well, I tried to get them to school..

Woke up this morning at six o'clock, pitch dark out. Groan. Cold hit as soon as I moved the comforter down...blah. The whole time I got washed up and dressed, I was plotting against myself, did not want to take a walk in the dark. Kitty Kitten was thrilled to see me, he purred and purred and wanted to be carried around as I made the coffee. He didn't just want food either, I gave it to him, he sampled it, and was back at my feet, purring and looking up at me.

On with the sneakers and sweatshirt and dorky vest, out the door we went into the darkness...the deck was slippery, Rosie was like Bambi on ice...she didn't understand and kept sniffing it. The grass crackled and crunched with frost as Rosie found a suitable place to pee. Off we went down the road, slipping and sliding. We made it to the top of the first little hill, and I decided I did not want to slide down the hill with Rambunctious Rosie. If a squirrel ran across the road and she decided to chase it, I would be on my.....rear end.

So we turned around. It was enjoyable to have the extra time with the kids before they left...then I woke up the second trip kids. blah. Didn't want to rouse them from bed on a cold morning.....(it was in the high twenties). Sonja convinced me she didn't feel well, and hasn't stayed home in a while- I guess to her last week is "a while". Jonathan and Charlotte Claire got ready like champs, all dressed and fed and brushed and washed, armed with lunches and ice cream money...then four minutes before the bus came, Jon's tummy started hurting. He told me it hurt alot yesterday, too. He looked a little pale, and said, "I will go if you want me to, but it really hurts." I believed him because if he just wanted to skip, he would have started plotting earlier. So there was Charlotte Claire with her coat and backpack, hair all sweet and pretty...she was NOT going to get on the bus all alone, she said. No convincing her, not within four minutes anyway...the bus came and went, and I have three extra kids here with me. Oh well.

I had big plans today, too. I was going to Wegman's for mozzarella cheese (I get it in five pound bags there), burger for meatballs (we have had chicken night after night), and oats. I had to have Kashi cereal this morning, which was good, but I need my oatmeal. When I opened the cupboard and NO MORE OATS, blah! Wegman's sells the whole oats in the big container for much more reasonable than the other stores around here, I shall get like five so we don't run out again.

And who is not snoring after all these boring details?

Went to the pool last night with Mirielle and Mali and Margaret....I am still in pretty bad shape...I swam five laps all together, doing my other exercises in between, so I kept moving in the water for 25 minutes. It tires me out pretty good...then Mali said, "It was fun, but it didn't feel like it did anything." And she swam laps the whole 25 minutes. blah. Well, she IS the girl who runs six miles and doesn't think a thing of it. She came home and finished exercising. Mirielle said she wants to fit in two or three swim nights a week since she can't fit running into her busy schedule right now. I reminded her that there is a season for everything, and this is MY season to get into shape, but not necessarily hers. Nursing school is demanding, and she can't do everything, so she shouldn't feel bad if she can't exercise every single day. I remember the days not too long ago when I wouldn't have been able to fit it in. I was thankful to fit in going to the bathroom most days...I managed to shower every night...but my main focus was getting a nap after all the sleep deprived nights...anyway, now I can fit it in, and am thankful for that.

This is going to be a busy weekend. I promised the kids I would take them to the pool tonight while the older kids are at the youth meeting. Tomorrow night is a Halloween party for all the girls and moms at church, and on Sunday there is a Fall Feast at church, we are making pizza. Then of course Monday is Trick Or Treating!

Well....things are busy here, kids are talking to me and we should get moving to the store...first I have to put a load of clothes in the wash and load up the dishwasher...(Sam is here so he will watch Jonathan....Sam's alarm didn't go off...I could bring him to school...hmm.)