Ben and Ashley came by...he wanted to say goodbye to the kids...and of course that included tears and tears....as soon as they got out the door, I let loose, and just plain couldn't stop. Just couldn't. Not with Jon sobbing that the next time he would see Benjamin he would be seven years old.
I get to see Ben tomorrow morning, so it isn't goodbye for me yet, but seeing the kids tell him goodbye was not easy. Six months or so isn't forever, but we are a close family, and he is going to be so sorely missed. Plus, I am his mommy, and heck...he has to finish boot camp! Ouch for my soul. He is still my little boy.
He has grown up so much the last few months, gotten so much more responsible and respectful. Wah, I don't want to see him go.
But we will be busy with Mrs. Ashley here with us...and since there is never a dull moment around here, time will fly. And I know that God will watch over my Benjamin....because He always has.....
Saturday, January 1, 2011
ten kids home....
so that means six kids are elsewhere....let's see....Emily came for "dinner", and left for work at the hospital, Abigail is at the Dome, Benjamin is with Ashley on his last evening of his honeymoon, Mirielle is at the Dome, as is Joseph, Aaron is at work at the grocery store in town, Mali is at the Dome. All accounted for. I don't always know where the two older girls are, since they live down the road, but it is a habit of mine to count up the kids and know where they all are. When we had our laundry room fire last year and had to get out of the house, I kept counting kids and getting fifteen, and totally flipping out....I guess they kept telling me that Emily was in Norway, but I was in Panic Mode, so it took a few minutes for that to sink in.
Anyway....we went to town and got a few kid movies from the Redbox, then went to the small grocery store where Aaron works....he likes when we visit him at work. He calls his two little sisters, "the babies", and "small ones", and he says it so affectionately.
We just got some milk and eggs and bananas and carrots and cheese and orange juice and also chips and dip and soda, since it is New Years....we had a snacky dinner with Emily.
Emily informed me at said snacky dinner that Benjamin's flight is leaving at 6:30 A.M.! From Buffalo, which is over two hours away!! He will have to be there at least an hour before the flight, so that puts us at having to leave at....rats, like 3:00!! May as well just stay up, since Paul won't get home 'til around midnight tonight. Oh Benjamin, it was so kind of you to save some money on your ticket, but.....blah.
Okay, this has nothing to do with anything, but here is something I have learned about husbands. Husbands, being men, do not always like to talk as much as wives do, since wives are women. There are probably exceptions to this rule, but unfortunately for me, Paul is not one of them. Don't get me wrong, sometimes he loves to talk. But just not all the time, like I do, and not about interesting things like good sales and coupons and my blogger friends and birth rememberances......and sometimes I forget that he is him, and I take it rather personally, and I think he should be different, or that he just doesn't like me. My experience is that a husband is a husband, a friend and more of course, I love him dearly, but one needs friends, women friends to talk about blah blah blah things with.
I don't know where I was going with that thought, but Ben and Ashley just walked in....
Anyway....we went to town and got a few kid movies from the Redbox, then went to the small grocery store where Aaron works....he likes when we visit him at work. He calls his two little sisters, "the babies", and "small ones", and he says it so affectionately.
We just got some milk and eggs and bananas and carrots and cheese and orange juice and also chips and dip and soda, since it is New Years....we had a snacky dinner with Emily.
Emily informed me at said snacky dinner that Benjamin's flight is leaving at 6:30 A.M.! From Buffalo, which is over two hours away!! He will have to be there at least an hour before the flight, so that puts us at having to leave at....rats, like 3:00!! May as well just stay up, since Paul won't get home 'til around midnight tonight. Oh Benjamin, it was so kind of you to save some money on your ticket, but.....blah.
Okay, this has nothing to do with anything, but here is something I have learned about husbands. Husbands, being men, do not always like to talk as much as wives do, since wives are women. There are probably exceptions to this rule, but unfortunately for me, Paul is not one of them. Don't get me wrong, sometimes he loves to talk. But just not all the time, like I do, and not about interesting things like good sales and coupons and my blogger friends and birth rememberances......and sometimes I forget that he is him, and I take it rather personally, and I think he should be different, or that he just doesn't like me. My experience is that a husband is a husband, a friend and more of course, I love him dearly, but one needs friends, women friends to talk about blah blah blah things with.
I don't know where I was going with that thought, but Ben and Ashley just walked in....
on the walls he left nothing but hooks and some wire...
