A very happy birthday to you....

This post is especially for my Mom because it is her birthday and she has been gone for two weeks in Canada.  More importantly, she has been waiting to hear from us by email and we have not contacted her even once.  Mea culpa, Grandma!  We had to go offline because our computer downloaded a nasty trojan  and multiple viruses.  Joseph has since wiped the computer and we are starting fresh. (Have I mentioned I'm going to miss that techno-savvy son?)

So, if you are not my Mom or you are not interested in the latest details of our crazy fam, you may want to skip this post!  For those who are still hanging on my every type-written word,  here goes...

Joseph finished his summer job this past Friday.  He is planning on spending the next week accumulating whatever he still needs to buy for school, packing, cleaning that room we call "The Swamp" and throwing various unnecessaries in our overflowing garbage can.  He's also spending a fair amount of time with his closest friends as the time to say goodbye is closing in.

I wish I could say that Timothy is doing all the same things.  When his time to move approaches, I'm pretty sure he's going to throw whatever he can fit in a suitcase and walk out the door at the last minute leaving us with the job of general garbage collection as he pulls out of the driveway in a cloud of dust.  (Just joking, I'm sure he'll get his act together, it will just take a little more prodding.)  He did get his computer ordered, purchased his textbooks, and got his official SCTCC student ID (very impressive!).

Stephen took the Accuplacer this past Thursday and is planning on taking some college courses. A Trig class this fall, Psych in the winter, and Algebra and College Writing I next Spring.  He's excited about the math, actually chose the psych and I forced talked him into taking the English class.  He also started soccer practice with the Prep School...so glad he's driving this year.

Clare is very excited that two brothers are moving out.  I think she's probably dreaming about her very own bedroom just about every night.  When she isn't moaning over that darn headgear, that is.  Poor girl!  She's in the final countdown though, only a couple more weeks and she will be free of the extra hardware.  I think we'll have to party!  We're also planning our school year and realizing that as a 9th grader, her classes will be a little more challenging than in the past.  Algebra, biology, ugh...do I have to do this again?  Oh wait...I mean, isn't this exciting, all the new things she gets to learn about?

Matthew and Andrew have been counting down the weeks to their big move. I have THE PLAN all ready: first we will be completely fumigating "The Swamp", next we will surreptitiously make Stephen sign a contract of new-found cleanliness  expectations, finally we will rename "The Swamp" to something more acceptable and in keeping with the fresh, clean smell that will pervade the room, THEN we will begin the transporting of clothing and various other personal items to the nether regions of our house. (Have to let you know how it all works out in a few weeks.)

Therese has already started and stopped doing "schoolwork" numerous times in the past few weeks.  She is finally able to read Magic Treehouse Mysteries (chapter books) so it is a very exciting time for her,  so exciting that she never falls asleep until at least 11PM, a habit we will have to change before our school year officially begins.

Johnny and Gabriel have finally crossed the threshold of my endurance when it comes to their fighting.  They must have sensed that I had reached my limits because recently I caught them playing together.  Yeah, you read that right.  They were actually PLAYING together and it's happened twice now!  They managed to play a game together with no biting, kicking, or hair pulling.  Maybe they're turning over a new leaf or maybe they're just pulling my leg.  Hmmmm!

Marianna is now saying so many words that it's hard to keep up with her.  Her favorite is to chant "Da-ddy, Da-ddy" while waving her arms in the air.  Get's her pretty much anything she wants from her Daddy.  Clare also taught her to do the fist bump while she repeats "Oh, baby".  She yells "Ride" every time Dan leaves for work and cries since she can't go with him.

It's hard to find a time when we are all together to make big announcements but we were able to get the news out this past weekend that there will be a new baby joining us in March.  I've decided that morning sickness is a great excuse to enforce child labor around here. Time to put everybody to work before the school year is in full swing. We still have a very large pile of compost to spread on my flower beds.  I have to finish planning our school year, order a few books and then start the whole seasonal clothing change that is way overdue in the bedroom closets. Definitely time to call in the worker bees.

 P.S. Grandma, hope this was a better birthday present than the refrigerator pickles that you couldn't take across the border.  Forgot to ask Grandpa if he was eating them all before you return to get your share.