france. I am in france.

This is me, right now, relaxing in our hotel room, all comfy with pillows, blogging.

I just came back from breakfast, and oh dear, I'm going to have to be careful. Cafe Americano, two cups...with a croissant. Wait, it gets better...two mini crepes with butter and apricot jam...there are these tiny little jars of jam on the breakfast buffet, they are adorable! I had a slice of ham, which was really good, and then I tasted some lemon poppyseed bread. I didn't eat the whole slice, because I had croissant-on-the-brain, which can only be cured by a strong dose of self-denial, or just getting up and getting another one. I chose the latter, because you know, I'm in France. So I got up, and dang it, they were all gone, so I chose a different one, which I thought had raisins in it. Imagine my surprise and delight to discover it was a CHOCOLATE FILLED croissant. No raisins in this thing! Oh dear. It was heavenly, and for me, who avoids carbs like the plague, it was enough, more than enough. So I took care of my plate before finishing up my coffee, just so I wouldn't talk myself into another one.



Paul and I are really enjoying ourselves. The trip over wasn't too bad. I made a friend on the plane, a French speaking English teacher from Canada. She was super nice, and we really hit it off.

Yesterday, we walked four miles.


It's so amazing here. So European, ha.


Paul...he's so funny. He is fun to explore with. He took me out to dinner last night, with some of his co-workers. They are a nice group, they travel a lot. One lady, I totally admire, she's been to China and Japan, and travels all by herself. She's very nice, and down to earth.


My dessert from last night. There are two kinds of people. The kind who love to order dessert, and the kind who just wave it away, too full, they say, as if that has anything to do with it. Paul's co-workers ALL ordered dessert. :)


I like this house.

Anyway. I am heading out, all by my lonesome, to walk around town. I plan to visit the grocery store, of course, and browse up and down the aisles, leisurely, I have all the live long day. I plan to sit on a bench in the little park. I plan to take lots of pictures, but I hate to pull out my phone and snap pictures, it makes me feel so touristy. Of course when we walked yesterday, everyone looked at us anyway...we had made coffee in our hotel room and were carrying our big-a$$ travel mugs, which practically scream that we're American. (the coffees here are so small. Just tiny miniature things)

Anyway. The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and I am setting out for an adventure. There are so many people that I wish were here with me...(and BTW, I do feel guilty being gone...I talked to Kathryn on the phone last night, she said Charlotte Claire is sick, throwing up...then she messaged me this morning that Miss Cam is sick now too...oh dear...Jon with the fever and infection when I was in Norway, now this! I know Kathryn is tenderhearted and will take good care of them, but my heart hurts when I think of them. Maybe I'll buy them a present today...)

On our way to france

We're at the airport in NYC. I promise to take tons of pictures.

mom, I got in an accident...

Okay. Okay. Are you okay? Yes, she's okay. But Dad's truck, um, it's not so okay.

Emily borrowed Paul's truck to do some work at her house (she built a bench with cement blocks and pieces of wood for her new patio). She was driving through a flashing yellow light and this poor older woman didn't see her, just paused at the flashing red light, and pulled right out in front of Emily. The airbags deployed, the front quarterpanel of the lady's car is all smashed in, she's very lucky the hit wasn't just a bit farther back where she was sitting, it would have been really really bad. The poor woman had just spent the day in the hospital in the big city with her husband who had surgery, it had been a rough day already, then she had this accident...thankfully no one was hurt. I drove up to pick up Emily, and this woman came and hugged me and said how sorry she was, she was ready to fall apart. I do not believe in coincidences, although I don't know why this all happened, I know I was meant to pray for this poor lady. And poor Emily was a bit shaken too. She put on a brave face, but it was quite a crash.

It was an out of the blue event in a seemingly normal day....

Yesterday was Clean-Off-The-Bookcases day. Books are dear to me, the childrens' books we weeded through all carry memories of happy times and cuddles...and quotes..."Ten Apples Up On Top", (All of this must stop stop stop!), Dr. Seuss (Can this go on all day and night, it could you know, and it just might!), and the stacks of Little Golden Books (The Book About God, Elouise Wilkin)...precious little books, but we had way too many. We sorted, and most of them went to the thrift store so other children can be cuddled and read to. At least that's my hope, instead of being handed a tablet or a phone to play with. We kept the Little House books and the National Geographic books, and others that were special to us.

Evelyn had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, so we stopped to drop off the books afterward. That's a huge accomplishment, to actually drop off the donated items, instead of bagging them up and intending to...but anyway. We had to shop a little bit. Ev found shoes and dresses. I bought a few more books, and a nice shirt for one of the girls. Evelyn has a good eye, and flexible taste. She wears what she likes, and she always looks nice, not caring if it's in style or not.

