pictures from our Christmas feast

Me...and my oldest, Emily

Paul with Emily..

Miss Camille

Mirielle and Aaron playing with little Linnea...

Me with Paul

The kids' choir...Suzanne and Sonja are in the back, Jonathan in the green plaid shirt, Charlotte Claire in the blue sleeveless dress, and Camille in the red plaid...

Aaron and Joe...

Samuel

Well, since the theme we seem to operate under is day after day of, "Never A Dull Moment", I should mention that the Christmas tree did just fall down. All the water spilled and soaked the presents I so gleefully wrapped ahead of time. And here I sit. It is Aaron Royce's 20th birthday, and I have big plans. Plans that do not include sweeping up broken glass that is floating in tree water. Or re-wrapping presents. The tree is now propped against the wall, waiting.

I baked a white sheet cake. I am going to make a light and fluffy vanilla frosting with heavy whipping cream, layer that cake, and add coconut to the top. Aaron loves coconut cream cake. And, we are having a taco bar for dinner...brown rice, black olives, sliced grape tomatoes, green peppers, shredded cheese, cour cream, taco chips, and of course the taco beef. Oh, and lettuces. And here I sit. The girls got some glimpses of gifts that got wet, Camille tried to convince me that means I should just give them to them.

This morning I was out the door bright and early with the two youngest princesses. We waited almost an hour and a half to see the dr. for Camille. But when we left, they had free kids' meal coupons for Applebees. After going to BJ's, I took them out to lunch. We played, "I Spy With My Little Eye" while we waited for the mac-n-cheese and fries (for them), and the honey barbeued chicken chunks (for me, which I shared with them for one of their fries. One from each of them, that is.) One of the things that Camille spied was a guy's glasses.

Anyway...we are home, and I have to go make the Birthday Feast. And here I sit...

some resolutions...

1. I will take more pictures. I will also learn how to load them onto Paul's computer...since my computer has died. I hate sharing with everyone, but a new computer just ain't on the list right now.

2. Listen to myself when I talk to the kids to make sure I am talking to them in a voice that I would want to be talked to in.

3. Make the most out of the days. A palliative care nurse wrote a book about the top regrets people have about their lives, as they are dying. Having kept their house cleaner was NOT on there.

4. Remember that being tempted does not obligate me to give in.

Last evening, I went shopping with Kathryn 14, Evelyn 13, Suzanne 11, and Sonja 10. Suzanne wore her rain boots, so she ran and skipped through the puddles. They were trying on clothes to wear to the Christmas Feast we are going to tomorrow in Canada. After two stores, losing my phone in the first store, discovering it was missing in the second store, returning to get it and buying a few more things...we stopped at the grocery store for milk and chicken and oranges. Can I just mention that those girls were full of it in that grocery store? They do this slapping thing that always starts out in good fun, but one girl will always at some point get slapped too hard, and get upset...voices rise, I tell them to Knock It Off. We are just kidding, Mom. Then they do that thing where they start throwing things in the cart. Then one wants to push the cart, and keeps bumping into one certain sister, just because. I let them pick out a donut, then when we went through the register I told the cashier to please not squish the donuts or the girls would cry all the way home...then I found out one of them goes to school with him.

Anyway, today is a home day. Paul and some of the older ones are going to the Dome, again, but I shall stay home and get ready for our little road trip tomorrow. We have to pack our lunches, and some nice clothes. The sick kids seem to be better, hopefully no one else will get it.

happy kids here...

Today is Getting The Christmas Tree Day. The little kids have ferried most of the decorations up the stairs all by themselves. They didn't just leave the boxes there on the floor while they patiently waited for the tree. Nope. Camille has decorated one of the lamps with all sorts of stuff. The have been going through stuff and playing Ornament Store.

I don't feel the greatest, but there is a thing I call Feeling Sick Because The Kids Are Sick. I just feel tired, a bit achy, not terrible, but not great. Every once in a while I will feel awful and be certain I am sick, then I will be fine. So I am keeping a low-profile here this morning. I put some bedding in the wash, swept the floor, gave the kids breakfast, and here I sit. I know I should hang the stockings, do the dishwasher, maybe make some cookies with them. But blah.

