the sun'll come out tomorrow.....

I am almost ready to cry with happiness because tomorrow's forecast is so hopeful! 65 degrees, sunny, dry!!! On Jonathan's birthday! Yay! I am spending the day outside.

Sherah...I had to laugh at your comment. If I could sum up the most difficult part of having so many kids, it would have to be Getting Out The Door On Sunday Mornings. I was thinking about this last night, one of those hollow nights where I slept for a few hours, woke up and couldn't get back to sleep...remembering those super-challenging days when there were so many little ones. When Sonja was born, for example, my oldest three were 17, 15, and 13. Sonja was our thirteenth child, and the fifth little girl of the 5-Girls-In-A-Row-In-5-Years. For one thing, there is a huge myth out there about large families: "the older kids must help you". Well. When the Older Kids are teenagers, and they have gone to school all week, do they want to get up early on Sunday to help. Hmm. Anyway, when Sonja was born, I had to nurse and change and take care of her, then there were her sisters who needed their hair done....it seemed like for years there were so many things that only I could do. Things lined up for me to do. Getting out the door WITH the diaper bag full of what we needed, and all the kids in matching shoes (once Sam had two left boots on), in proper coats (ever get some where and notice one of the kids had a coat on from the year before and the cuffs creeped up towards the elbow?)and all their hair done (more than once I have gotten somewhere and glanced at one of the girls: how did THAT happen? How did I miss one?) Oh, they were crazy days. And there were moms who told me not to worry, it would get easier. I did not believe them. But it did. It is much easier now. Not that I ever strived for EASY. I do not have any regrets, either. God lovingly sends exactly what we need. Now I feel like I am coming up for air after those years of being put to the test so unrelentingly. It is easy to see now how I should have done things better, been nicer, just chilled. If I could do it all again, I would. I would be nicer and more chilled. Anyway, it doesn't seem like a "temporary light affliction", but it does go by so fast. I miss my babies.

I get the Long Paragraph Award for that one.

Mirielle and I dragged those two little princesses to Target, Price Chopper, B.J.'s, and Tops yesterday. Well, I ran into Tops while they had Goldfish and apples in the van. Going into the stores is still challenging. This Tops I went into has the best bakery every. Their donuts look good enough to sell your soul for. So I tried not to look. The whole store smells like donuts though. Can you tell what I crave the most? I don't spend my days thinking about them, but they definetly are my weakness.

We got some good things though. Chicken, blueberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, grapes, grapefruit, romaine lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, cashews (these are not exactly GOOD, but in moderation....), almonds, peanuts. Plus a lot of things I don't eat any more like good cereal and waffles and some chocolate chip cookies (a 16 pack was gone pretty quickly, my Wait approach worked once again!)

Home to put away the groceries. Since I had walked all day and my knees were sore, I decided to skip my walk for the first time in days and days and days, and go to the pool instead. Jonathan and Suze went with me, and I got a good swim. I love the pool, and am so glad it is only five minutes away!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig....walked in the door to find out that my mother-in-law was on her way over! She didn't come the other day because of the storms and she was tired. She was supposed to come over today! Friday! NOT Thursday after I have been gone. It was really nice to see her, she brought some gifts for the kids, and she was happy to see them again. But it always works like that. The day she was supposed to come, the house was all cleaned up.

blah. Mali is going to prom tonight, and my sister came through BIG time. She made Mali's dress, which I shall photograph later with Miss Mali in it, of course. It is beautiful! She tried it on for us last night, and it fits her like it was made for her! Because it was. Cheryl, thank you!! I am very impressed! And Mali is so so pleased with it. Mirielle thinks it is gorgeous too.

Joseph is here this morning because he was only going to be watching a movie in his college class. ? Oh well. But it means that I can go for my walk! Funny how I like going now. Not that there aren't moments when I hate it. When it is warmer out, I just melt...blah.

Mirielle made some chocolate chip brownie cookies for Ben yesterday, and shipped them priority post. He gets them in two days when she does this, so Ben: look for cookies tomorrow! They smelled so good, but I rationalized that there were not that many, so I didn't even ask for one. Then they were packed up and gone.

Last evening I finally tried my 15 calorie Popsicles. I had a grape one and an orange one. They were very good. I told the kids to please keep out of them, I will buy them some regular ones. No fair, they said. I did not have any cookies, I said. Not our problem, they said. One of them actually said it is "impossible to lose any weight around here because Mom eats all the good stuff". Not true! I share everything else, even my precious blueberries! Okay, I also try to keep their paws off my light yogurts....

Yesterday at Target I picked up some 50% off Easter stuff for the two little princesses. Headbands with flowers, gloves, and little purses, for fifty cents each. Camille just wears that headband around, looking so cute. Spoiled, spoiled, they are.

I am thinking to get my sneakers on and go on that walk now....the question is, do I take Rosie-The-Walk-Ruin-er? Or suffer the guilt and listen to her whine and complain as I go down the road? Without her, I get into such a good rhythm, relax, and enjoy myself. With her, she pulls, stops, smells everything, tries to poop in the neighbor's yard, I tell her NO, she waits, but she really has to go....I tell her to wait, she finally gets the okay down at the woods, I have to wait...then she is trotting ahead again, full of zeal and energy....one of these days I will be faster than her, and I shall pull HER down the road. See how SHE likes it.