a parade of homes...!

Today, we are going on an adventure. We are going to the Parade of Homes, so we can get more costly decorating ideas, ha. The parade is simply a grouping of ten or so brand new houses, in a brand new neighborhood, showcasing different builders, decorators, ect. You pay your fee, put on little disposable booties over your shoes at the door of each home, then enter and...drool.

Charlotte Claire and Camille are excited, we've only gone once before, and they were all a-chittering about it, just loved it. Some of the stuff is overkill, who needs a movie theater in their basement? But the one with the master bathroom that shared an in-the-wall fireplace with the master bedroom, so that one could relax in the tub in front of a crackling fire...mmm hmmm. And the shower in that house could fit a dozen dirty children. Why, oh why, didn't I have a shower like that when I had small children lined up in the hallway waiting their turn?

That's a funny memory, actually. We would come home from the beach, for example, and sandy kids need showers before bed...so one after the other would come in and get their hair washed. I would let them wash off, then do their hair, then wrap them in a towel, and then the next one would come in. Through the years, the older ones started being able to wash their own hair, taking their own showers, so the numbers dwindled...now I only shower myself, and occasionally the puppies. The littler kids would get baths, of course.

Anyway. We are going on a fun field trip today. Kathryn has the day off from work, so she is doing something with Jonathan, because he would rather sit and stare at a wall than go walk through nice houses. He would actually go and not be terrible about it, because he's a nice boy, but I hate bringing people to things when I know they don't appreciate the dawdling.

We don't have any small children today. I love the small children, but shh, I also love having an easier day. Yesterday, the girls moved most of their stuff into their new room. They are so hilarious, they know how to take their own beds apart and put them back together. They surprised me not long ago by taking their bunkbeds apart into two single beds. Anyway, yesterday they took them apart, carried the pieces into their new room, and re-assembled them. They carried their own dressers and all their loot, mattresses and all. Their new room is clean and nice and they are so excited. Today we are going to get them some new blinds.

But, here's the thing: their old room is NOT empty. It's full of the questionables. Bins of dolls, clothes, posters, odd socks, crumpled papers and old school work. I would like to go outside and get a rake, and put the whole pile into a trash bag or five, but I won't. I will go through it all with them and make a thrift store pile, a such and such would like this pile, and a trash pile.

Any one else see their kid hauling a trash bag to the garbage after cleaning their room, saying, "HALT! Stop! What are you throwing away?", and fishing at least three things out, that are still good? I told them though, we need to be more radical in what we keep, I do like minimalism, I also like stuff, I mean, those dolls are nice.

Oh well. It's quiet in here this morning. The dogs are snoring, the kids still sleeping, except for the ones who went to work and school. I always try to get up for the great Going Out The Door saga in the morning. Yesterday one of the girls had a great clothing mishap due to that pesky monthly issue, and missed the bus. So I drove her to school, and, because I've decided to be thankful and not complain about things, I really was thankful. If it had happened to one of the older girls years ago, I would have had to wake several small children and put them in the van, in order to give someone a ride. It seriously used to happen. If a few older kids needed a ride, they all had to go. When someone was sick at school, come on, small children, napping or not, into the van you go. When Emily and Abigail had their orthodontist appointments, either we filled the waiting room to overflowing while waiting, or we waited in the van, or we got adventurous and went to Aldi while they were there. That's what happened that one day when I fell. Emily and Abigail were 13 and 11. I went to Aldi after dropping them off...with Benjamin 9, Mirielle 8, Joseph 6, Aaron 5, Mali 4, Sam 2 and a half, Margaret 14 months, and me, 8 months pregnant with Kathryn.

Out of the van and across the parking lot, then whoops, I slipped on something, and fell, flat, totally down, landing thankfully on the opposite hip than the one baby Margaret was perched on, crushing the bottle of milk I had in my jean jumper pocket, leaking it all over. Strangers rushed over to help me up, I was fine, Margaret was fine, I was mortified. It wasn't until we were in the second aisle of Aldi, when one of the small children had to go to the bathroom and I asked 9 year old Ben to take him (??!! I KNOW!), that I lifted my dress and saw blood on my knee where I had scraped, that I burst into tears. I will never do this again, I said. No more going places on my own with all these kids. The kids were really really good that day though. I think they all were pretty upset to see me fall. Benjamin was always really mature and helpful anyway.

But I did go out and about much more, many more times, and I survived. When I see a mama in the store with lots of kids, I really want to tell her Been There Done That, I feel your pain, ect., but it seems weird.

Now my kids are older, and they are the best company. Yesterday Mali came to pick up Lydia, so she sat down for a visit. Emily drove Evelyn home from work and stopped in for a visit. I feel like my mother, it used to make me sad how excited she was when I went to see her, now I know why. They grow up, and they're my friends.

I'll stop rambling now. We're in true Autumn here in the northeast, and dang it if I miss that warmth already. I forgot how much I hate getting dressed in a cold bathroom. We have to put away all the summer stuff from the deck, blah. Tomorrow, there's snow in the forecast....