what? it is vacation!!!

How dare they wake me up so early in the morning! And make the dog bark! blah.

Vacation isn't going like I planned. I am sick. Functioning, tired, blah, stuffy, coughing. Charlotte Claire coughed so much she barfed last night. She TRIED to make it to the toilet. Poor girl, and poor me. I had to clean it up. I think putting her in the shower helped her feel better.

I had wanted to take the kids bowling this week. Not gonna happen today, anyway. Paul and some of the older kids are working at the dome for the basketball game. I am not on the list to work but if one more person can't be found to work, it will be me.

The walls of the house are closing in! I went to the pool last night with Mirielle, but these kids haven't been out at all. They play Wii, (they have a new Rapunzel game), they watch movies, they play with their AquaSand, with their dolls and Jon's remote control copter and pocket car...they color, they run around in circles. And yesterday Sonja and I went to BJ's for dishwasher soap and milk and half/half and coffee...and...the Christmas stuff was on sale! I got two gingerbread house kits for $1.99 each. The houses were difficult to assemble, so they just lay the pieces flat and decorated them with icing and candy...we also got some one pound boxes of European chocolate covered caramels for $1.99, and some chocolate toffee bark for the same. Just what I need! I gave one box to my sister, and two things of chocolates to Ben and Ashley for their anniversary. They went off to a little get-away to celebrate one year. (One year already since that nice little wedding!)

So Paul worked from home yesterday. It was nice that he was here, but frustrating that I couldn't just talk to him because he was working. He is such a nice guy, too. He did not quit until it was the real work quitting time. Anyway, he went to work this morning, and I texted him to see how he is feeling, because he is sick. He said he was working on thankfulness because that is the best medicine. Good reminder for me that being thankful isn't just for when we are feeling blessed.

The younger kids and I have been talking about doing our special hotel get-away again this year. Where shall we go? It is fun to speculate, and it is fun to remember the fun we had at our previous ones. (Suze remembers when she didn't like the elevator and Aaron took the stairs with her) (Sonja remembers getting to stay up all night watching tv)(they like the hot tubs and the pools and the breakfasts...)

Having everyone here all the time for vacation is...well, it is fun, but it is also challenging for me because they are all on vacation. Vacation means eating at odd hours and leaving messes. Sleeping half the day and having breakfast after the kitchen is cleaned after breakfast. They stay up 'til the early hours laughing their heads off at silly things, and well...I join them. Then, I have to get up early with the younger kids. I wonder if I should write a book like The Berenstein Bears, called, "Too Much Vacation."

Poor Kitty Kitten, the princesses have her captured on the couch...kissing her. She does not appreciate it right now. Yesterday they put a diaper on her.

Perhaps today I will take a little vacation and crawl into bed with my book....