Today

was Monday, Ethan's "day off." We usually try to cram too many things into our Mondays and get started too late and end up disgruntled and tired and eager for the relaxation of a regular work day.

But today we had only four things on our agenda, none of them urgent:

1. Get a coffee (I really really really need to get a new French press -- my old one broke and I am absolutely spoiled and must make coffee in a new one).
2. Get funny little lock-thingys for the one nice bookshelf we own -- it lost them somewhere on the move.
3. Get library cards.
4. Get outside.

Right before leaving, Ethan burnt his hand when he inadvertently grabbed the exhaust of the pushmower as he was putting it away. He covered it with some silver salve he has left over from his battle with pushki nine years ago, and we left.

Our first two chores accomplished, we headed to the library. Eden (3) fell asleep in the van, so Ethan nursed his wound and stayed with her and the babies in the parking lot while I took the other five inside. The library here makes a BIG DEAL when you turn five and can get a library card, so Miriam and Abraham were especially excited to be getting their own cards. We decided each child could get the same number of books as their age. This means I know exactly how many books each child should have ready to return next time.

In other (more accurate) words, it means I will know exactly how many books are missing.

Then we headed to Gypsy Hill Park.We drove past the busy, larger play place and headed for the smaller, older one. The babies rolled around on a quilt on the grass, the other 6 played happily for the better part of an hour, and Ethan and I relaxed on a bench and laughed at the children's antics.

Afterward, we headed to Kroger for some last-minute embellishments for tonight's tacos. Ethan picked up a Redbox movie, I picked up some scrumptious fresh blueberries (albeit not for the tacos), and we headed home to a meal that was eagerly devoured and baths that were not-so-eagerly taken.

And now? We've sorted through a few more boxes in our bedroom, treated Benjamin's ailing tummy with peppermint tea and funny music youtubes, and are about to veg in front of a movie. I will make a valiant effort at staying awake.

Happy Monday.