who won the superbowl?

I don't like to use the phrase"You could hold a gun to my head and I wouldn't know the answer"....but....

We changed the channel so Mirielle and Mali and I could watch the last episode of "Emma" (Jane Austen)....the boys went over to their cousins house but had to be home by nine because of New York State driving laws, and Aaron is only 17. When they walked in and saw that we weren't watching the game anymore, they were mildly disapointed. Paul didn't care, he had his computer on and kept track of the score, plus he wanted some guitar playing time....

Our pizzas came out excellent last night. I took some pictures of them beause I am lame like that, but I don't feel like getting up and getting the camera. Charlotte Claire had one dough, which she liberally floured, good thing flour is relatively cheap. It kept her quite busy, and she made a hole in the center so I cut it in half and let her decorate two small pizzas. The best pizza was the butter/olive oil w/garlic, cheese, and red peppers, chopped tomatoes, onions and oregano.

Mirielle is going to stop at Aldi for me today when she goes to college. Or maybe I'll dress the little ones and drop her off at class and go and then pick her up...hmm. I love going out and about. Aldi has oranges and apples cheap again. When we went to Wegmans the other day, we bought apples and bananas and accidentally left them in the van, where they promptly froze to death.

We are almost out of milk already. I made bagels for the kids' breakfast. (all of them went to school, wah!) We used to have a second refridgerator, but it stopped working, and it ins not even on the list to get another one. It was handy. We just go through things so quickly. I know I could go less often and spend less money, but I like to have fresh produce, and it goes so fast!

Well, I need to decide if I should really go out when I don't really have to. There IS some laundry here to do....and the sink is overflowing, again. And the counters....and the floors need sweeping and mopping....and....hey, I think I will go to Aldi!!!

blogging is therapeutic....

Okay....Sunday mornings are hectic. I will spare the boring details, but getting 15 (Ben doesn't go, and Emily and Abigail have their own place now) out the door after breakfast is crazy. A few of the older ones had PopTarts for breakfast in the van. Needless to say, the place gets left in tornado-like condition. We get home, everyone is hungry for lunch. Then they go play and do homework and read and I try to relax a bit....but the house bothers me, and it IS Sunday, a day of rest...today I got busy anyway, and hung up snowpants that were in the wrong place, and sorted shoes and hung up coats and picked up clothes and.....and I was tempted to call the kids for the things they left around, but it IS Sunday....then I got frustrated, because Camille didn't stay in her little green bed today for nap, she is tired and following me, Charlotte Claire stole some plastic drawers from Suzanne and emptied them out so she could put some things into them, Rosie has been chasing Jon's remote control car and barking....so I told everyone that I GIVE UP. I DO not care HOW messy it gets in here.....and then I sat down, checked my blog, and lo and behold....I re read Martha's comment, and Bonnie's comment....and realized, again, how lucky and blessed I am. Yes, it is messy in here. And the frustration I feel is not just going to magically disapear. I need to work through it, suffer through it. So I am thankful for the reminders and the encouragement.

We are going to watch the SuperBowl. I have no idea who is playing, wait, is it the Saints and the Colts? My little girls know more about it than I do....anyway, we will watch it, and I am going to mosey out to the kitchen and makes some pizzas.

It sounds nice, doesn't it? And it will be nice, by the grace of God. Because by that grace I will keep my cool and be kind and patient. That in itself is nothing short of miraculous, because Camille is crying and fussing because she missed her nap, and I have a huge headache because I forgot to have coffee this morning. Seriously, I forgot to have it. I have taken ibuprofen, and had an afternoon cup, and it is diminishing, but the only thing that will help this is peace and quiet. Just kidding, although that did cross my mind.

So with the Waffletown all over the living room floor, and the dog now tied up in the front yard barking.....I will venture out and start those pizzas. I would give like a million bucks right now for a nice hot bath and a glass of wine...and some cookies. (as long as we're dreaming, I always throw in the cookies)....

sunny saturday....

I wish I had as much energy as Rosie. Seriously. I took her outside, came in and changed a diaper, did some laundry, cleaned up some random things (one thing I have learned: do not smell underwear to see if they are clean or dirty, simply assume they are dirty and hamper them), changed Jon's bedding, had a wonderful omelet (red peppers, bacon, mozzarella cheese, and onions) compliments of Paul while the kids ate the pancakes he made for them, cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishwasher, changed another diaper, cuddled my spoiled and sweetly clingy two year old....and I am out of steam. One would not guess in a million years that these floors were swept and mopped YESTERDAY! And since the living room is our playroom there is dollhouse stuff, duplo blocks, and Jonathan's train set, along with a LittleTikes tractor trailer and shopping card, a huge Tonka crane, a set of army men, Jon's bag of Webkins, and a few books scattered around just for good measure. I don't exactly mind, although it DID look nice in here yesterday. But I like that the kids are where I am.