The grinch did that. He did the same thing to the other Who's houses, leaving crumbs much too small for the other Who's mouses...
The Christmas tree is looking rather gloomy...
I dread un-decorating. It is just filled with the exact opposite of the excitement that propelled me to get it all out and put it up.
We had omelets for breakfast this morning....
Today is a good day. Paul and the older kids went to the Dome, again. I am here with only Evelyn and Suzanne and Sonja and Jonathan and Charlotte Claire and Camille, and my niece Olivia. Sam is at his friend's house, Margaret is at her friend's house, and Kathryn spent the night at Emily and Abigails' apartment. Emily will be picking Sam and Margaret up, and bringing the three of them home on her way to work this afternoon.
So now it is quiet in here. The dryer is running, Charlotte Claire is sitting on the couch with eight Barbies singing and humming and in her own little world. Evelyn is playing SIMS on the computer, and the other kids are playing school in Suzanne's room. The house is a mess, which does indeed niggle at me, soon I will get up and restore some order.
Our feast last night....
bouncy house...being the supervisor to the kids in there can give the nicest mommies headaches.
watching the kids/youth play blindfolded musical chairs in which the chairs are moved all around...hilarious.
playing the freeze-dance game with all the kids and youth (and noticing that you are the only "old" person playing).....why the heck did I do this? It was fun, but David was walking around with his camera...if any of those pictures land on facebook or the church website, it was NOT me. It was Cheryl.
serving rootbear ice cream floats......of course I had one...but I chose diet root beer.
dinner.....how can one not be thouroughly thrilled with taco salad? Oh, the black olives and tomatoes and green peppers and onions and hot sauce....
sitting around and talking with the other mommies.....ooh, that is the best. I got plenty of opportunities to work on my listening skills, and found a bit of contention in myself. How could that not be good? And of course it is so nice to have fun and fellowship with my friends....
the chicken dance....yes, I joined in....what can I say?
the countdown to midnight.....honestly, I was glad it was getting time to go home, I must be getting old...or perhaps it tugged at my conscience a bit that Charlotte Claire had fallen asleep in her sister's arms....
So today it is very logical and understandable that I am here with several grumpy children. Miss Sonja is sitting here in a chair for her role in the Jon/Sonja fight. I don't even want to know the details. But if you are going to hit your brother, you shall sit in the chair. The poor girl is just sitting here in a daze. We should have naptime for everyone....
What I AM planning to do is get the place cleaned up quick, then pack them into the van and take a quick trip to Blockbuster to get the movie, "Beauty and The Beast" for the girls. Charlotte Claire wants to know the stories behind her princesses, and seems fascinated with this tale....she has never watched the movie, and when she found out one existed, she decided she really wants to see it. I wish I had Netflix today.
I am imagining the house all quiet and cozy while we snuggle up and have movie time....
See, I do not learn. It won't really be like that, but I am ever-hopeful.
Friday, December 31, 2010
last day of the year....
and it has been fun so far, trying to arrange for someone to be at the church meeting hall to meet the Bouncy House People.
Every year, we have a bouncy house for the kids to play in. We watch a transmission broadcast from Brunstad, in Norway, have dinner, games, then snacks near midnight. Supervising the kids in the bouncy house is always fun, timing them and making them take turns. Yes, we separate the young boys and young girls, because we have observed that the boys are way rougher than the girls. The girls get in there and play house and dance and jump nicely, the boys are like the Hulk, or wrestlers from WWF.
So yay, I don't have to make dinner tonight!
So.....New Year's Resolutions....I hate them. But I always find myself drawn to thinking about making some....here are some I might possibly consider....
1. Match socks once a week instead of once a month.
2. Organize some stuff....
Oh, forget it. I know what happens. I can organize a cupboard, and feel on top of the world, to the point of opening it often just to admire how nice it looks....then...well, the inevitable happens....I get rushed, I shove things where they don't go just to get them put away....blah.
And the socks....they don't just get separated and divorced, the socks that live here, no, they pack up and leave. They hide under couches and beds and behind hampers and even over among the shoes.....
3. Eat more healthily. This is easy to say now, because anything can be healthier than this past week was. At least we are out of wedding cupcakes, so breakfast will be better.