Paul is out deer hunting this fine cold morning. In a way I hope he gets one so he will stop going, but honestly: I am not a big fan of venison. When we were newly married, we ate it that first winter. In chili, steaks, ribs. We were broke. He had these huge student loans, a baby, a car payment, ect. So it was fantastic to have all that meat. Now I am more spoiled. But I am also thrifty enough to not want to waste it if we have it. So I kind of hope he doesn't get one. But I also love him, and would like to see him experience that joy that shooting a deer seems to bring.

My girls are now playing Going Shopping. I have been around the block a few times, so I know that means Big Mess. It involves grocery bags. I think they are shopping for books. Yesterday they went on an Airplane Trip, and believe me, when I saw that they had taken all those nice school clothes off the hangers in the laundry room and packed them into their little suitcases and backpacks as I headed out the door to the Dome, rrr!

And now Evelyn is up and asking me to make her some breakfast. That's a good sign.

just a random post...

Evelyn Joy, 13, has the flu. She woke up this morning after a very fitful sleep full of nightmares about not getting anything done that she was supposed to do. I knew she had a fever. She is on the couch under a blanket.

There were 8 kids out of 23 absent in Jon's class, overall 20% of the elementary students out sick. Camille's teacher was absent yesterday. So, I did what any concerned mom who loves a good excuse to spend the day with her kiddos would do - I let the three youngest ones stay home. They slept an extra hour and a half, which is always good. Since Evy is sick anyway, it's not like I am keeping them home to prevent them from catching it, it is just that they will fare better if they are well rested. Yah, I know, I just like them home.

Paul and I are working at the Dome tonight. Love love love that Syracuse Basketball team this year!!! I don't like being so busy and leaving here and working at the Dome, the walking up the Evil-ist hill, or serving the greasy concession food. But, I like being with my friends, fund-raising(we want to send our youth group on a trip to Israel), getting glimpses of the game, and...this sounds weird, but I love when the Star Spangled Banner is sung. A few weeks ago a young girl sang it, and she really nailed it, the crowd went wild. It is just fun.

Aaron and Mirielle and Abigail will be here, so the kids will be fine.

Suri is such a good dog. She is a total people pleaser. Aaron says all the time, "Bill. A friend to all." (the boys call her, "Bill".) I say, "Suri, the dog who gives back." She is so affectionate. And she is smart. She comes into the kitchen every single morning without fail, as soon as I take the peanutbutter out of the cupboard for my oatmeal. She has a thing for peanutbutter. She knows I will give her either a taste, or the rest of the jar if it is pretty empty. That happens quite frequently here. The jar makes her very happy. She gets it all out somehow, then chews on the yummy container. I just think it's funny how she is conditioned to come running out when she hears that cupboard. It's not like she comes when I make coffee, or other things. She doesn't follow my every move like Rosie did.

I still miss Rosie. I dreamed the other night, that she came back to life. She was so excited to meet Suri, and I felt horribly guilty. In every dream I have that she comes back, Paul always tells me to call the vet and find out what happened. Which is totally redundant...

Anyway. The lights are in the windows, the furniture is all moved around, and there is an empty corner for the tree. Jon is under my electric blanket playing on his ipod, a cast off from an older sibling. The princesses are having the time of their lives playing dress-up and house.

I am heading over to my friend Rachael's house to help plan our church New Year's Feast. I am thinking of a Chipotle-style Mexican food bar, cotton candy, ice cream sundae bar...our theme is , "Winter Carnival". Maybe karaoke, some improv comedy skits.

In the news....a Long Island man shot his girlfriend in the back with an automatic weapon because he thought the military might intervene in the, "Walking Dead", and she didn't. Sounds horrific. But. What a thing, to get so angry about a disagreement. It just encouraged me to really be faithful in the small, to say NO to those thoughts and spirits that want to divide and be offended. I think Satan just hates peace. "For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual fores of wickedness in the heavenly places..." Ephesians 6.....

As a parent, it can be easy to be deceived into thinking that because the child needs guidance and boundaries, I am entitled to be so strong and right. I can be headstrong and impatient. Oh, God has much to teach me!!! I am very very thankful for this time of grace in my life!!! So thankful that God is still working in me!

I promised Jon we could wrap some presents, so off I go...he is asking like every 30 seconds, as if I have forgotten...

sorry everyone...

but there will be no long rambling post this morning. Just as I started to mull over what I wanted to drone on and on about this fine overcast morning, the phone rang. Evelyn Joy is at the nurse's office, headache and chills. Dang. Yes, I will come get you sweetheart. Joyfully, to boot. So off I go to run a brush through my long tangly hair take a little ride to school.

nice sunny morning...

