school starts on wednesday

I have an extra large house full today.  There are about five construction workers here, busy with the new addition.  At any moment the door will open and one of the guys will walk through the house.  Also, our friends are taking their daughter to a specialist in Boston today and we invited their two teenagers over for the day.  Michael, Jake's friend from church, is here, too.

The morning air smelled so sweet and soft, and a veil of clouds covered the sunshine as I sat and read CS Lewis in the rocking chair at breakfast time.   Since then, we have had a few light rain showers.

I just made a six box batch of Annie's macaroni and cheese for lunch.

My 13 (soon to be 14) year old daughter, Grace, is going to the High School today at one o'clock for her Freshman orientation party.  She is ready to go, with black pants, a long sleeved purple shirt, hair brushed, earrings on.  I had to stop her from playing football with the boys so she didn't get all sweaty. 

I have mom-guilt.  The plans I had in the beginning of summer, to teach cursive, to read the Pirate book out loud, to make sure they got their summer math papers done......(cries).......didn't get done.

And here I am, sitting at the computer when I could be giving Caleb a cursive writing class!

It's the first time I've sat down all morning.

And I'M GONNA enjoy it!  Everyone else is in the upstairs of the garage playing Apples to Apples.  I have some time to post pictures from the weekend.

Kathy came over with her kids on Friday and we went downtown for pizza. 

This butterfly fluttered it's wings constantly as it sipped from the flowers.

Kaitlyn, Emily, Caleb, David, and Seth is under the dock.

Bethany Grace and Sarah Joy

Ethan and Kevin
all of these children have been friends since the diaper days.

I made cookies!  I only had enough butter for one batch.  And then, when I was out of the room Sarah fed about 6 to the DOG.
I also made a chocolate cake.

We moved the table into the new addition and put all the leaves in it and the chairs around it.  VERY exciting.

the other side of the room; pantry skeleton on the right.

The kittens curled up on the paper and slept all day (Saturday)...at one point they woke up, shredded up a page, and fell back to sleep surrounded by bits of paper.

I went to Old Navy. (new shirt, new pants)

new sneakers

Jacob ate a peach off our tree and found a small white grub in the middle with the pit.  So I picked every peach.  This is a half-bushel basket....I spent hours in the kitchen peeling each one and getting the grub out (if there was a grub).  I am sickened and will probably not eat any, but I got four bags of perfectly clean peaches in the freezer, ready for smoothies.

These are my children for the day--my seven plus Mike (red shirt and hat), Ethan (orange shirt--he likes Grace--) and Erinn (girl holding Sarah).  They are such great people, and what a joy to have different ages.  They are each so unique and fun.  And, good-looking, too!

Ethan found this baby snake on our dirt driveway.  Isn't it the cutest thing?