4. Excercise more. I am actually going to try this one. I get so antsy after this much winter. I used to be very much in shape, long many years ago, I was in gymnastics, and I wrestled....well, only with my brothers, but still. I have dreams I do cartwheels down the beach and walk on my hands....I don't think that will happen again, although one of my nieces remembers me doing a cartwheel in this very livingroom, which had to have been within the last 19 years.
5. Spend less. This is also easy to say now, because the last few weeks have been pretty bad...with the wedding and Christmas, and buying better and yummy groceries for vacation, $$$$....
6. Read my bible more.
7. Write lots of letters to Benjamin.
8. I can't say "have more fun", because someone like me needs to have less fun.
9. Stay home more. This is less fun, but it helps me to spend less, and perhaps to organize more.
10. Cook more from scratch, be more creative in the kitchen, and take more time to plan meals. ha. ha ha.
I think we make resolutions because we want to do things better because we want more respect. We want to be loved and appreciated. And also there certainly satisfaction that comes with accomplishment. I have had years and years of my life where I so craved some of that satisfaction while the socks piled up and the refridgerator get fuller and fuller of things that needed to be weeded out and the hampers, so meaningfully divided by color, got mixed up and overflowed.....and all the time I didn't realize how much I was actually accomplishing. Now these older kids are growing up, they don't remember rooting around for a pair of matching socks, but they DO remember going off on adventures...the parks and playgrounds and fun things with their cousins....and they remember the stories I read and told them, and watching movies and singing and dancing along.....
Yes, that ever-alluding satisfaction that comes with accomplishment. When there are babies and toddlers and kids everywhere, that satisfaction comes from the small things, like getting a meal on the table that isn't just bowls of cereal. Or sometimes just getting them all tucked in at night. Then one looks at the hurricane that is supposed to be the living room, and the satisfaction ebbs away....
Ha....while I am sitting here writing this, there are fights breaking out. The younger kids are tired this morning....Jonathan bunked with Charlotte Claire because his two sisters he usually shares a room with had a sleepover with Kathryn...so kids stayed up later and got up earlier, and we all know what that means. Lots of tears. One Little Miss Charlotte Claire got upset and dumped some drawers out. So One Little Miss Charlotte Claire is spending some time on the couch, she can't get down. She needs to stop and think about being so bratty.
They are also so excited about this evening's feast, and the bouncy house.
This mama needs to get moving......(when I blog in the mornings with all the kids here, it is a joke. I stop every other sentance and give answers like, "No, I didn't check the weather yet today, but when I took Rosie out, it was warm."and, "No, you cannot have the last chocolate crunch ice cream bar...it will start a stampede.", and "I don't know why I don't like the idea of automatic Nerf assault rifles, I just don't.", and "Yes, you can probably go running, just watch for those cars, Miss Mali.", and Yes, your new webkin looks nice with that backpack.", and ,"you are right, that WAS mean of her to color on your picture..."and "I don't know what time we are going, and I don't know how many hours...")
Every year, we have a bouncy house for the kids to play in. We watch a transmission broadcast from Brunstad, in Norway, have dinner, games, then snacks near midnight. Supervising the kids in the bouncy house is always fun, timing them and making them take turns. Yes, we separate the young boys and young girls, because we have observed that the boys are way rougher than the girls. The girls get in there and play house and dance and jump nicely, the boys are like the Hulk, or wrestlers from WWF.
So yay, I don't have to make dinner tonight!
So.....New Year's Resolutions....I hate them. But I always find myself drawn to thinking about making some....here are some I might possibly consider....
1. Match socks once a week instead of once a month.
2. Organize some stuff....
Oh, forget it. I know what happens. I can organize a cupboard, and feel on top of the world, to the point of opening it often just to admire how nice it looks....then...well, the inevitable happens....I get rushed, I shove things where they don't go just to get them put away....blah.
And the socks....they don't just get separated and divorced, the socks that live here, no, they pack up and leave. They hide under couches and beds and behind hampers and even over among the shoes.....
3. Eat more healthily. This is easy to say now, because anything can be healthier than this past week was. At least we are out of wedding cupcakes, so breakfast will be better.
4. Excercise more. I am actually going to try this one. I get so antsy after this much winter. I used to be very much in shape, long many years ago, I was in gymnastics, and I wrestled....well, only with my brothers, but still. I have dreams I do cartwheels down the beach and walk on my hands....I don't think that will happen again, although one of my nieces remembers me doing a cartwheel in this very livingroom, which had to have been within the last 19 years.