We are having a small warm spell here in the northeast. We may break the record temperature of 68 degrees today! It feels like spring. But the cold front is coming, cold again by tomorrow morning. I just might open up some windows and air out the house.

All the kids went to school today, wah. I really wanted to let Char and Camille stay home, but they just skipped last Friday. Char didn't want to go because all four 1st grade classes practice for the chorus concert together, and it is, "squishy and hot."

I read on the news this morning that New York is one of the states that signed up to try a new program that adds 300 hours to the school year, either more days or longer days. Not every district will have to comply, but it's coming. It's like throwing more money at a problem. We live in such an immoral society, where kids have to suffer through divorces and remarriages and their parents' tempers...then the schools are supposed to fix everything. Get the kids motivated, help them be successful. Teach them things they never learned at home.

Imagine this: a world, okay..how about just a country, where every mother who gave birth to a baby was married to a man who put his wife and child/children before his own wants, worked hard to provide for them. If every teenager "waited until marriage", or stayed happily single. If parents stayed faithful to each other and respected each other. If the parents loved the children unconditionally, gave them hope and stability. Encouraged them and helped them reach their goals. If the parents loved spending time with their kids, talked to them and took them places when they had time. Then...would there need to be more school? Seriously?

But we live in a Free Country. Each can choose their own lifestyle. They can make messes of their lives, then the government can try to fix it all up nicely.

And I know it isn't as easy as it sounds. There are trials and troubles and glitches in life. Just because one tries to live a Godly life doesn't mean that everything will be smooth sailing. But I would bet the world would be a vastly different place!

So I worked at the Dome last night. I drove my nieces Susan and Becky, my friends Janette and Nellie, and my son Sam. We stopped at Tim Horten's on the way, I got coffee with a sugar-free caramel shot.

At the Dome: Janette and I made the pretzels and laughed about stuff. She is such a nice girl. She comes from a family with 14 kids. I just always love to see her happy face. She is only 18, but she is one of my best friends:)

Then I had to say goodbye to her and the others, and go to the end of the stand to do beer-pouring with my sister's husband Bill, and our friend Dave (a cancer survivor, he has 8 kids). What fun we had! We got a little splashed with beer, but we kept up and didn't have too many left-over at the end. It is very busy to beer-pour, but we had a chance to talk too. Dave is a very blessed man. He has had many trials in his life, but has sought God's wisdom so desperately, and God has answered. He has learned the simple yet amazing art of Being Thankful. No matter what. He has learned that life is not to be taken for granted. So talking with him is always good for me.

The first thing I am going to do when I heave my lazy self out of this comfy chair is exercise. I want out of this weight-loss rut! I have been just maintaining, going up a few pounds, then back down a few pounds. I am tired of it!!! I feel so much better than I used to, but. I have a long ways to go. I eat mostly healthy, but I have gotten a bit lazy, slacked off on the discipline. My diet is totally different than it was Before my "lifestyle change", but I need to be more strict and get that scale moving down again.

For one thing, today I am going to start writing down everything I eat. I will estimate the calories before I eat it, and make more smart decisions, not just base it on whether I really want something or not, because chances are: I will really want to eat it. That is just not a reliable indicator for me:) My brain, the smart part that really knows what's good for me, has to be the boss. Not the part that says What The Heck, It's Really Yummy. And, being REALLY hungry does not justify eating stuff that I shouldn't eat!! Besides, I have no business letting myself get REALLY hungry! I know how to pack a few almonds and a apple, or how to have a small yogurt to ward off that starving feeling. Mostly I eat bad stuff when I get too hungry and that voice that says to Watch Out just whispers too quietly. Or rather it shouts and I just drown it out, I don't know. Sorry for all this, but hey, I am now quite psyched for the day!!!!

that moment when your computer dies...

It fires up, then turns off. Even Paul can't figure it out. He is going to call a guy. Sometime. In the mean time, I am using his computer, which is just not MY computer. If you know what I mean. Hmm, perhaps I am a bit adverse to change in my advancing years.

Oh, we had a jolly fun weekend! To the Christmas bazaar on Saturday morning, mostly to get I.D. cards for the under 16 kids,except for Margaret who has a school I.D., to make it easier to cross the border to Canada. The lady who typed up their info said, "Oh my, seven kids!" Yeah, I said. She asked if they were REALLY all mine. Um, actually, I said...there are nine more. Then I grew horns. Seven is crazy, 16...oh, one of THOSE people.