Emily has invited the kids over to her house for dinner tonight. She has no tv and no toys, but my guess is that they will have a pretty good time anyways. Emily is fun. She is smart and giving and motivated, she can laugh at herself. She loves and appreciates the kids, and she has always taken the time to do fun things with them. I would really like to go too, but somehow I think they would like it if I didn't.

Camille has a cold. She isn't miserably sick, but just enough that she wants to snuggle more than usual. She has been saying, "I want you", to me for a while now, but now she is starting to say, "I need you, Mommy." And of course I like it. Not that she doesn't go play and read books and get into things, she just will suddenly remember that she loves me, and hold out her arms....sometimes she tells me to go sit in my chair, because she knows that then I will be accessable for hugs. Hey, I don't mind.

I don't have concrete plans for today, but I am thinking of going to the small grocery store in the next town because they have 4 coupons to triple. Is it worth going to the store just to get four things for free or close to it?

The older kids are now eating breakfast. I have been tempted a few times through the years to put an end to the 24 hour kitchen, but I want a house that is a home, not an institution. It WOULD be handy to have them all report for breakfast at 9 am., but...ha, they would hate it. The younger kids will be wanting lunch soon, but the pancakes are still out. ( The early birds get the bacon.) We do have dinner all together every night though. Not that there aren't times when we are halfway through and one of them walks in and says, "Oh, I didn't know we were eating!"....(usually Sam).....

There is so much going on here that I cannot concentrate. Suzanne's SIMS family (computer game) just had a fire in their house, Paul is playing his guitar, Mirielle is looking at a tourist booklet for Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables....she want to go there. Sonja is playing dollhouse with Charlotte Claire, and Camille is....uh-oh....oh good, she is in Evelyn's room with her. Phew, I was already dreading the mess and there isn't one.

candy from daddy

It is activity club night, and daddy and mommy and Charlotte Claire and Camille are the only ones home. So daddy brought them candy.....

okay, who is staying home today?

Sonja K. had a tummy ache yesterday. It hurt really really bad. I gave her a Tums tablet, but it didn't help. Now, all week I have been hearing the horror stories about the kids in the various classes barfing in front of the bathroom door, and in the garbage can. My kids were surrounded by it and it seemed inevitable....well, Sonja K. finally came to me and said that her tummy hurt REALLY bad, and she so pale, I just knew...I told her to run into the bathroom fast!...she made it to the bathroom but....

So fast forward to this morning: after greeting the older ones and taking Rosie out for her morning walk, I went into the little kids' room, and.....I woke the two older ones of them, and asked them how they feel....they don't feel so great, of course. Given that question, of course they are going to say they don't feel well.....but the the throw-up bug will certainly make its way through the family and the thought of them being sick at school makes me too sad.

So today I have Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, and Jonathan home with Charlotte Claire, Camille, and I.

Anyway, before I saw the magazine cover yesterday in Wegmans, I had been thinking about having so many kids. I do not pretend to be able to do things fantastically. When they were younger I tried so hard to appear as if I had it all together. But I don't. I do forget things. I feel mighty bad when Suzanne gets five points off a book report that I totally forgot to work with her on...well, I remembered all along, then things got busy...see, that is horrible...but should they not have been born because of these things?

Here's the thing: my kids don't suffer. They get more than enough love and attention and hugs and stories and clothes and food and warmth and down time. It is something I really work on, to balance things out and pay attention to them individually. I also try to be careful not to put too much on the older ones. I think that some responsibility is good for them. But I also respect the fact that they need time to vegetate and read books and spend time with their friends.

I personally admire the Duggars, although I must confess, we do not have cable and have not watched the show. I saw them on Good Morning America, and Michelle seems very sweet. I have also watched a few video clips and have seen pictures of their magnificent house. I wouldn't have a single trouble if I had that house. Ha. But it WOULD be nice....when people ask if we are like the Duggars, I just laugh. No disrespect to them, of course. We are just lucky to have one working washer and dryer, not four. And I bet they don't keep their daddy's guitar on the dog cage, or have thirty childrens' books strewn around the living room at any given time. I bet their living room isn't the play room, music room, excercise room (as in they probably don't have a treadmill in their living room), and computer room. And dressing room for the younger ones. Of course, every room in the house is a dressing room for the two littlest girls, they have a serious change-their-clothes addiction. And they leave a trail....oh, yesterday Camille got up from her nap and went into my bathroom, and emptied the contents of a drawer into her bed....tampons, pads, and qtips filled the bottom of her little green bed. She is going to have to start napping in a different room. She is so funny, I told her it is not nice to go in my bathroom, not nice to take my things...and she says, okay, she is going to be GOOD! It's like they understand things, but have no idea how to deny themselves. Oh, she is in total agreement that she should stay in bed and not get into things....

