The Ups and the Downs

I must first report that I made it without being at my computer all the way up until the last hour and fifteen minutes. I figured that staying away from it in order to be with kids who were asleep was kind of silly and I wanted to post this picture.

Our meal was good and everyone was appropriate throughout the meal. Of course, it only took a few of them 15 minutes to eat, but they did act appropriately for those 15 minutes. We had a guest, a lady from church, and we sat at two tables, though one of them was in the living room only feet away from the other. This was the first time all 14 of us had been together and for that I was very grateful for most of the day.

After lunch and dishes that I ended up doing more of than planned (I suggested that the kids who didn't usually live here do the dishes... John was exempt because he had already mopped the kitchen floor without being asked, but the other three (mike, kyle Salinda) jumped up and chipped in right away -- until the dishwasher was full -- and then disappeared, leaving me with all the pots and pans. I wasn't going to push it... just seeing how much they would do. I could have insisted, but the stress that would have followed made it so not worth it.

I insisted on a family picture which was a disaster. Dominyk was extremely uncooperative and Mike was so negative. If you look at his face in this picture and have a sudden urge to smack the negativity out of him, you'll know how the rest of us felt during the picture. Then, stupid me, we got almost done with the pictures and realized JOhn wasn't there. Had to take them again. This is the best one of the kids. I'm not even posting the ones with Bart and I in them.

After dishes i played a marathon game of Monopoly with Rand, Jimmy (who quit early), Ricardo, Tony (who also quit early), and Leon, who won. It took hours.

Then we lit a fire and tried to have some family time. By this point, Mike was furtively glancing and pacing, sneaking the phone to talk to his friends. The little kids were hyper beyond belief and Bart by this point was ready to be done and in our bedroom. Dominyk was bouncing off the walls.

And my day ended at 10:15 when I picked up the phone because nobody is supposed to be on after 10:00. I heard, "I gotta get me some f***** weed now!" from one of Mikes friends. I confiscated the phone. So annoying to see his friends are not changing no matter what.

Salinda and John have both done well on their visits, but they couldn't be longer. They want to be out with friends and can't be.

I'm leaving now to take John back to the Ranch. I'm glad we were all together. Thankful for that.

But I'm also glad it doesn't happen very often. There is too much stress, especially when MIke and Kyle are here together.

But we made it.... once again.