summertime fun

It isn't easy to count one's blessings when one is preoccupied with things like possible miscarriages and the hopefulness of possible newborns. But, as my mother used to say, "stop thinking about yourself and think about someone else for a change." Several times lately I have been tempted to just hibernate in my room, but being around these kids is healing and healthy and fun. Not to mention frustrating and trying. (I mean, everyone knows beachballs aren't to be kicked around in the living room, right?) Last evening, after dinner, Aaron made a killer pot of decaf coffee. Emily bought us a huge bag of coffee from one of the bookstores that was closing, good coffee, for only five bucks. (she is like her mama, I don't know how many times she mentioned how she regretted only buying ONE BAG.)...anyway, after our dinner of baked chicken thighs, corn, and tossed salad with tomatoes from the garden and peppers from the neighbors' garden (they gave them to us, we didn't raid their garden), Aaron made this coffee. We sat and solved the world's problems while having some 54 calorie Philly Swirl ice cream bars, some of them having ice cream sandwiches. The power had gone out for a few hours, so we had candles lit at the table, and it was cozy. The younger ones tend to get up and go play when they finish, and some nights we just sit there at the table forever.

Then later, Sam, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, and Jonathan played penny poker while Mirielle and Aaron made a breakfast pizza for their breakfasts this week.

What kind of mother would let their children use one of those plastic drawers from one of those little plastic three-drawer dressers as a Barbie Swimming Pool?

In their room?

They certainly had fun.

I need to get ready for the dr. soon. Take a shower, put on some clean respectable clothes that don't scream, "I am an idiot slob who doesn't know what causes IT." Just kidding. But I do wonder what people think of me sometimes. The nurse who saw me at the last visit kept her composure quite well, but I did see the LOOK on her face when I said it was my 22nd pregnancy.

I mean, I have had people say, when they found out how many kids I had, or that they are indeed all mine, "And they are all so clean!" Yes, there are notions out there about big families.

Oh well...we shall see how this appt. goes.