we only get this one ride through life...

And there IS beauty everywhere, if we choose to see it. Then of course there are things like this...books to play in! They were practically swimming in books! This was yesterday, when I was trying to get them ready to go pick up the kids at school....(isn't the cardboard recycling bin in the background just LOVELY?)

At Target yesterday, the kids got to spend some of their Christmas money. Since we have so many Barbies, I let the little girls get a few pretty dresses...they play with these dolls for hours and hours and hours.....

Speaking of beauty everywhere, look at those sweet jammies!

Here is Suzanne with the stuffed dog she paid TEN BUCKS for. I don't know where I was, but I suppose when one is in the Toy Department of Target with seven children who all have some money, one's head is going to be spinning. I do remember her presenting me with a small stuffed animal that was five dollars, and me saying, "hmm".....The bad part is that when she showed this dog to me when we got home, you guessed it...I reacted. I practically shouted, "What! Ten bucks??? Are you serious?", and immediately I realized that was the wrong response...I should have just said how cute he was....her face, oh my goodness, she was crushed...I had to do some backpedaling, and fast. I told her I was just a little surprised, and that the doggie was really cute, and he was totally worth it....blah...I felt awful. Especially because Sam was there when it happened, and said, "Great Mom, she is never gonna forget that." ouch. But I think she did...almost, anyway...she is home from school today because she couldn't find her bathing suit for swimming in gym class, and she has a cold..and perhaps her mother feels a bit guilty...just perhaps.

I wish I could hypnotize the children and make them forget that Price Chopper gives away balloons. I don't always let them get them, but when I do, it is like everyone is watching the parade that is just us getting groceries.

So last evening, I got home with the seven spoiled children, they ate their yogurt, and mini-corn dogs, (some of us had beer-battered fish fillets on fresh bakery bread, yum)....then they had a donut, uh huh, they got spoiled....Jon was playing with his new automatic Nerf-knock off gun, the girls dressing their Barbies, while watching the movie they bought, "Beauty and The Beast", and then: Emily came over! Very fun. Very festive. Oops, they didn't get to bed 'til almost ten. They had so much fun though, everyone should have a random Wednesday party once in a while....

And now, I have to get moving to get over to Emily's, we are going to see about those chicken wings....