. This is killing me.

I think I am done wrapping presents now. Well, when I finish shopping I will be totally done, but I am finished with what I have. I still need that ever elusive Secret Santa gift, and I have remembered that I haven't gotten much for Joseph. (he read my List when we were wrapping that one day, and said, "Axe? Good, you got me an axe!" Of course he knows I mean the body spray/deodorant stuff, but he would rather have a real axe.) Sorry to say, but besides a really cool thing that I can't write here because I don't know if he reads this, I haven't gotten him anything else. oops. It is torture to be a mom of sixteen kids and have little to no organizational skills. I have lost my list, I wasn't updating it so much anyway, so I have no idea who is getting what. Well, as always, I have a FOGGY idea. I told Suze and Sonja the old Christmas Lecture yesterday...it goes like this, "Kids....Mommy doesn't always remember things. When I wrap presents it is sometimes crazy in here. And I can't remember what is for whom. So, if YOU get ten presents and your sister gets three, share with her, okay?" Suze answered, "I know, I know, and if I get two of the same things, I will give one to Sonja..." So it's all good.

I impulse shopped yesterday. After Kathryn's appointment, we went to BJ's. The already started marking down the toys, and I love toys, so....I couldn't resist...I got Camille and Charlotte Claire a set of princess high heels, $8.50 for five pairs. Camille saw them and wanted them, and knows I bought them. They are getting too much this year, the little girls. I got them princess baby dolls, and the set of seven princess Barbie dolls to share, and they are each getting a different doll that I got last summer for really cheap.

I sincerely hope I haven't been too disproportionate in my gift giving. But I don't think they will be bruised for life if I have. I tell them Life isn't Fair, which is a good way of getting out of having to be fair all of the time...and it is true! I like to say, "Can't you be happy when your sister/brother gets something?"

Jealousy does run deep. And when one has sixteen children, it is most challenging to give them all attention. Camille is smart, she just grabs it. Some of the older ones just naturally get more because of their out-going-ness, or perhaps talking back or slamming doors...I am realizing that as much as I might like to go to college or nursing school, right now I have my hands full enough, just raising these guys. It doesn't consist of just putting food on the table and washing the towels, it is serious stuff. I love them all, but that is easy to say. To actually love each of them as they are, and show it, and listen to them, and let go of my demands on them, that is more difficult. It is a constant work. One thing I remember about my mother is that she was THERE for me. When I got home from school, she was always there wanting to hear about my day.

The windshield of the minivan has a crack in it that is growing bigger. I need to call the insurance company, and get it taken care of. Kathryn's ear is still bothering her, I will spare the details, but the new nurse practioner that we saw didn't notice the huge lump in front of her ear, which I think is a swollen gland....and I didn't know about it until after we left, when Kathryn tried to give my her five dollars because she was sorry I made her take her to the doctor for nothing (she saw the $70 invoice)....of course I didn't take it, and told her when one has green stuff in one's ear, taking one to the dr. is NOT for NOTHING....anyway, I need to call again.....

I am also babysitting for four-year old Timmy today. He is our friends' youngest. They have eight children. Timmy's dad is a cancer survivor, esophogeal cancer, which is brutal. Their family has gone through so much, and they have the most wonderful kids. The boys are rather wild, they have only two girls, but they are good friend with my kids. I think my two little girls are going to like having Timmy here again. I told Charlotte Claire he was coming, and she said, "Oh, I have to take care of TWO little kids...." All this time I thought that I was the one who took care of Camille....she said it is okay though, she WANTS to babysit Timmy...