the fourteenth child....

Jonathan Robert turned fourteen yesterday. I was going to write that my 14th child turned 14, but in reality, Jon is #15, because little tiny baby Robert was #14.
Anyway, Jonathan and I found ourselves quite alone yesterday, as the little girls were with Kathryn. So we went out and about on his birthday, first to the diner. I started with a cup of coffee, and Jon said to the waitress, very grown-up-like, "I'll have the same." I smiled very big-ly, because it was so cute. He drinks his coffee black. He is taller than me, calmer than me, the very voice of reason. He is smart and snarky, but has been working hard on not contradicting or talking back, so spending time with him is very pleasant.

I had written a meal plan for the week, a grocery list, and had cut some coupons. First we went to Target, and guess what? Jon doesn't really like Target...so we did the extremely quick route, deviating from my normal pattern, which admittedly was hard. But I did want to pick something out for Sonja K., she's turning 16 on Thursday. (Can you BELIEVE IT? My five-little-girls-in-a-row in five years will be 21, 20, 18, 17, and 16!)

We ended up getting a patio umbrella for the table on the deck, we get shade there in the afternoon but not at lunchtime...it's something we could live without, but...:) I also got a little something for Miss Charlotte Claire, she turns 12 on the 11th of May...can you believe it's May?

Anyway...Jon had such a good attitude in Price Chopper. He helped, and had his head in the game, as I call it, when a kid actually suggests things we might need with certain meals, and helps put things in the cart, without having to be told to put the iPod or phone away, ha.

We got home, and I put the pork chops in to marinate...lemon juice and olive oil, with lots of Jamaican jerk seasoning and pepper. I also marinated some London broil, it was $1.99 a pound! Tonight's dinner:) Anyway, I grilled the chops and oh my goodness, yummers. The lemon juice is a good tenderizer, and it tastes so tangy and good. I made rice and fresh steamed broccoli, too. The girls were all going to a soccer kickoff, so they were eating dinner there, and Kathryn and the little girls aren't here...Jon ate a plate of food before going out the door to his friends' house, so Paul and I sat there and ate dinner...just us and the dogs. Joseph was going out the door to be with his fiance...life is changing, that's for sure. Sometimes the house is overflowing with people and kids and noise, and sometimes we find ourselves actually able to carry on a conversation without interruptions.

Anyhow, I felt kind of bad, taking Jon grocery shopping on his birthday. But we needed stuff. And today, we are going on a picnic! He got a long board for his birthday, and a helmet. A long board, for those of you with no teenagers, is a skateboard. So we are going to the park today so he can ride it. Kathryn and I and Jon, and Char and Cam, and little Anne, and we're meeting Abigail there for lunch. Ab is my second oldest, and works close to a nice park/playground.

So we are packing our lunches, and going out into the sunshine today. 75 degrees and partly sunny. I can deal with that.

Anne is arriving soon, so I sign off now...maybe I'll take some pics today...