So, all that being said, I truly wish the best for Michelle and Jim and their family, and of course sweet baby Josie. And I admire them for being so honest about being open for more children. I totally know how they feel. When my Robert was "born" (he wasn't actually born, because he died , so I never know how to say that), he was my 14th, and my heart was broken. Someone actually said to us, "Now it is time to quit. This just proves it." WHAT? ...Anyway, his death had nothing to do with how many kids we had. Just as Josie's premature birth had nothing to do with being their 19th. Anyways, my prayers are with them and their baby.

duggar family controversy...

Am I missing something? Is this not the land of the free and the home of the brave? Why in the world would it be controversial how many children these people choose to have? What about 16 kids? Is that too many?

Is this too many? (this was taken when Suzanne, our 12th, was the baby)...in the very same front yard as....
This picture....was this too many? Seven? This picture is of me, and my brothers and sister:, Casey, me, Billy, Joey, Tommy, Bobby, and Cheryl....in front of the house we grew up in....were there too many of us? Who should decide, doctors? Uncle Sam?

Now it is time for dinner...ravioli and meatballs for sixteen.....

sunny and 14 degrees....

And I am a bad mommy this morning, by some standards. I did not want to get out of my bed at all but I told myself to do the right thing. Rosie has to go out in the morning anyway, so I got up. Then I looked into the little kids' room, and made my decision: they get to skip. They were all sleeping so soundly.....and the school people have to understand that they are MY kids, I get sick and tired of sharing them all the time....

I also thought that it is going to be a perfect day for playing outside today. (I was so cold when I took Rosie out, even with my huge boots (either Ben's, Joe's or Sam's) and nice warms gloves. But if the sun stays out, and it gets into the twenties with no wind, it will be nice for them. I am certain they will learn just as much if not more today home with me. They will get more hugs anyway.

I am having coffee and three chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. I decided to do this because the first trip kids, whom I did not see this morning, took full advantage of my not showing my lovely face, and had cookies for breakfast. So they are going fast. This time I made them with one bag of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and one bag of milk chocolate chips. I do not think I will ever be thin.

I do have to go out this afternoon for a dr. appointment for one of the girls and Mirielle said she would watch the little girls because her classes end early on Thursdays...wait 'til she finds out she has four extra to watch, too. Suzanne says this is the last time she is skipping this week and next week, because her teacher says she misses too much school. Straight A's, but she misses too much school. I know, I know, I am probably a teacher's nightmare. Not WORST nightmare, but a nightmare nonetheless. (Is "nonetheless" actually a word? How did that happen?)

Oh great, Camille just came out....dressed in some one piece jammies that were in a drawer...they are all twisted, the top is on properly but the legs are twisted around...she looks hilarious. And she was into the drawers again. rrr.

Well, I am hoping to have a wonderful day today. It just plain feels nice to have these guys home. Next week they have a full week, then a week off - February break! Yay! I am thinking and planning....hmm, should we go to the science museum? One time a few years ago, I took them there on break, and it was so crowded I had to cruise several times around the parking lot with the big huge van to find a parking spot. I found one, but couldn't quite get in, so I had to take a spin around and get a better angle....I let Mali out to save it for me, and in the mean time, a mean lady came along in her mini van and would not stop coming at Mali....so Mali moved, and the mean lady took the spot. When I pulled up to pick up Mali, I told the mean lady THANK YOU very much. I wanted to say more than that, but as it was, I had to calm down all they 14 hyper kids who were yelling out awful things about that woman....then I found another spot, and a different mini van-lady actually moved her little van over a bit for me to fit my huge van in...and my faith in mini van-ladies was restored....

Anyway, there are a few options of fun things to do, but they are all expensive. The museum of play will cost around $60, or about $100 for a yearly membership, but it is an hour + away. The zoo will be around $60, as would be the science musuem, and the nice pool with the slide and kids play area is expensive, too. I would be better off taking them to a hotel for a night, if I could squish them into one room...just to use the pool. Or we could just stay home and play outside every day and make cookies and go to Target.....I am just like a kid, I am so excited just thinking about vacation, I can't stand it.

I am not going to let these guys, who are all waking up happy and sunny because they get to stay home, have cookies for breakfast. No, I am a good mommy...ha, and I want to save the cookies for afternoon snack. With cocoa when they get in from playing outside. I will make them some breakfast and sit down with them.

Right now I have to change Miss Camille.....