5. Spend less. This is also easy to say now, because the last few weeks have been pretty bad...with the wedding and Christmas, and buying better and yummy groceries for vacation, $$$$....
6. Read my bible more.
7. Write lots of letters to Benjamin.
8. I can't say "have more fun", because someone like me needs to have less fun.
9. Stay home more. This is less fun, but it helps me to spend less, and perhaps to organize more.
10. Cook more from scratch, be more creative in the kitchen, and take more time to plan meals. ha. ha ha.
I think we make resolutions because we want to do things better because we want more respect. We want to be loved and appreciated. And also there certainly satisfaction that comes with accomplishment. I have had years and years of my life where I so craved some of that satisfaction while the socks piled up and the refridgerator get fuller and fuller of things that needed to be weeded out and the hampers, so meaningfully divided by color, got mixed up and overflowed.....and all the time I didn't realize how much I was actually accomplishing. Now these older kids are growing up, they don't remember rooting around for a pair of matching socks, but they DO remember going off on adventures...the parks and playgrounds and fun things with their cousins....and they remember the stories I read and told them, and watching movies and singing and dancing along.....
Yes, that ever-alluding satisfaction that comes with accomplishment. When there are babies and toddlers and kids everywhere, that satisfaction comes from the small things, like getting a meal on the table that isn't just bowls of cereal. Or sometimes just getting them all tucked in at night. Then one looks at the hurricane that is supposed to be the living room, and the satisfaction ebbs away....
Ha....while I am sitting here writing this, there are fights breaking out. The younger kids are tired this morning....Jonathan bunked with Charlotte Claire because his two sisters he usually shares a room with had a sleepover with Kathryn...so kids stayed up later and got up earlier, and we all know what that means. Lots of tears. One Little Miss Charlotte Claire got upset and dumped some drawers out. So One Little Miss Charlotte Claire is spending some time on the couch, she can't get down. She needs to stop and think about being so bratty.
They are also so excited about this evening's feast, and the bouncy house.
This mama needs to get moving......(when I blog in the mornings with all the kids here, it is a joke. I stop every other sentance and give answers like, "No, I didn't check the weather yet today, but when I took Rosie out, it was warm."and, "No, you cannot have the last chocolate crunch ice cream bar...it will start a stampede.", and "I don't know why I don't like the idea of automatic Nerf assault rifles, I just don't.", and "Yes, you can probably go running, just watch for those cars, Miss Mali.", and Yes, your new webkin looks nice with that backpack.", and ,"you are right, that WAS mean of her to color on your picture..."and "I don't know what time we are going, and I don't know how many hours...")
Thursday, December 30, 2010
will I love quiet when I get old?
I don't think so...but it is hard to imagine getting more than the bare minimum of quiet, so I won't worry about it now. I'll just enjoy it.
Samuel and his cousin are playing video games in their room. Joseph and Aaron are at their friends' house. Emily, Abigail, Mirielle, Mali, and Margaret are over where Benjamin and Ashley are staying, having a dinner party. Ben and Ashley wanted to do something special for all the girls who helped so much with the wedding. I did point out that I also helped, and to Ben's credit, he DID say I could come, but nah, they can have some time together without the old people.
I tried to take the kids bowling today. Since I am nice, and it is vacation, I didn't try to force or encourage the older ones to come if they didn't feel like it. I took Kathryn and Evelyn and Suzanne and Sonja and Jonathan and Charlotte Claire and Camille. Well, the parking lot at the bowling alley told me loud and clear that I am not the only brilliant one who thought to take the kids to one dollar bowling. There was barely a place to park, so I figured the lanes were quite full. I had seven children who wanted to do something fun, so I took them to the Chinese buffet for lunch. It was WAY too much fun. This particular restaurant has some large round tables, so we fit there nicely. The kids know they shouldn't waste food, so they get lots of plates with just a bit of food, and they get such a kick out of it. Camille kept asking me to get her some "red buffalo",....I finally figured that she meant red JELLO.
Anyhoo, we next went to Walmart...Walmart with seven children can be either stark raving crazy, or fun, it depends on how one takes it. And it depends on how much one buys for the kids, too. Since we returned a jacket that Ben and Ashley bought Suze for Christmas, she got to pick something out...so I let the others get something too, from their Christmas money....Jon got one of those little things with all the plastic nails in it, that retains the shape of the object placed in it...the little girls got princess dolls, marked down quite cheap, and new footie jammies, Kathryn and Evelyn and Suze picked out necklaces that were on clearance, and Suze also got leggings. Sonja got a Barbie....