But she really was nice. I liked her alot because she appreciated Camille's cuteness.

The bazaar came to a quick end for me, as I experienced that sudden feeling of Uh-Oh, where is the bathroom, that comes with the territory of getting that gall-bladder removed. It is mostly better, but dang when I least expect it, blah. It seems to have no rhyme or reason. Abigail was there with her car, so she so nicely kept Jon, Charlotte Claire, and Camille with her. They came home with treasures, she is so good to them.

Next, a baby shower over in the suburbs near where my parents lived. Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, and Sonja went with me. The mom-to-be is my nephew's wife, she is as cute as can be, and very appreciative of the snuggly little outfits and gifts.

Next, to Target because a few of the girls really needed undershirts. Which is all we got, ha.

Home. aaah.

Sunday morning, a nice brisk walk for me before getting the kids dressed, fed, and into the van for our trip up to Ottowa. Rain. Rain and rain and rain. Although I didn't like when the big trucks spray it all over my windshield, I was very thankful it wasn't snow. Because it would have been rough going. To get from here to Canada, one must drive through the snow-belt, east of Lake Ontario. It an be treacherous.

Driving in the van for almost 8 hours round trip with my six youngest kids was...fun, challenging, frustrating (yes, I did threaten to drop one of them off on the side of a rural road up in Canada). I mean, if your sister does not like when you touch the wet window then touch her cheek, why in the heck do you continue to do it?

It sort of looked like a tornado touched down in there. Orange peels and candy wrappers and granola bar wrappers, then on the way home...french fries got spilled (Jon dropped them. When I reacted, "Jon!!", he answered rather wisely, "What, Mom, do you think I WANTED to drop the fries??!" Good point.)

I was very well behaved....mostly. I did eat one mini Almond Joy bar, and I'll tell you this: I am simply not one of those girls who diets all the time and then says the sweet stuff "doesn't even taste that good, sickeningly sweet...", or some such nonsense. No, it was way too good, and I had to hold the steering wheel tightly not to reach into the bag and get another.

And I broke my One French Fry Rule. No, not the whole order, but at least 15. ouch. 15 fries. They were freshly made, the nice McDonald's girl had to bring them out to the van...I could not resist.

We got our dinner from Price Chopper, because I needed to get milk and bread anyways. We got some fresh baked rolls and some chicken and olive loaf. And some water bottles with spigot tops. And some Wheat-Thins, and the bag of Reese's, the Almond Joys, a bag of the yummiest Clementine oranges, two totes of apples. And some chocolate chocolate-covered donuts. Why did we get all this stuff? We were so hungry. And they had been so good. Well, not as terrible, anyway, on the way home. Mostly because I thought we had missed the exit to go to the border way up there in Canada...it was dark and rainy and there were no signs, I though I was headed to Toronto....and there were no exits to get off and turn around. The kids sensed I was a bit nervous that we were going in the wrong direction, mostly because I said, "Please be quiet, I think we're lost." Evelyn tried to call Paul, Aaron, Mirielle, but wouldn't you know, we couldn't get through. (Then we saw the sign that said Bridge To USA, and I was so relieved. Although Evelyn-The-Co-Pilot had been assuring me that we were indeed on the right road all along because she is a Sign Noticer.

Anyway. Home and to bed with the tired kiddies.

Today, I am going to the Dome.

Paul will go to Evelyn's band concert tonight, sorry Ev!

Today I will work out extra hard to burn off those fries. And yes, there were good. I didn't eat them and think, oh, fast food is awful! How can people eat this stuff. Although I will say I have totally broken free from eating any of their sandwiches. I do not eat fast food burgers or chicken sandwiches anymore. If we stop and I am hungry, I will get a yogurt pafait. And a coffee. All we stopped for last night was coffee for Suze and I, but they started yelling French Fries, so I surprised them and ordered two Larges. Then I surprised myself and started eating out of one. It could have been worse, that's for sure. They were pretty good.

Anyway, yay for oranges and apples and peanubutter, my true friends.

Time to get moving...there is a load in the dryer to come out, one in the washer to go in the dryer, and a lots of hampers vying for the next ride. Suri is snoring. She actually snores just like a people. She is tired because I took her outside twice already and let her chase a stick. She likes when I chase her too. She is a good girl.