voices in the night

When a mom is awakened in the night by the simple shriek of, "Mommy! Mommy!", the mom can have a whole slew of thoughts cross her mind. Foremost for me last night when Charlotte Claire called me at 4 a.m. was, "Please, not throw-up.", followed by, "I hope she didn't wet the bed." So imagine my surprise and delight when it was only, "Mommy, my eye hurts and I need a tissue." In my kindest voice I suggested that her eye will feel much better is she closes it, and brought her a big piece of toilet paper since it was closer than the tissues. I then suggested that she let Mommy sleep, gave her a hug and shuffled back to bed.

The thing is, last night I watched the news, which forecast such dire weather and possible power outages because of extremely high winds. We gathered up flashlights and battery candles, which cause Mr. Jonathan much anxiety. After all the kids went to bed, I found myself reluctant to go to bed too, like I was standing guard or something. Paul is in Ohio, and one of the kids actually asked me if I was scared to sleep in a room all alone (a foreign concept for them!). Well I wasn't scared until they asked that. And I wasn't really scared, just...well, just scared.

My sleep wasn't the best, although I usually don't mind having the big bed all to myself, not being nudged for snoring. Anyway, I really thought there would be a Snow Day or at least a Delay, but no, nothing. blah. So I did what any lazy mom would do, I talked to the first trip kids, and decided not to send the three younger, and went back to my warm bed. I was already keeping Miss Char home because she had a low-grade fever last night, and was just blah.

So I got a few extra hours of sleep, and have a pounding headache that wasn't helped by having to go outside in the cold wind with Rosie-The-Bad-Dog.

But I have my oatmeal and my coffee, Jon and Sonja are playing Wii, Evelyn, who stayed home because she didn't feel well, ha, is playing Barbies with Charlotte Claire and Camille. We are planning on cleaning up the house a little later and baking something yummy because today is EMILY ANNE'S 27th birthday! Is it possible that I am the mom to a 27 year old woman?

Yesterday I made Mr. Joseph, 20, go shopping with me. He so nicely agreed to go, even though he hates shopping. I let him drive, even though I hate when the kids drive. Camille happily went along with her Ariel doll. First Target, for Emily's birthday presents. I got her a nice new coat for only $20, and a Coleman tent for half off. If she reads this today she will ruin the surprise, oh well. I also got a set of two fake Barbies with clothes and shoes for Camille, marked down to $3. Well, the dolls look like they have been to war, no limbs left. One of the dresses ripped already. I thought of the poor little girls who got them for Christmas, and the parents who paid the full ten bucks. Target should not sell such junk! I am thinking of gathering the pieces and returning them or at least sending them an email.

Anyway, next we went to Kohl's, where I got Joseph jeans and a hoodie, jeans for Mirielle and Mali and Suzanne, boots for Sonja and Charlotte Claire, two pair of sneakers for Jonathan, one of which is too small, a kindergarten sweater for Camille, and I can't remember what else.

Then to Price Chopper for grapefruit and apples and pears and bananas and romaine and lemons and yogurt and kitty food and detergent and milk and blueberry muffins, which were $4.49 for 12 huge muffins, and which are torturing me this very moment. I will NOT have one.

The girls (Ev, Char, Camille) just trooped in here all dressed up in heels and pretty dresses to tell me they are playing Packed Suitcase Hotel. And that they really packed suitcases. Oh joy, will they possibly unpack them and put the clothes back in the right places?

So Paul is coming home tonight and once again absence has made the heart grown fonder, if he keeps leaving I will love him so much it won't be funny.

It is nice though, to still be in love.

If you are reading this and you are married, don't take it for granted. Relationships have to be be tended to, and husbands need to be a bit spoiled and respected and know they are wanted. If you are not married, do not marry anyone who doesn't respect his mother because if he doesn't respect his mother, he will not respect you...at least that is what my mother always said.

It is getting that time in my post when I am just writing what ever comes into my head, wait, I do that from the first line...but I have things to do, and I haven't checked Facebook yet. ha.