the last day of summer

Charlotte Claire, kindergartener
Jonathan

"You take terrible pictures, Mom!", said Sonja after I showed her the adorable picture I had just taken of her. I thought I would add this one so you can see how clean my house isn't.

The town meeting we went to last evening: inconclusive. Mr. Neighbor didn't have the paperwork completed properly. So next month we go again, then the county sees his application, if they approve it we are sunk. The fact that we don't want it doesn't seem to be of any consequence in the big scheme of things. I did speak up in the meeting though, I had to. One supporter of the Mud Bog actually stated that the neighbors were all opposing the plan simply because we had, "an axe to grind with Mark". What?!! I have absolutely nothing personal against this man. So I said so. I also said that we just don't think that parking 500 cars next door would be very nice, and that the lot next to us is zoned residential and we would like it to stay that way. It did get a tiny bit heated when Mark's wife asked what the difference between what they were proposing and someone riding their four wheeler around and around and around their own property...yeah, Ben used to do that. Ride all around our back yard. I didn't say anything else, because it doesn't take a genius to see that these two things differ greatly. One four wheeler vs. however many cars racing in a bog, PLUS all the spectators. He is hoping for crowds of two thousand. TWO THOUSAND people on this little country road, whooping and cheering and having a bit of beer. blah. But we can only do what we can do, and last night after getting tempted to get all out of rest about the whole thing I remembered that this is only temporary, our earthly home. Life goes by, we are citizens of heaven and the most important thing is to live our lives pleasing to Him, then all the other things will fall into place.

So being home with Camille has been so much fun. Yesterday I really wanted to go to the pool, but I started in on picking up and cleaning, and didn't want to lose my stride...I cleaned the little girls room up, sorted clothes, did laundry, swept floors...Camille got the other broom and helped me sweep...she put her little hand on her little hip and said to me, "If you don't pick up these toys right now I am going to throw them away! I am not going to say it again!" ouch....and by the way, she forgot to ask nicely like three times first, she fast-forwarded to the threats...I never do that, do I? ouch, hope not. I tell you though, the best way to see what you are really like as a mom is to listen to the kids...ouch.

Today Mali has no classes, and she has her learner's permit, so I am going to suffer through her driving us to the store. I HATE kids learning how to drive. She is the seventh one, so I should be a little bit used to it by now, but I am not. I have already told her that she is not allowed to argue...if I say she is going too fast, she is going to fast. It is called "learner's" permit for a reason, she is learning, I am teaching. duh. I really wish I had my own brake pedal though.

And, we shall have some fun.

We have to get some more things for the Victory Grill at church...

Camille is sitting with me with her fleecy footy froggy jammies on, cute as can be. She talks like a miniature grown up now, she says she does not want to play Barbies, because she will get LONELY. She is now up and after the poor kitten...

Meal plans: I do not have any. Every once in a while, I plan for a few days. Mostly it is fly-by-the-seat of my pants, wander into the kitchen and scratch my head...which is NOT smart when there are fifteen people to feed. There has to be enough of stuff, it has to be quick and healthy and something they will like. blah, it is the hardest part of my job. We eat alot of chicken. I buy the boneless skinless breasts when they are under $2 a pound, usually marinade them at least over night, or before I freeze them, so they aren't dry. I cheat when I make chicken soup, I buy the store brand (or Campbells when it is on sale and I have a coupon)cream of celery soup, four or five cans makes a good base for soup for us...I simply cook the frozen chicken breast right in the soup, then add whatever we have, either noodles or potatoes or rice (leftover rice is good in soup), maybe a bag of frozen mixed veggies, or some fresh carrots....beef prices are up too high, so we have had more chicken than ever. We still get burger, used in taco salad and meatloaf...to make meatloaf, I do not follow a recipe. I just crumble up some crackers, mix with some bread crumbs, add garlic and onion powder, minced onions, pepper, some chopped onion, the burger, and a few eggs...when I bake it, I form it into several smaller loaves, so there is more surface, more crispiness, less sog.

Well, I certainly don't want to think about dinner right now. I had a yummy breakfast though. I had my usual, oatmeal with a spoonful of crunchy peanutbutter and brown sugar, and a handful of wild blueberries. I buy them by the three pound bag, frozen wild blueberries, and they make that oatmeal so good!

My knees have been aching, probably from trying to run. blah. I tried for like fifty feet this morning, and they hurt, so I stopped. Rosie did not like that I stopped, she was pulling and turning and looking at me...sorry, girl! The walk was lovely though...it is the last day of summer, but the leaves are changing, and the shadows are long. We are done with the pool for the season, we need to cover it before all the poplar trees shed their leaves.

Paul will be home tomorrow, I am looking so forward to a nice hug. And a kiss. And since this is a family blog, that is all I am saying.

I can just hear my older kids saying, "MAAAHM!"....in that way they have of stretching MOM out to three sylables. They say that when I call Paul, "my boyfriend", as I do when he texts me.

Camille is hilarious...she wears pull-ups to sleep in, and really wants to keep them dry, because I told her when she is all done with them and stays dry all night, she will get a present. Which was not brilliant of me, now she tries to tell me that she kept dry...she is telling me right now that the yellow stuff in the pull-up, "came in the pull-up, Mamma, it came like this from the package." hmm.