I met a gentleman who is serving in the U.S. Navy. He asked me if all seven of these kids are really mine,....yes, ....no twins? no....You actually gave birth to all seven? well, yes, plus a few more....what?? yes, I have sixteen....would you like to see the photo on my keychain?....he did. He was quite floored. I told him that my son just joined the Army, and he said he has been to Iraq "quite a few times with the Army..." He was with his elderly father, who was as proud as can be of him, he had a t-shirt on that proclaimed that pride. We have much to be thankful for....behind every soldier is a story, and at least one person that loves them and fears for them and hopefully prays for them....
Evelyn is back in here, she didn't want to watch the movie at Kathryn's sleepover in her room with Suzanne and Sonja...she has a show in here she likes, and it is distracting....
Samuel and his cousin are playing video games in their room. Joseph and Aaron are at their friends' house. Emily, Abigail, Mirielle, Mali, and Margaret are over where Benjamin and Ashley are staying, having a dinner party. Ben and Ashley wanted to do something special for all the girls who helped so much with the wedding. I did point out that I also helped, and to Ben's credit, he DID say I could come, but nah, they can have some time together without the old people.
I tried to take the kids bowling today. Since I am nice, and it is vacation, I didn't try to force or encourage the older ones to come if they didn't feel like it. I took Kathryn and Evelyn and Suzanne and Sonja and Jonathan and Charlotte Claire and Camille. Well, the parking lot at the bowling alley told me loud and clear that I am not the only brilliant one who thought to take the kids to one dollar bowling. There was barely a place to park, so I figured the lanes were quite full. I had seven children who wanted to do something fun, so I took them to the Chinese buffet for lunch. It was WAY too much fun. This particular restaurant has some large round tables, so we fit there nicely. The kids know they shouldn't waste food, so they get lots of plates with just a bit of food, and they get such a kick out of it. Camille kept asking me to get her some "red buffalo",....I finally figured that she meant red JELLO.
Anyhoo, we next went to Walmart...Walmart with seven children can be either stark raving crazy, or fun, it depends on how one takes it. And it depends on how much one buys for the kids, too. Since we returned a jacket that Ben and Ashley bought Suze for Christmas, she got to pick something out...so I let the others get something too, from their Christmas money....Jon got one of those little things with all the plastic nails in it, that retains the shape of the object placed in it...the little girls got princess dolls, marked down quite cheap, and new footie jammies, Kathryn and Evelyn and Suze picked out necklaces that were on clearance, and Suze also got leggings. Sonja got a Barbie....
I met a gentleman who is serving in the U.S. Navy. He asked me if all seven of these kids are really mine,....yes, ....no twins? no....You actually gave birth to all seven? well, yes, plus a few more....what?? yes, I have sixteen....would you like to see the photo on my keychain?....he did. He was quite floored. I told him that my son just joined the Army, and he said he has been to Iraq "quite a few times with the Army..." He was with his elderly father, who was as proud as can be of him, he had a t-shirt on that proclaimed that pride. We have much to be thankful for....behind every soldier is a story, and at least one person that loves them and fears for them and hopefully prays for them....
Evelyn is back in here, she didn't want to watch the movie at Kathryn's sleepover in her room with Suzanne and Sonja...she has a show in here she likes, and it is distracting....
what? throwing kitty litter?
So...instead of bowling yesterday, we decided to take a shopping expedition to return the Christmas dress I bought for Sonja, because she didn't end up wearing it to the wedding. It still had the tags on, wasn't worn, and I had paid $19.99 for it, ouch. I really had the sense that Sonja needed some attention from her mama, too, so off we went....Aaron and Mali, Margaret and Evelyn, Suzanne and Sonja, and I. We had the minivan, which made for a nice cozy trip....our first stop: Dunkin Donuts. I only had four dollars and some change, so I bought a coffee for me and some kind of latte for Evelyn. Margaret had a $5 gift card, so she got one for Suzanne and herself. Aaron covered Sonja, and Mali didn't want one....
