gardening?

my new shoes


Happy Birthday Charlotte Claire

Camille Anaya got something too, Aurora!


Sonja K.
I am not a gardener. Sometimes when people find out large our family is, they ask if we are farmers. Naw, not even a chicken or a goat. Last year Mali enthusiastically made herself a little garden...then she enthusiastically forgot about it. The weeds won. This year will be different. Paul bought a rototiller. He is serious about this garden. Says he wants us to freeze stuff. I almost pointed out the veggies are only a dollar a pound at Wegmans, and all you have to do is pick up the bags and throw them into the cart, but I didn't.

So I need to learn about gardening. The only thing I have ever grown are tomatoes. I guess once I figure out which green things sprouting out of the soil are the weeds and which ones are the plants, I'll be okay.

Today is Charlotte Claire's birthday, she is five years old. Her big sisters came over for the party last night. Emily got her some bubbles and an Aurora Barbie. Abigail got both little girls some princess dishes. I gave her the princess scooter that has been sitting in Joseph's room since I got it on clearance last year for 75% off, $11.24. It took Joe over a half hour to assemble it, but he is like his dad, just does things without grumbling. I grilled burgers, which took a while since only like two spots on our grill actually work. Mirielle made a yummy cake frosted with whipped cream and strawberries. I forgot to get some birthday candles, so she had one nice little fat candle. If she minded, she forgot to mention it.

I seriously need to get better at taking pictures. I am usually too busy enjoying what is going on. Perhaps I should assign the task to one of the kids.

Today: sunny and warm, 72 degrees. No plans to go anywhere. I need to catch up on things around here. Again. Kids keep making messes and dirtying dishes and clothes.

Oh, good news: my mammogram came out fine. phew. My mother had breast cancer when she was 44. Her mother died of it at age 33. (my grandmother's sister also died of cancer, as did my mother's sister). so, phew.

I know that God sends just what we need, but still, phew. Life is so nice, so good, I am not ready to check out yet. I mean, I finally start to get into shape and lose this weight...I thought for sure I would get pregnant, which would be great, but my second thought was that I would discover a tumor or a lump. Am I the only one who has these doom and gloom thoughts? I mean, we all are going to die, one of these days. I think we live in denial of that certain fact. Don't want to think about it, don't want to talk about it. Getting older is a bit scary, getting closer to that certainty, dodging bullets like heart attacks and cancer and strokes....

Anyway, on a brighter note....Aaron and Mali are graduating from high school this year....shall we have a huge party? I am thinking to have one to coincide with Ben coming home so he can see everyone in one day. He will only have a few days before heading out west...

I am happy today. Yes, I have cramps, just in case anyone was wondering. And I am also coming down with a cold, my throat hurts. Stuffy, tired. But..I am still happy. I went on my morning walk despite all the excuses my brain was concocting. Paul got me a really cool mp3 player for Mother's Day, yesterday I exercised to Abba. It was so much more fun! Plus it drowned out my kids laughter, although I could still see their smirks. I don't care, I know I look like an idiot marching and lifting my little weights and dancing...I just like getting my heart rate up and moving and trying to build a little bit of muscle. They are proud of me too, I know that even though they laugh. They love to tease me.

It is just so satisfying to see some results in all this. I have lost 15 pounds now, my skirts are getting looser. I am wearing a skirt I bought last year...I could not even get in on, but I kept it in hope that someday I possibly would be able to. I have more energy, just a slight bit more, which isn't saying too much. I went for that mammogram yesterday and parked really far away and walked as fast as I could. This is a sharp contrast to the old me, I was known to circle parking lots for several minutes to get the closest spot possible. Wasting gas to save steps.

I did have fun going out and about all by my lonesome yesterday. I went to Kohl's first and cruised the clearance racks. I got Joe a shirt for his birthday, some nice things for Mirielle who was babysitting, some cute little shorts for Suzanne and Sonja, and: a pair of shoes for myself. I won't say how much I paid for them...on sale, but not on clearance. ouch. But I tried them on and they fit and I loved them....I only have Birkenstocks for weddings and everything, and always feel slightly Bohemian...like a drab old herb gatherer or something. My feet are comfy, I tell myself. That's all that matters...but. These new shoes are nice. My girls all said the same thing: I like them on YOU, Mom...but.