okay, where was I?

Vacation. Sweet relaxing vacation. The little girls are hilarious. They wrote letters to Benjamin, made paperbag puppets, and are eating apples and playing schoolhouse. Evelyn and Sonja just left to go help Susan with those sweet little twins. Jonathan is sitting in a comfy chair watching television. We have hardly had it on this week, except for watching back to back episodes of, "Psych", which we have on dvd. It is almost noon and some of the kids haven't eaten breakfast yet. I slept in later than I have in ages, until 9:00! I packed up some stuff to send to Benjamin, and set out for my walk...curses, there was the streetsweeper!! Rosie tends to want to chase and herd cars and trucks, but slow moving vehicles are her favorite. I decided to turn around and head home as fast as our legs could carry us.

Anyway, I sent Benjamin some M&M brownies, some sunflower seeds, some Caldesene powder for heat rash, a large can of mixed nuts, and some skittles.

Kathryn is making a second pot of coffee. The college kids have had some, and she is making enough for me to have another cup. It is nice to have the kids around. Not that it makes for relaxing blogging. Nah, it goes like this sometimes: Mom, can I have a freezepop? No - it will start a stampede. Mom, I'll hide it. Okay, go ahead. Mom!! How come SHE gets a freezepop? Can I have one too! Yes, go ahead.
Mom, there are none left, can I have fruit snacks instead? I guess so. Mom, how come she has fruitsnacks? Mom, can we go shopping. No, not now. Mom, she won't stop kicking my chair. Mom, when is lunch? Hey Mom, guess what? I read three chapters last night.

And so on.

So instead of sitting here and whipping through a quick post, I stop and start and forget what the heck I was saying, over and over again. I don't want to not write on vacation though, it is my free therapy.

Kathryn just brought me a super yummy hot cup of coffee, thank you, Kap!

I have to take Mali to a dr. appointment today. Paul so nicely took the huge van and left me the minivan. He is thinking about selling the big truck in the driveway that needs work and buying a small truck that actually runs. Then I could drive the minivan on a regular basis. If you have never driven a fifteen passenger van around town, you won't know how happy this makes me. If you have never tried to parallel park a huge van, or even tried to score a good spot at Target in one, you won't understand the absolute joy at driving something that actually accelerates when you step on the gas. If you have never picked your kids up from school in a fifteen passenger van, you have never experienced the utter embarrassment they suffer, which I do not get, but than I am not a teenager anymore in some respects.

Just parking that big van is a joke. I pull in, back out again, straighten it out, try again...the kids groan. I sometimes take up four spots. Because the doors open straight out on the side, instead of sliding open, and if anyone parks too close on that side, it is hard to get out...

I am also thankful for that big van. I do not want to get rid of it yet. It means that I can take all my kids to the beach if we decide to go. It means I can let whoever wants to go shopping with me, go with me.

But it gets terrible gas mileage.

Anyway anyway anyway... the girls are now putting on a puppet show. And I have to go exercise before I take Mali.

Thank you to Glenda who wants to send something to Benjamin. If anyone else is interested in his address, just email me at dellamom16@yahoo.com I remember when he was in medic training, there were lots of guys who never got anything from home, so Ben shared with them. It makes me sad to know that there are probably guys with him right now who won't get packages, so Ben knows to share whatever he gets. It is not so nice over there, so whatever we can do to show our appreciation for what they are doing and to make their time there better, pass quicker....I am certain it will be appreciated.