Then to Target. Sonja found a dress, a pair of jeggings, a tunic shirt, and a pair of shoes for less than I had paid for the returned dress. I found a sweater for myself for 75% off, and Evelyn found a nice sweater too. The deal of the day: Keebler Christmas packaged cookies and crackers were half off, then there was a coupon for $1.50 off a gallon of milk when two packages of cookies were purchased, which I was purchasing anyway...so I got milk for fifty cents.
Then on to the grocery store for just a few things, which means about a hundred bucks. We got milk and eggs and bread and juice and lettuce and peppers and tomatoes and a one dollar pumpkin pie and a one dollar apple pie, and some reduced Snicker minitures, and chips for New Years, and a few frozen pizzas that were marked down.....
Well....here's the fun part.....we asked Mirielle what she was making for dinner at home, and she answered via text, "I am cooking up a punishment for the babies" I asked what they had done, and she said, "you have tons of laundry to do".....
I had to wait to get home to see what they had done, because she wouldn't tell. Apparently, they had the bright idea to slide down the stairs, and wanted a soft landing. So they gathered bedding. Lots of it. But it still wasn't soft enough, so they gathered clothes. Lots of them. Clean clothes from drawers. They made a nice comfy pile. But that just wasn't fun enough! I am not sure who had the bright idea to get the box of used kitty litter, yes, full of kitty tootsie rolls, and dump it all over the soft landing pile. So......the whole pile had to be shaken and moved to the laundry pile, or should I say MOUNTAIN. rrr. Now, these kids WERE being watched, the babysitters say....and I believe them. They are being good, and being good, and being good, and all of the sudden, fifteen minutes or so go by unaccounted for, and WOW. (just for the record, Mirielle has been putting the stuff through the washer and dryer...she is a nice girl)
If I ever felt like giving a good spanking, it was last evening when I came in with all the groceries and saw that mountain.....but I didn't. They say they are never going to do it again.....they say they knew it was bad when they were throwing the kitty litter and the cat food, but it was fun....
They are lucky I can somehow remember getting that spirit of foolishness when I was little....
Anyway, never a dull moment. I haven't decided whether to take them bowling today or not. The middle sized kids really want to go, but the older ones don't. It is nice here today, 22 degrees and sunny, and it is supposed to actually get up to over freezing today, and warmer still tomorrow, in the forties.
Our Christmas tree is getting dryer, the needles are piling up on the pile of presents underneath. I dread taking it down, it has made our living room so cozy. Plus, I hate having to put everything away, and hate losing the Throw-It-Under-The-Tree option when cleaning up the living room. We are thinking that instead of putting the furniture back like it was, just leaving the tree corner empty for a while for them to play in. Our house is so full, they like nothing better than an empty space to set up in.....
I love love love vacation. We stay up too late at night, and this morning I slept until 9:11. I did feel bad for Paul, who stayed up with us, and still had to get up for work this morning. The teenagers are mostly still in bed, I won't see some of them until noon. The boys were supposed to wash the pans after dinner last night, but they are still sitting there. I started to wash them earlier, but decided not to. They need to do it. Anyways, I love having the kids here, having no schedule, letting them play and set up their toys and play Wii and lounge around. It gives us a chance to work on things, too, like getting along better....
Then to Target. Sonja found a dress, a pair of jeggings, a tunic shirt, and a pair of shoes for less than I had paid for the returned dress. I found a sweater for myself for 75% off, and Evelyn found a nice sweater too. The deal of the day: Keebler Christmas packaged cookies and crackers were half off, then there was a coupon for $1.50 off a gallon of milk when two packages of cookies were purchased, which I was purchasing anyway...so I got milk for fifty cents.
Then on to the grocery store for just a few things, which means about a hundred bucks. We got milk and eggs and bread and juice and lettuce and peppers and tomatoes and a one dollar pumpkin pie and a one dollar apple pie, and some reduced Snicker minitures, and chips for New Years, and a few frozen pizzas that were marked down.....
Well....here's the fun part.....we asked Mirielle what she was making for dinner at home, and she answered via text, "I am cooking up a punishment for the babies" I asked what they had done, and she said, "you have tons of laundry to do".....
