it's the little things....

My dear son Aaron was leaving for school this morning, and as he wandered through the living room, he spotted the sock basket, and said in an approving voice, "THERE are the socks!" Oh, the joy in his voice....he must have noticed that the basket was very full, and the socks were matched! Well, dig deep and there ARE some single socks on the bottom, but still.

So, another accomplishment. Washed twice, dried, and matched. Charlotte Claire helped me, and we shrieked like idiots every time we found a match. And she learned how to fold them together.

I put away the burgeoning couch monster, now there is just a hug pile of towels and washcloths.

This morning...Mirielle and Joe were leaving for college....she had left her yummy chicken wrap out on the counter overnight accidentally, so she had to pitch it in the trash, tear water tea. Joseph was making himself a healthy oatmeal breakfast. Aaron, Mali, Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, and Evelyn were also making breakfast and getting out the door. And I was in the midst of them, figuring out who was going where when and all that stuff....it was very warm and pleasant, then one of the girls lashed out at another by saying how unhealthy soda is, even diet soda, takes the calcium right out of your bones, blah blah blah, which for some reason offended the other daughter....so Aaron said, "You guys are RUINING the morning!" I felt the same way....

We had yummy dinner again last night. I baked some of the marinated chicken thighs, made a huge salad with tomatoes and olives and romaine, then had Joseph chop up some green and red peppers....I chopped the chicken into strips, then served fajita wraps with it all.

And....Mirielle had made a huge pan of cream cheese brownies for the girl's fellowship night which was cancelled because of the freezing cold, snow, and wind. so we got to eat them....

The chicken wings, oh the chicken wings....it makes me sad, it is tear water tea....I started out yesterday, with a few good helpers...out to the church conference center we headed....the wind blew bitterly, the temperature was 15, it was that face-numbing cold and wind....the snow, it was blowing right across the roads, the roads were icy....by the time I get near town, only half-way to church, the visibility was...well, there were white-outs....I of course had the big huge van, too...which doesn't fare well in wind....I felt like I was on an etch-a-sketch....so, I turned around, we went home, having wasted gas and time and energy...but, I reasoned, our lives and our big van are worth more than 40 pounds of chicken wings.

Today a great plan has been hatched....five of the kids are going to school with notes to be picked up early for "an appointment." An appointment with their mom! Today is one of those days....there is a Dome game, so Paul and all the older kids are going....and I am taking Ashley to calling hours for her uncle, she is being picked up there for the Dome. I need butter and the fruit is almost gone, and we keep eating all the veggies....and the milk is running out....so I decided to go to the store since I have to bring Ashley out....(she can drive but the only vehicle here is BigVan.) So....since I am going out with two little ones, I told Kathryn and Evelyn I would pick them up too....then I realized that Sonja has been asking all of the time about going to Target to buy something with her Christmas money. So....it snowballed, and now I am picking the three younger kids up too....I will be taking seven shopping.....

And I am excited about it.

I stayed up and read an entire book in one sitting, one that both Mirielle and Ashley have read. So now we can have Book Club about it over coffee some morning. It is great fun to read the same books as your older kids. Joseph proposed a Harry Potter book club, but I only read the first one. I especially like when I read the same book as my sister, and we can talk about it.

The two little girls are so into playing with their Barbies lately. I used to think Barbies were "bad", long ago, but now I see that it is just how you look at it. These girls have lots of princess dresses, and Princess Barbies...their dolls are friends with each other and they always have one of the Kens be Benjamin and one of the princesses be Ashley.....they have birthdays and the dolls have nice mommies and they all lie down for naps....it keeps them so busy.

Last night, I read three "Jesse Bear" books to the little girls. They are difficult to disengage from their toys and playing sometimes, and I know that if I just let them stay up late they will be miserable....so I get some books, and their footy jammies and pretty much lead them like a mule to a carrot....to brush their teeth, then into Mommy's room for stories....it is quieter in there. We have always read bedtime stories, but usually to more than two kids! Jonathan is so big now, he reads stories to me!

Jon is so funny, he got up this morning in a chipper mood, since I told them the Getting-Picked-Up-Early plan while they were still in bed...so when I suggested he take a quick shower, he agreed happily, and said to me, "Mom, you are SO lucky I am doing this nicely." hmm. Yes, I suppose I am lucky, seeing that he usually fusses about it, insists on doing it himself, slowly and grumpily....(sometimes these things remind me of the verse Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." )

It is three degrees out. Three degrees. That is 29 degrees below the freezing point. No wonder it is so cold in here! My boots have been one of the wisest things I have ever purchased...of course this has been an exceptionally snowy winter...there has been snow on the ground for two months now....but nonetheless, it is hard to believe that every other winter I just wore shoes....my boots stay warm and dry and keep my feet toasty. My feet never used to get cold when I was younger....I was a barefoot girl around the house all year. Now, I find my slippers as soon as I take my boots off, and when I get up in the morning....

My goodness...a lot of writing about nothing....