No Spend, Left overs for dinner. I am going to make a big salad for dinner and I don't know what else. Going to have to look in the freezer. I think I will take out a meat loaf.
Hub's put the new light up in the basement and it is great. Now I have no excuse not to clean the family room. Dang semi darkness has its advantages. Maybe if I put on my makeup in the dark I won't see the wrinkles.
Finally finished the Irish dances now we have about 3 hours to perfect them. They have known most of the choreography for months, it is just the clean up that takes time. I am anxious for the 17th so I can get on with everything else I have to do this spring.
Spring break for the youngest is next week, I hope she stays here a few days, its always nice to have them home for a while by themselves. Speaking of spring break, I might run to my eldest for the week it depends on how busy I am in the shop. I will be going to my Sissie's when she has her eye surgery and I don't want to be gone too much as it makes a negative balance in my earnings. The studio will be closed during spring break so that is not a problem and I can take off a few lessons in April without harming my kids, it is the shop I worry about. Proms are big in April and I don't want to miss any big weeks. Plus I will have a ton of costumes to make this year I fear.
Out My Window: It is beautiful and sunny again today. A little cool, but I want to go out and sit in the sunshine. I would actually go out and work in the yard, but I have too much to do in the house and the shop today. I was very lazy yesterday. Someone needs to come a kick my butt. Any butt kickers out there?
I swear I will not leave for the studio until this house is ship shape and my pile of sewing is done. I am such an unmotivated sloth sometimes. (you will notice I did not use the word slug?) Out of respect, of course.
story cont:
Audra was sitting up on her haunches crying ,trying to climb over Millie's back. It was obvious to Nels that Millie was ignoring the noise by putting her arms over her head. In a fit of stubbornness he thought that he too might just try to out sleep Millie. Unfortunately Audra had caught a glimpse of Nels' open eyes and had seen his head bob up to look at her. She was the baby of the large family and knew full well that the right behavior would get her a rescue sooner than later. Her arms immediately went up, reaching out for Nels and her little bottom bobbed up and down on her feet. A wriggle and smile of excitement crossed her wet and messy face. She was adorable in her helplessness and she knew this, it was just a matter of time. When Nels head went to rest back on the bed, she let out a final shriek of desperation. He quickly sat up turned and placed his feet on the floor. The scrubbed wood was actually warm a small feeling for which he was grateful.
Taking the three steps across to get to the next bed, Nels saw that Audra's nightdress was tangled under Violet, another of his younger sisters. Violet was the only one of his siblings with his Fathers dark hair. Dark hair which was now laying in tangled braids next to Ruth, who was sucking her thumb. Nels was not sure how he would break her of the habit and although thoughts of it crossed his mind, Audra's diaper was ripe and needed changing. Nels grabbed a nearby rag and put it between his left hip and Audra's wool soaker, praying it wouldn't seep through to his undershirt. Clean diapers and soakers were were hanging on a makeshift clothesline across the kitchen, he grabbed the items he needed and turned to find a spot on on the bed in which to change the squirming toddler.
His four sisters shared a wider double bed across from the bunk beds that he and his four brothers. Millie was quite a bit older than the rest of the girls as his mother seemed to have children in card runs. She had Nels 11 months after her Wedding day and then came a still born daughter a year later. Maybe it was grief that kept her from conceiving for it was another two years before Millie was born, a two year wait and he had three brothers in a row. He was twelve when Wilhelm was born and Father said Millie was the queen and he was the King the three younger were his knaves. Nels would have been happy to go about life with this brood but Mother continued her way by producing another brother two years later and a succession of two little sisters, immediately after, this had all been a bit too much for him. Actually more than any one person should have to take. He was the eldest so he was the example, it was not a rank he would have chosen and he balked under the pressure. It seemed he was always in trouble and never were the things he did enough to satisfy. So when Mother and Father had let him in on their idea of immigrating to America, he could hardly contain his excitement.
He had heard much about America. The land of opportunity they called it. Many of his fellow country men had already left Sweden for a better life in America. It was a strange feeling that his parents had wanted his opinion and advice about the overwhelming idea. Never before had they sought his ideas or thoughts. But he was the eldest and much of the responsibility of the move would fall on him. Could they count on him? Was it right? So many questions, so many unknowns. Nels wanted to go desperately, he wanted a change, he wanted out. In Sweden he could be under his Father's rule, until he was twenty-one. That would mean seven more years of the responsibilities of the the oldest. Always the first one called, always the first one blamed, always the one to have to be ready and willing. America would be a chance to change all that he was sure.
Scanning the bed Nels noticed a slim area next to Millie's head. Just enough space to lay Audra and change her diaper. Also close enough to Millie's face to cause quite a stink. Smiling to himself he stripped off the damp wool soaker pants and peeled back the layers of diaper and wool soaking pads, now his dilemma was he needed a wet rag to clean the nasty mess off Audra's bottom and he had failed to obtain one. So he shook Millie and said, " Here hold her feet." Pulling Audra's small feet over her head he now expected the definitely not asleep and very angry Millie to hold Audra as still as she could from a position where Audra's dirty bottom was inches away from Millie's face. Millie forced herself into a sitting position in disgust and waited while Nels fetched the necessary rag and soaked it with water from the kettle on the stove.
Millie watched as Nels with his rooster red/blonde hair sticking up in the back walked the few feet to the families stove, wet two clothes returned deftly wiping Audra's messy nose and face. He then cleaned up the mess at the other end and quickly stacked the diaper and wool soaker pads in layers to achieve the best use of their sponge. "How do you do that so quickly?" Millie asked, forgetting that she had been angry a few moments ago. Nels responded,"Skill comes from doing. " Millie smiled as she remembered her Mother and Father repeating this Swedish proverb many times. She looked at Nels and tried hard to remember her mother. Her dark blonde hair and blue eyes were like his, but his form and hair line were like her father's. It was easier to picture her father as Nels face and expressions were so like his. Father too had gone grey early, but had lost the hair as quickly as it appeared, making him look like and older man with a young body. Nels for all of his nineteen years could easily pass for a man in his mid twenties, a bald man in his mid twenties.
cont.
Got to go have lots to do.
Have a great and productive day!
Kim
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