I had to wait to get home to see what they had done, because she wouldn't tell. Apparently, they had the bright idea to slide down the stairs, and wanted a soft landing. So they gathered bedding. Lots of it. But it still wasn't soft enough, so they gathered clothes. Lots of them. Clean clothes from drawers. They made a nice comfy pile. But that just wasn't fun enough! I am not sure who had the bright idea to get the box of used kitty litter, yes, full of kitty tootsie rolls, and dump it all over the soft landing pile. So......the whole pile had to be shaken and moved to the laundry pile, or should I say MOUNTAIN. rrr. Now, these kids WERE being watched, the babysitters say....and I believe them. They are being good, and being good, and being good, and all of the sudden, fifteen minutes or so go by unaccounted for, and WOW. (just for the record, Mirielle has been putting the stuff through the washer and dryer...she is a nice girl)
If I ever felt like giving a good spanking, it was last evening when I came in with all the groceries and saw that mountain.....but I didn't. They say they are never going to do it again.....they say they knew it was bad when they were throwing the kitty litter and the cat food, but it was fun....
They are lucky I can somehow remember getting that spirit of foolishness when I was little....
Anyway, never a dull moment. I haven't decided whether to take them bowling today or not. The middle sized kids really want to go, but the older ones don't. It is nice here today, 22 degrees and sunny, and it is supposed to actually get up to over freezing today, and warmer still tomorrow, in the forties.
Our Christmas tree is getting dryer, the needles are piling up on the pile of presents underneath. I dread taking it down, it has made our living room so cozy. Plus, I hate having to put everything away, and hate losing the Throw-It-Under-The-Tree option when cleaning up the living room. We are thinking that instead of putting the furniture back like it was, just leaving the tree corner empty for a while for them to play in. Our house is so full, they like nothing better than an empty space to set up in.....
I love love love vacation. We stay up too late at night, and this morning I slept until 9:11. I did feel bad for Paul, who stayed up with us, and still had to get up for work this morning. The teenagers are mostly still in bed, I won't see some of them until noon. The boys were supposed to wash the pans after dinner last night, but they are still sitting there. I started to wash them earlier, but decided not to. They need to do it. Anyways, I love having the kids here, having no schedule, letting them play and set up their toys and play Wii and lounge around. It gives us a chance to work on things, too, like getting along better....
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
the glass guys are finally here
Our Christmas vacation has been peppered with contact with The Glass Guys. The windshield of our minivan had a crack in it, which grew across the whole window when it got so cold out. We thankfully have full glass coverage, so a simple call to the insurance company, and the glass guys come. Well...in normal weather, maybe. But it has been very cold and windy and snowy. They have called and cancelled and even came out here and decided it was too snowy. They called at 8:13 this morning, according to the Missed Call memory on the phone, hmm, where was I? This IS vacation........
So I am relieved that this is finally over....(and they cleaned all the exterior windows and vacuumed the front seats, too.
Yesterday we were tired.....but now....everything is over with, and it is vacation, and we need to have some fun. This morning I picked up the local weekly paper, and there it was: One Dollar Bowling, with free shoe rental!!! Since my older kids are on this crazy sleep-'til-noon schedule, I have to wait and see if they are interested before I mention it to the littler ones. Plus, it is nice to sit here and write while they just have yogurt and cupcakes for breakfast, and play dollhouse and talk. I did have a cupcake with my coffee. I will have to encourage the kids to finish them off for me today. They are a curse. I will not say how many I had yesterday, but I had a nice salad to balance them out...that IS how it works, right?
Last night Margaret put a few drops of water on Sonja's head. Then Sonja tried to dump a glass of water on Margaret's head, which Margaret quickly deflected, causing the glass to sail through the air and crash all over the kitchen tile. Water mixed with glass everywhere, at bedtime, oh joy. Never a dull moment. Anyway, after everything was cleaned up, the littles in bed, and just the few middle sized girls and I here, finally after midnight, Paul and the older kids came in from the Dome. Well, Rosie-The-Bad dog barked at them, so Joseph told her NO, STOP IT in a very deep voice, and Rosie-The-Bad dog peed all over the floor, then wagged her tail in it....then she came out here wagging, and everyone was yelling at her, and she didn't understand why....I started to get up, and Paul informed me what had happened, like I didn't know already, and I said I knew, and he said Okay, he wouldn't tell me anymore, and I just went in and took a shower and went to bed. A huge misunderstanding. I think the Joseph was responsible, because he knows how Rosie is, he is the one who scared the pee out of her, so why was everyone telling ME about it? I was tired, and I was not upset with Paul, I did raise my voice because it was loud in here all of the sudden....but the interesting thing is that once I got upset and left the room, the thoughts started coming....'nobody likes me. I haven't trained the dog very well. I am not going to talk to Paul ever again. I am sick of all of this. Fine, I am done. That's it. I don't care anymore. " And on and on....until I said, ENOUGH. I do not want to harden my heart, I do not want to nurse grudges, I do not want to be mad at anyone. I know that God is near, and that Jesus is always there, rooting for me to do the good and not listen to those spirits that would destroy our home and our marriage. Being tempted is one thing, but giving in - I do not have to do that. By the grace of God, I can overcome! I can still be good, even though I am full of sin, because it is written that we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to it. (romans 8, v 12)
It is also written that ,"we fight not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities., against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes (or when the dog pees on the floor and I get so offended at everyone), you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done all, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth around your waist (the truth about ME), the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the gospel of peace. And take up the shield of faith, to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.(oh, those evil and blaming thoughts, the lies...) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...."(ephesians 6, vs 11-17)
Today is the day of salvation. It doesn't matter how I am treated, or how lacking I am in getting things done around here. God is faithful, when I am humble, He WILL give me grace. That is as certain as the law of gravity. The gospel is true and living and hopeful and full of gladness for us who believe.
