Today was Friday and the kids had the day off from school. Yes, all four of them were home. The boys had the day off from Yochien because it is some Japanese holiday that has to do with sweet potatoes, in fact yesterday they went on a field trip digging for them and Isaac came back with a big bag of small ones and said they were babies. As for the girls, they had the day off because they haven't had one for eight whole days and the teachers need the day off for prep time.

Needless to say it was not a good day for Becky's mental well-being. She called me yesterday at work and wanted me to take the day off today, but I couldn't because this whole job thing is kind of demanding and unfortunately I need to plan my time off with more than a day's notice. So she spent the day at home with the kids. When I left this morning I asked her what she had planned for them and she said, "oh I have a list of chores for them." At that point I knew it was going to be a very long day for her.

She called me at the office around 9:30. The day actually started with a highlight and that is the baby slept in until then. He is the best baby in the world. As long as Becky gives him a steady diet of that skim milk he does nothing but sleep or grin. The other kids, however, were not such angels. Becky had embarked on cleaning the girls' room, and things were not going well.

Having never had sisters myself it amazes me what little piggies girls can be. They never hesitate to shove their dirty clothes back into the drawer after they are done wearing them. They change their clothes 5,000 times before deciding what to wear, and throw all of the outfits that didn't work out on the floor. They've been going through their halloween candy like a rat in a dumpster and as long as they throw the wrappers in the general direction of the garbage can they think they are good. They have no clue how much their mom does for them.

People say the teenage years are going to be so difficult, but if the girls start taking a little pride in themselves it will all be worth it. On second thought, I saw Becky's room when she was a teenager and it was a train wreck also. I guess we will have to hold out until they are mommies before they get that sense of cleanliness.

Last year as some kind of cruel joke on Becky and I, Grandma Kim gave the girls a perfume making kit for Christmas. Well this morning Becky thought she had it packed away high and in the back of the closet, but Jake is a very cunnning two year old. Somehow, unbeknownst to Becky, he got ahold of two bottles of perfume oil and he dumped them all over his head. Just after that is when I came home for lunch. The baby was crying because he was due for his dose of Becky's skim milk, so I just grabbed him and slipped away while the other four endured the wrath. I hate it when the kids get the day off.

-AJW