We stopped at BJ's for chicken, pepperoni, milk, and a bag of Dunkin coffee.

Home...ah, home...Mali was there with sweet Lydia Eleanor...

Oh, Gramma loves her!!!

Mali had to leave for work, we were watching baby, and making a big dinner...I cubed up six pounds of chicken breast, tossed it into lemon juice/olive oil with fajita seasonings, and browned it up in olive oil, we opened up some black olives, sliced up green and red peppers, cut some cheese, warmed up rice, steamed the corn, ect.

Then the phone call from Emily. Okay, Em, no problem, I'll be right there to get you. On the way out the door, I grabbed a Hershey's milk chocolate bar with almonds from the pantry...stress makes me want chocolate. But I knew that if I opened it I would eat the entire four ounce bar, so I waited. Nope, Em didn't want want any. So I decided not to open it, and it was a good victory for me. Mirielle came over when we got home (Em came here for a bit) and joined me for dinner, because the rest of the family had already eaten and it was all cleaned up. (Em's accident was over a half hour away from here).

So. Keep that hair clean, you never know when you have to jump in the car and go rescue someone.

And here's the thing: when you have a lot of kids, and a lot of vehicles, these things happen. Poor Paul, his trucks have gotten so banged up through the years...Ben flipped the old Ford, Margaret and Abigail both drove it off the road...and there have been fender benders and nicks and bumps, mostly with his trucks. This one's a Nissan, and I hope it's not totaled because we couldn't replace it for what we would get for it. Oh well. Everyone was okay, and that's the important part...I told the poor lady that, not to worry, at least everyone was okay.

And tomorrow...France. I haven't packed yet...(and this weekend, the kids have a soccer weekend, and are staying in our camper, so I have to help them pack, and drive them there tonight, and the camper hasn't been cleaned out yet this season....) Never a dull moment. But things have changed so much, it's not nearly as busy as it was in the old days...


Fourteen years ago..eight older kids were in school, these were the ones home during the day. Margaret was home too because she was in kindergarten the next year when Robert was "born". These were kids number 10, 11, 12, and 13, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, and Sonja. (the crazy part is that I had four more after this).

Anyway. Time to get moving...

rain rain go away....

This is my thoughtful blogging face, with my four year old glasses on. The new ones should come in next week, and yay, should work a little better, as these old ones are getting blurry, ha.

It's not raining right now, but the weather forecast for our small town in France, well...rain. I hoped it would change, and maybe it still will, but when I checked Monday, it made me decide to order a new jacket from Target. The estimated arrival date was next Monday, and we leave for France on Saturday...then I checked this morning, and yay, my jacket is coming today! Because rain or shine, I am not going to sit in my hotel room all day while Paul is at work.

Davian is here playing with the kitten. Joseph is making a second pot of coffee, and Kathryn is doing laundry. The little girls had a surprise sleepover at their big sister Emily's house last night. Em is done with classes for the summer, but is teaching a nursing class once a week. She is very busy now trying to garden and landscape, and putter around her house, work on catering a few events.

This afternoon I have to bring Evelyn in for a check-up so she can get working papers, she is applying for a summer job. She has been learning to drive, and is taking her driving test next month, along with Kathryn. While we're out, we might check out the thrift store, Evelyn loves browsing with me.

Abigail is texting me from Norway, and my brother is stopping over for a visit and to get a cooler I borrowed a while ago...so off I go...:)

coffee and no cookies....

As per Sonja's birthday request: chocolate chip cookies with pink frosting. I also made a huge cookie, which hasn't been cut into yet...I baked all of the triple batch of dough yesterday instead of refrigerating some and baking it in intervals, which translates into "kids eating refrigerated cookie dough like there's no tomorrow".

And I didn't have a single bite. Not a lick of dough, not a chocolate chip. Do I win a prize? Do I automatically lose 10 pounds? Nope. But the kids sure liked them, and Sonja was pleased.

Our living room is still in gym mode, the furniture moved out of the way and the floor covered in mats. Miss Char is in gymnastics heaven.

I need to go shopping today. We are running out of milk and bread and cheese and yogurt and bananas and apples and fresh veggies. We need groceries for when I'm gone, and I need things to bring with me like nuts and bars and maybe some beef jerky.

So I'm going to cut some coupons, get these guys moving on some school work, then go out and about so I can come home and see this sweetie:

Miss Lydia Eleanor! She's been on vacation with her mommy and daddy in Myrtle Beach, so we have missed her! I was in D.C. when she was here least, so it's been a while. I have another granddaughter, out on the west coast, Miss Anya Jade, she is adorable. She is coming on an airplane this summer to visit us, and mmm, I can't wait! One of the things I envision someday: a grandchild coming in the door and racing to see Grammy. But for now, I have my other little friends...my sister's grandchildren are huggy and sweet too.

