driving to Canada

The girls got back from their ocean trip to Delaware last evening. It WAS eventful. Nine girls telling me at the same time that Suzanne threw up in Abigail's car on the way home because someone was doing something terribly gross like spitting out something they didn't like. Suze also brought 8 copies of a third grade Thanksgiving play, which they acted out around the campfire using different accents. No one got sunburned, too badly anyway, and the new sun shade worked so well they could have sold several, going by how many people asked where it was from....they went to the boardwalk and on a few rides and they got free donuts on Friday at Crispycreme.

But I am glad I didn't go. They survived without me, and had lots of fun.

And I had a nice quiet weekend with Paul and the little ones.

Now, Paul is gone to Boston for the week, the tired kids went out the door to school, and things are back to normal. The swimming pool is almost full, I have to throw loads of money worth of shock in there, and turn on the filter.

This afternoon Aaron and Mali and Joseph and I, and my sister Cheryl and her daughter Audrey, are driving up to Canada, near Ottowa, for our church memorial for Reg, the dear gentleman who died in the crash last week. I am looking forward to hugging Emmy, his wife. His passing is very tragic and was so unexpected, but tonight we shall hear about his life, and how much he helped and encouraged so many others by his own conduct and his faithfulness to God.

We are driving up and back tonight, it is a four hour drive one way....so we are looking at a 3 a.m. bedtimes, if we're lucky....I am already thinking of asking Mirielle to get up with the kids tomorrow morning....

It is brilliantly beautiful outside right now. Sunny and warm. This whole week is forecast to be nice. I do not like sending my kids to school on these glorious days. Does anyone else notice but me how fast life goes by? Yet they waste these days sitting in school? Their childhood is so fleeting...that is why I steal them from the school so often....I am already planning our next adventure...there is this really cool place up on Lake Ontario, a place right on the water, with a stony beach, perfect for skipping rocks or just throwing stones into the water...a place that serves fried fish and ice cream.....I am planning to pick them up early from school one afternoon, and take them up there. If any of their teachers are reading this, I do apologize....but I promise to teach them lots of things....

Something exciting: I finally bought a new grill yesterday. A nice big shiny one with four burners. Now I can roast veggies at the same time as I grill the chicken. It was $159 at Target....it is a lot of money for a grill...I feel so spoiled and frivolous. But excited as anything. Now I just have to get Joseph to help me assemble it....I can just see it sitting there on the deck in the box for days and days while I cook on the two spots of the old grill....

The days until The Party are ticking by. And not alot is getting done around here...but I am starting to write down what I really want done...we shall cram it all in somehow. Or not. Will we survive if people come and peek into some messy bedrooms when they come in to use the bathroom? What if they look under the sink? Will I live? Well, they CAN look under the couch, because I moved the furniture yesterday and cleaned underneath it all....found lots of Barbie shoes and hair ties and pennies....a spoon, some nerf bullets, a few socks, books, and matchbox cars.....and lots of dust and Rosie-fur. blah. Then again, in two weeks, it will probably be pretty bad again, so if you are coming to Mali and Aaron's Graduation Party/Ben's Coming Home On Leave Party, do NOT look under the couch. (Or in the laundry room, for that matter...)

Out to check on the pool.....