kids with driver's licenses....

I now have seven of them. And guess what? They aren't really "kids" anymore. But guess what? They are still MY kids. That gives ME a license to worry, right? Or at least be concerned. Because driving is dangerous...

Mali passed her roadtest yesterday on her first try. She has her driver's license. We waited for her, Aaron, Mirielle, Camille, and I...on a sidewalk next to a nice grassy field full of daisies. Camille was amazed at all those flowers, so I told her that if she picked ten piles of ten, she would have one hundred. She only got to seventy when Mali came back with the driving tester and gave us the thumbs up.

Tomorrow we are babysitting for little baby Davian! I dug my two Fisher-Price baby swings out of the closet. One is the regular sized, and the other is a sweet cradle type table top model. Jonathan gave me four "D" batteries, two from a toy and two new, which I promised to replace, and the big swing still works. The small one still has batteries from when Camille was a baby, and works too. The Princesses helped by washing the big swing tray, and wiping it down. Margaret put the seat cover in the wash. I am letting the Princesses use them for their babies. Poor Charlotte Claire did not want to go to school because she wanted to play babies with Camille. So I wrote them notes that I would pick them up at dismissal to save them the horribly long bus ride.

No one wants to go to school tomorrow because Davian will be here. He is three months old now, and he is a keeper. So...I am picking some kids up early....

If I ever had another baby, I would have to home school these guys.

I mean, when I told them baby Davian was coming over, they were seriously shrieking with happiness!

Here's a little rant about injustice. One very hot day, a 94 degree day to be exact, a young mom who lives not too far from here, was visiting some friends. Her 9 month old baby daughter fell asleep, so mom put baby down for a nap in a camping trailer with no air conditioning. It was very hot in the trailer. Long story short, baby died. Very sad, very tragic, and quite possibly a very stupid move on mom's part. But criminal? I just don't buy it. She just got out of state prison after serving fifteen months for Criminally Negligent Homicide. It just brought tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart to think this girl did something really thoughtless, but she lost her baby! And had to go through that grief and loss in state prison!

My second rant: Yesterday after Mali passed her test, we went to Wegman's, a very nice grocery store. Aaron mentioned he needed a coffee, so I followed him over and had him buy one for me, too. The coffee there is excellent, one has the choice of like ten kinds, so I always mix mine with a little Brazillian, a little decaf, ect. Anyway, as we were filling our cups, there was a ruckus at the food counter...a mom with two children who were making her very angry. A small boy, no more than two, with the cutest little glasses on...and a little girl about four. Mom was yelling at the boy, who was upset and was trying to hug her for comfort, and she was just screaming and ranting and pushing him away...the little girl just stuck her thumb in her mouth and stood there with a worried look on her face. Then the mom turned to her and started yelling at her. I told Aaron I was going to say something to her, but I started crying, and couldn't even get the words out. The lady then grabbed her boy's hand and dragged him by us, with the little girl following...I was too upset to say anything. Some people just plain shouldn't have kids. Aaron and Mali were upset by this too. No one said anything to this lady, and it just isn't right. But what can you do? Call the cops? I would have taken those kids....

Paul is leaving this afternoon to go on his Adirondack hike with Joseph, Aaron, and Mali. They will get back tomorrow night, but I won't be here, I will be at the hotel get-away with my friends. I will not wear my boots this time...

So after all my declarations of how I will endure temptations, ect ect...I had brownies last night. It was Joseph's birthday, so the kids had some ice cream, I didn't take one bite. Then they finished off the "heater" cakes, which is what they call those frozen Pepperidge Farms cakes which we rarely have, but I bought for Aaron to celebrate his last day of college for the year...(I guess the way they are frosted looks like the heat register to whoever named them many years ago...)Anyway, Sam and Jon and I got back from our third night in a row after dinner walk, and Abigail was making brownies. Ghiardelli brownies, with walnuts and caramel on top. They filled the house with their heavenly aroma as they baked...and I thought I would just have a small taste, since I have been doing so well. Well. That small taste was so so good. Hot from the oven, the caramel just right...so I had a little more, probably a normal sized serving. And the thing is, I just wanted more! I would have been better off if I had just not had any! When I realized how many calories I ate, and the walk I just took didn't even cover it...blah. Oh well, life happens and slip-ups happen, and it was really yummy. And hey, I am still alive.

Camille is planning and plotting for taking care of Davian. She wants to try some of her doll clothes on him, and she wants to burp him because she knows exactly how, because she has practiced on her dollies. Kate, if you read this, don't worry. I will take good care of him, I won't let Camille just play with him. Although she really wants to try him in the doll stroller....

The dentist office just called and reminded me of Evelyn's appointment this afternoon. Good thing, because I had no idear. I forgot to write it on the calendar, but I sort of knew I had something this week. So that throws a monkey wrench into the monkey wrench pile. I will have to be in two places at once now.

Oh well. Time to get out of my comfy chair...Camille is so funny. She is really into playing with her babies this morning, and asks me every few minutes, "Mommy, tell me again what we will do when Davian gets here..." she really cannot wait.