Anyway...today I need to go out and about...I have things to return to Target, and maybe look for a jacket...I want a rain coat with a hood that is small, doesn't wrinkle, and isn't huge or too small...thankfully my mother-in-law gave me some really comfy sneakers when we visited her in Florida. I am definitely bringing them to France. She also gave me some comfy sandals, which I need to wear for a bit to see if they STAY comfy, before I pack them. I haven't packed yet, haven't even decided what suitcase/s to bring.

Anyway...now I need to cut some coupons.

cookies, birthdays, forts, and a kitten....

Today is Miss Sonja Kathleen's 14th birthday. Now the five-girls-in-a-row are 19, 18, 16, 15, and 14. We went on an outing yesterday afternoon...they eye doctor for Suzanne, Jonathan, and I...but that's the only place we went, because yours truly left her wallet on the table next to her chair. So after we got home, the whole van load of us (Kathryn and Sonja and Char and Cam went too), Miss S.K. and I went to town, just to get a few things at the little store there...since it was the day before her birthday, I stopped at Dunkin so she could get a yummy drink. I also got her a pink frosted donut with sprinkles. I got a large iced coffee...and surprise! The cash register was acting up, so our order was free!

Sonja requested chocolate chip cookies with homemade pink frosting...so I made a triple batch.

I started on the frosting, but decided to take a writing
break first...


The kids are building a huge fort in the living room today.


They moved furniture to have "gym class".


We only have one kitten left...she's spoken for, but we're keeping her a few more days so mama kitty can adjust.


Jonathan and I have been taking our walks, three days in a row! Last evening, we walked before dark, and was lovely...


Anyway...I'm looking forward to getting my new reading glasses. They'll probably come in when I'm in France...and guess what...? Charlotte Claire turns ten years old when we're there, too. oops. I am kind of glad I didn't realize that little fact when I was considering whether to go or not. It's bad enough to miss their soccer tournament, but a ten year old birthday without your mommy? I know she'll be all right, but oops.

My living room is a disaster...waffleblocks, wooden blocks, the forts, lots of blankets and pillows. Jonathan is vacuuming his room, the other kids are making towers and playing, "Sorry!"

They grow up too fast, and I love when they play. They've been to the moon today, and visiting other planets, and they even brought some of the animals with them. They lured them into their fort with treats and kitten chow, and every once in a while, a cat would escape and they would go fetch it again. Davian is in love with the poor kitten...he's pretty gentle with it, but he really likes to cart it around.

In the midst of this seemingly normal week, I am elated about our trip to France. My head is swirling....passport, sneakers, toothbrush, phone charger...then there's the fact that 8 kids will be here all week...(not exactly kids, Joseph is almost 25 and Kathryn is 18), but they will need food and meal plans, ect.

But today is Sonja's birthday, so I shall go finish that pink frosting, and decorate some cookies, as per her request. I don't even know yet what's for dinner, oops.

and so ends another lovely sunday....

Rain? What rain? I have to remind myself this: I will not melt. The walks are so necessary! I can think about things, and breathe the country air, and when the evil hill is difficult, I KNOW I need to tackle it every day so that it loses some of it's evil.

We made Chinese food today using chicken we cooked yesterday. Evelyn chopped cabbage, onions, green peppers, and sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper. I deboned the chicken breast, and chopped it up. Evelyn boiled pasta, drained it, and added it to the cabbage mixture, along with soy sauce and sugar, with some seasonings. We made a pan of basmati rice with butter, too. We heated the chicken in olive oil, then added orange ginger sauce. Okay, it wasn't as yummy as takeout, because the chicken wasn't battered, but it was good, and way more healthy. We had it as a big late lunch, and sat at the table and solved the world's problems for a while. Dinner was therefore just random snacks. Camille had an apple dipped in caramel, and some pretzels, and some granola, for example. We had some 10 calorie jello, and I had pistachio nuts. I am not hungry right now, but I want to eat something...but I won't.

The kittens, oh our dear little kittens...we only have one left now.

Two nice people came here today and each took one kitten. Our friend Adrian took one last night, so one little kitten awaits her new home with one of Suzanne's friends. Phew, we successfully navigated having cute kittens and not keeping one. I really really wanted one, and honestly, one of the older girls cried when one of the orange tigers left today. You do get attached, and they are so darling.

So I'm spending too much time googling things to do in Paris...we only have on afternoon/evening there, so I'm thinking this: a glimpse of the Eiffel tower, and a picnic somewhere...a bottle of wine and some good bread, or maybe a fresh crepe.

Anyway...tomorrow is Monday, and let's be thankful to wake up, and be alive, and have the day...no grumbling!