March 6, 1991

Hi, Diary

Boy, what a day I've had. When I get together with my cousins, chaos is bound to happen. Today was Dawn's birthday, she turned 6, so we had a birthday party here at Grandma and Grandpa's. We also celebrated Jaimy's birthday, since she's turning 4 on March 17th. Brandi had her birthday on February 6th, she turned 9, so she was included her in the fun. We got a cake and ton of presents. I decorated the house with streamers and balloons. I even made a bunch of cupcakes. They turned out good.

After the decorating, I worked on my report about Joan of Arc. In History class, we had to pick a famous person from French history, so I picked her. People said Joan was crazy because she said she heard voices from God telling her she should free France from England, who'd taken over. She may have been crazy, but she got the job done. She was burned at the stake in 1431, but then she was made a saint 500 years later. Anyway, all I needed to do was type it up. Grandma let me borrow her typewriter. I typed it while I watched Stevanna. She's 9 months old now and she's mobile. Man, can she crawl fast. If I didn't catch her, she'd crawl right out the front door. Dawn, Brandi, Jeremy, Jaimy, and Auggie were running up and down the stairs. When I asked them if they were, they said no. I said, "My mistake. We must have a herd of elephants in the house." They wouldn't stop until I threatened to tell their parents. I remember when I hurt myself running up and down the stairs at Grandma's. I was only 9 years old. I ran down the stairs, tripped and fell into the table in the front hall and split open my lip. Daddy took me to the hospital, where I got 6 stitches.

I talked the kids into playing a game of "Fancy Hotel." It's a game I used to play when I was little, with some of my old clothes. Now my cousins do the same. They played in the living room, while I worked in the dining room, where I could at least hear them. I told them I trusted them to play by themselves.

I finished my report, put Stevanna in her walker and took her in the kitchen with me to make my cupcakes. I had just finished mixing the batter and was feeding Stevanna her cereal when I noticed I didn't hear my cousins anymore. I told them not to play outside without asking me, but them listening to me would be a miracle. I checked the backyard and didn't see them. I ran back inside and heard the sound of water running. I ran upstairs, buckled Stevanna in her bouncy chair, and went into Grandma and Grandpa's bathroom. In it I found my cousins dripping wet, and Dawn standing in the tub, which was practically overflowing, with all her clothes on! She threw a bucket of water on me as soon as I walked in. It was freezing, and I screamed loud enough to wake the dead. Daddy, Janet, and Jermaine, whose Dawn's, Jeremy's, Jasmine's, Jaimy's and Jourdynn's dad, heard me and came running up the stairs. Daddy turned off the water and Jermaine fished Dawn out of the tub. Janet took me to my room to get dried off. She dried my hair and we threw my party dress, the same one I wore to the ribbon cutting, in the dryer. It came out good as new.

Since Dawn had been naughty, she got a time out. She was mad! She thought she shouldn't get one because it was her birthday. Sorry, kiddo, if you misbehave, you get a time out. Daddy once told me about my very first time out. I was about 6, and I had decided to drag my kiddie pool into the kitchen, fill it up with the squirty hose from the sink, put on my suit and my arm floaties, and throw myself a pool party. Daddy came in the kitchen and stepped in the pool with his shoes on. Needless to say we was none to thrilled, and gave me my very first time out. I learned a valuable lesson that day. No swimming in the kitchen.

Anyway, I put my dress back on and finished my 3 dozen chocolate cupcakes. We had them and lots of cake and everyone opened their presents. Dawn was so tired, she almost fell asleep in the present pile. Jermaine put her to bed.

So, that was the birthday's. Time to sign off, because Daddy and I are going to the studio tomorrow.

Night Night,

Katie