Lizzie's Help

Levi and I were cleaning out the hamster cage. The hamsters were happily rolling around in dirty plastic hamster balls. Lizzie noticed.

"Here, Levi," she said. We turned around. She was holding both hamster/hamster balls, one in each hand.

"Oh, Lizzie. We don't need them yet," I say in my Sweet Teaching Toddler Voice. "You can go put them back in the hallway."

3 seconds later: THUNK!!! THUNK!!!!

Me, in my I'm Now Tired Of Toddlers Voice: "Levi, go see if the hamsters are dead."

Sadie's Brothers Love Her

Tonight Eli was holding Sadie. His first remark was "Ewwwww. She has sweaty armpits." (Sadie is all of 8 months old) After that observation, he and Levi's next logical step was to talk about her ability to fight off attackers.

"She could spin around!"
"And spray everyone!"
"With spray from her armpits!"

She loved the attention. And I think she's still too young to know about self esteem.

"Banned"

I had a husband-sponsored night out. He stayed home with the toddlers and baby; I took the older kids to a movie. While they were there, I went to my favorite library. I returned the books that make me not want to read to my children anymore: Sleepy, Sleepy Bed and Anna Shares, just to name a few. And, by the way, Anna does not share. Her friend has to go home because she won't share 2 cookies, then she "shares" with her teddy bear and some other thing that doesn't eat. I need to write children's books. But that's another blog.

I got 24 items at the library. It was like a new wardrobe. I took them to the self check out scanner at which point I was informed (after a bonking noise, not the welcoming beep) that I was "banned from checking out items." The good news is, I knew why. I had returned a DVD case without the DVD in it. The case was returned at least 2 weeks ago; the DVD was returned today.

"You have to go find the supervisor," the circulation desk person informed me.

I found Diane. She pulled up my records and frowned. "You have an $8 fine."

"I know. But I returned it today."

"Yes, but it took a long time. And you've done this before."

"I know. But I have 7 kids. 2 are from Ethiopia..." I trailed off. Diane had less than no interest in my story. Her focus was entirely on the fact that "Very Hungry Caterpillar" disc and case had been separated for much longer than the allotted time and that furthermore, I was a repeat offender.

She took off the fine eventually with this warning: "I'm making a note that I told you I would only do this once."

So now I live with The Bad Library Credit Rating for...ever. It will probably have its own sound when I scan my card.

But I have my 24 new items. And for that, I am thankful.

Going North

We just got home from "up north." That means we jammed ourselves and our stuff into the Suburban and drove 5 hours up. Thankfully, there is a well-placed Caribou Coffee in Duluth. It tasted particularly good during the snowstorm yesterday.

Here are some observations about going up north with 7 kids:

1. I can parent with no technology (tv) as long as we have a wheelbarrow, rocks, sticks, snacks and the biggest lake in the entire world just out the back door.

2. Hiking is interesting. Good thing Lizzie and Sadie are still pretty light and the other kids are willing to help out.

3. Fishing was interesting. That was Joel's Mother's Day present to me. Not that I went fishing but that he went with 5 of the 7 kids. The two he left behind were napping.

Time for me to feed one, get one up and take one potty. More soon.

Little Pieces of News

1. We are going to take everyone to a cabin near Lutsen. We leave tomorrow. Zeke keeps asking Lizzie what her "favorite part" of the cabin is. Then gets mad when she doesn't answer.

2. Did our first college visit yesterday with Emma. Went to University of St. Thomas. Liked it.

3. Figured out that by the time Sadie graduates, I will have been parenting from 1994 to 2027.

4. Talked to my girls today about what I'll be like when I'm old. Figure I'll be weird after all this parenting. I just don't think there's any way to avoid it.

5. Nearly bought a chocolate chip chocolate muffin with chocolate frosting to eat for breakfast. Resisted.

6. Had coffee, a banana and Peanut M&Ms for breakfast the other day.

7. Don't want people to say,

"I don't know HOW you do it" because I don't either. And sometimes I don't.

8. It's all worth it.

Emma with Sadie in Ethiopia. 1994 (Emma's birthday) to 2027 (Sadie's graduation). Well worth it.