school skippers

New York State law says the kids have to be in school unless they have a valid excuse to be absent, like being sick.

What about the child who forgot to do her homework until five minutes before the bus came, then started crying because her pencil wasn't working, and her brother had put a crayon in the electric sharpener and broke it, and she just couldn't finish it fast enough?

What about the other child who came home the day before with a headache, then claimed she threw up during the night? The one who is playing happily with her three year old sister right now?

The poor little boy, he went to school...he said, "fine, you'll just have to come pick me up from the nurse's office...", because he hurt what he referred to as, "a bone in my neck, it bent sideways." I told him bones don't bend, but I do think he might have strained a muscle in his neck. Either he is a really good actor, or he was really in pain, because he walked around here all morning favoring it. He has already missed a day of school the first week, blah.

So two are home. One is playing with Camille, the other is in her bed, the place I sent her when she just plain refused to go get on the bus, because she had too many tears and didn't want to go to school with a "crying face". In my heart I do not blame her, but...

The real problem here is me. I should have made sure she did the homework yesterday.

oops.

After the dust settled, and it became clear that two little girls would be home from school today, I thought, "Yippee!"

Yesterday went by without me going to the store, or getting a nap. But I exercised. Every muscle in my body protested, but I did it anyway. The scale had begun to creep up a little in the wrong direction, probably because of the Evil Cookiewich, and the Molasses Cookie Lunch from Saturday. And the nibbles of the big pretzel. And the bites of Sabarro Pizza from the Dome. blah.

Yes, I do know I have an unhealthy relationship with food, one in which I just plain love food. Not ALL food, just most of it. Do I need therapy? Probably. But at the end of the day, it comes down to one thing: denying myself. I can do that. I know I can. I am also conditioning myself to become emotionally divorced from eating for comfort. So if you read this and think to yourself, "This lady is nuts. All she thinks about is donuts.", you are absolutely right. But as I always say, who ISN'T crazy? About something or other, anyway.

Tomorrow my sister's daughter Becky is leaving to go to Norway for a year. She is Emily's age, and she is such a good girl. So much fun, so faithful and wholehearted and good and giving. Jonathan will miss her sorely. Tonight some of us are going out to dinner to say our goodbyes, and to celebrate Cheryl's (her mom, my sister) birthday. Emily and Abigail are going, and a few of Cheryl's seven girls, or all of them I don't know...it should be great fun, and I am looking forward to it. I shall starve myself all day, ha. No, I will behave. I do have SOME self-control. Emily has some killer heals to wear, we are supposed to dress up. hmm.

Today I have to go to the store for sure. Camille is having the last of the milk in her cereal, and the bread is gone. We are running out of other things too, so I have to go. This morning is Story Hour, and I have to miss it because I have the other two girls here. Poor Camille.

Rosie is in her cage. She is supposed to be taking her morning nap. Kitten likes to antagonize Rosie, so he is climbing all over the cage. Rosie is fit to be tied. Whatever that means. I believe Katie wrote a comment saying something like, "Rosie and a kitten! Just what you need." She was absolutely right, it is crazy. But it is also vastly entertaining, as long as Rosie doesn't hurt the kitty, which I don't think will happen...Kitty Kitten is just so brave and stupid! He actually stood on his back legs and batted Rosie in the nose a few times before hightailing it. Rosie just stood there.

School days are busy days. During the day, I can catch my breath and catch up on things around here, but when they get home, it is snacks and talking and homework and playing and running around outside, and then dinner time and bed time...the college kids are so busy with homework and working out in the few hours they have, I don't ask them to do much around here. The other school kids are busy too, last night three of them went to soccer practice after dinner, Joseph nicely drove them for us. By the time we get them tucked in at night, blah I am tired. Then I prepare some lunches and get clothes out for the next day. There are always papers to look out and things to straighten out and stuff to remember.

These days are nothing compared to the days when we somehow did the same things with babies and toddlers, too. I feel sorry for my older kids sometimes when I think how crazy those times were. They seem okay, but I wish I could just go back in time and give them each a hug and tell them that I love them dearly....

Benjamin is coming home for Christmas! I do not know if he is deploying immediately afterwards, or in February or if I am even supposed to write anything on here about it....in any case, I am looking SO forward to seeing him again, and Ashley.

It seems like every couple of days there is news of another soldier dying in Afghanistan. We are just a few hours away from Fort Drum, and there are losses from there too often. One of the guys who recently was killed was due to come home in 12 days to get married. 12 days.

Well, I should get myself out of this comfy chair and get moving. The Clothes Monster on the couch is not as giant as it was yesterday, but it did a little last night...someone threw a load of clean blankies there. Not difficult to fold and put away, just has to be done. I dried a comforter and sheet out on the deck, someone brought it in and put it in a chair. Is that really where it goes? Do I have to do everything myself? I did do lots of laundry yesterday, sorted things, put things away. I washed socks and matched them, yay! It was nice to be home all day long. Besides the laundry though, the same things I did yesterday have to be done today.