And now that I am fully encouraged and strengthened, this will be a good day....
So I am relieved that this is finally over....(and they cleaned all the exterior windows and vacuumed the front seats, too.
Yesterday we were tired.....but now....everything is over with, and it is vacation, and we need to have some fun. This morning I picked up the local weekly paper, and there it was: One Dollar Bowling, with free shoe rental!!! Since my older kids are on this crazy sleep-'til-noon schedule, I have to wait and see if they are interested before I mention it to the littler ones. Plus, it is nice to sit here and write while they just have yogurt and cupcakes for breakfast, and play dollhouse and talk. I did have a cupcake with my coffee. I will have to encourage the kids to finish them off for me today. They are a curse. I will not say how many I had yesterday, but I had a nice salad to balance them out...that IS how it works, right?
Last night Margaret put a few drops of water on Sonja's head. Then Sonja tried to dump a glass of water on Margaret's head, which Margaret quickly deflected, causing the glass to sail through the air and crash all over the kitchen tile. Water mixed with glass everywhere, at bedtime, oh joy. Never a dull moment. Anyway, after everything was cleaned up, the littles in bed, and just the few middle sized girls and I here, finally after midnight, Paul and the older kids came in from the Dome. Well, Rosie-The-Bad dog barked at them, so Joseph told her NO, STOP IT in a very deep voice, and Rosie-The-Bad dog peed all over the floor, then wagged her tail in it....then she came out here wagging, and everyone was yelling at her, and she didn't understand why....I started to get up, and Paul informed me what had happened, like I didn't know already, and I said I knew, and he said Okay, he wouldn't tell me anymore, and I just went in and took a shower and went to bed. A huge misunderstanding. I think the Joseph was responsible, because he knows how Rosie is, he is the one who scared the pee out of her, so why was everyone telling ME about it? I was tired, and I was not upset with Paul, I did raise my voice because it was loud in here all of the sudden....but the interesting thing is that once I got upset and left the room, the thoughts started coming....'nobody likes me. I haven't trained the dog very well. I am not going to talk to Paul ever again. I am sick of all of this. Fine, I am done. That's it. I don't care anymore. " And on and on....until I said, ENOUGH. I do not want to harden my heart, I do not want to nurse grudges, I do not want to be mad at anyone. I know that God is near, and that Jesus is always there, rooting for me to do the good and not listen to those spirits that would destroy our home and our marriage. Being tempted is one thing, but giving in - I do not have to do that. By the grace of God, I can overcome! I can still be good, even though I am full of sin, because it is written that we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to it. (romans 8, v 12)
It is also written that ,"we fight not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities., against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes (or when the dog pees on the floor and I get so offended at everyone), you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done all, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth around your waist (the truth about ME), the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the gospel of peace. And take up the shield of faith, to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.(oh, those evil and blaming thoughts, the lies...) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...."(ephesians 6, vs 11-17)
Today is the day of salvation. It doesn't matter how I am treated, or how lacking I am in getting things done around here. God is faithful, when I am humble, He WILL give me grace. That is as certain as the law of gravity. The gospel is true and living and hopeful and full of gladness for us who believe.
And now that I am fully encouraged and strengthened, this will be a good day....
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