Don't worry, Be happy.

Greetings from Boogerville

Hey!! How's life with you, my beloved reader? We in Boogerville would like to wish you a good week

it's almost Wednesday already.
(just a mere two hours to go)
I haven't harassed you with any non-information from us yet this week! So here we go...

This is what we have coming out of our closet this week!


Too bad we can't all fit in it, since, it seems that Matthew would like to be a part of this momentous occasion (and perhaps a few more of us--but we won't say who exactly).

Poor babies seem to be left out of everything.
Ah well, such is life.
My advice is

"Tough it
or
Snuff it."

Very sage, I am sure, even coming from me. My very own, very first, very wise saying.
*sniff sniff*
I'm getting to be such a big girl. ;) Almost becoming a teensy bit mature already. :o


RAH!!
(Not all of us are getting more mature.)


And here is another cheerful picture of me from the land of Boogerville. Just for my Mom.
Because I love her.

May all our boogers dry up before our Kleenex budget causes near bankruptcy in our household.

Intoducing the ArcticCat SnoPro F1080

"Mommy, how do you make a snowmobile?"
"I don't."
"Mommy, can you help me make a snowmobile?"
"No...
*deep sigh*
I'm busy."

Here it is, the one and only
ArcticCat SnoPro F1080

Left on his own, he did a pretty good job!! It's not like he's seen a snowmobile up close--not that I can remember anyways. With the equipment he had available--I think he gets 5 stars for his creation!


"What are you doing, Nathan?"
"I'm fixing it a little bit. It needs a bit more work here yet."
Pulls blankets up a little snugger.
Hammers and bangs and tightens with his two spoons/screwdriver/hammers.
"OK, it's done now."

Interlude:

A meddlesome sister attempts to interrupt an all important explanation.
(Don't worry, Nathan was not supplanted.)

As for the internal workings of this spectacular Arctic Cat SnoPro F1080:

Nathan pulls out the engine from in under the hood.
"This here turn-ey thing goes round and round and turns the motor faster.
"This other piece is another part of the snowmobile to make sure that it can go. It's for when the battery breaks and you have to get a new one."

Temperamental vacillating and volatile.

Fluctuating female at your service!


I am happy. Today I got the things done I wanted to do today. I did not even forget that my children existed during this "productive time", and spent lots of quality time bonding with them. (Bonding, apparently, is one of the focal points of my job.) We had a lot of fun together. Buying and wrapping birthday presents, baking, story reading...


I am frustrated and tense. Today I had children, who took random turns at testing my patience. A few untimely "NO"'s instead of "Yes Mom"'s, a few signs of physical aggression towards each other, and a few too many clingy grabby arms crying for carrying.


I am wiped. Today I had the unshakable feeling of having gotten out of the wrong side of bed a few too many hours earlier than acceptable. I'm am SURE that this is the ONLY reason why I lost my patience, and I can put the sole responsibility on this, and spend the rest of the evening with my conscience unscathed. After all, if I did yell a little, it was only the fault of being a little too tired.

And now it is time for me to be bathed. It may relax me a little.
MAY?
May is a nice time of year you know. Flowers, trees, birthdays, holidays...
HOLIDAYS?
I get to have lots of holidays this year...flying far away, canoe trips, family visiting
VISITING?
We are going visiting tomorrow. A four year old girl's birthday party. I shall fit right in, I am sure. Maybe I'll take the kids along too, after all, I doubt I can find a babysitter on a Friday morning this late in the game.
GAME?
Did I mention the present me got the girl was a game? Hungry hungry hippos. There are four hippos in there, Harry, Homer, Happy and I don't know.
HAPPY?
I shall be happy in the bath.
BATH?
Right, I was going. Time to relax some of my tense muscles...maybe pick up a good book.
Before I blow up.

BANG!

When life stinks more than our socks

it is time to keep our socks on longer.

Lately (but not today, since today I had a lovely visit :) ) I've had a lot of exposure to frailty, sickness, loneliness and death. So many people have so many things they struggle with, and I sometimes feel that I just have it too good, and really have no idea how to relate to others who are doing really poorly.

This Sunday our minister paused his series because an elderly man in our congregation had a heart attack--he gave us great words of comfort instead. The death of this man was shocking. Even for me. This jovial gentleman, this time last year, was telling me to have my baby on the 20th, since it was his birthday. I didn't manage to force Matthew out on the appointed day, but now I wish I had.

Psalm 139:18b When I am awake, I am still with you.
Isn't it such a comfort that there is more to life and death than just what we can see?

Mom Pie

When Mommy is too busy (or just plain uninterested) my kids may have to make a pie.


Or cuddle with Daddy instead. Poor guy.

oxy family day.

Family day is a sort of oxymoron to me. Day and family have little to do with each other. First off, when a new member is added to the family, the newest member will, rarely ever, want anything to do with the day, but only want your love and attentions late at night.

Secondly, you can't just have a family DAY, maybe a family millennium.
Seems to me a day just isn't enough for a family to spend together.
Nevertheless, I do agree that another holiday could be enjoyed, so we spent this one in the fresh air.

So lovely!

Nathan thought it would be cool to go skating all the way down into the toolies. What fun!

Self control + Matthew

"Oh Nathan, does your cookie ever look tasty!"

Pause.
(for reflection and thought)

Thoughts:
Nathan's grip is way too tight
He's holding it in the wrong hand
I'll have to try some other time when he's off guard.


"That's ok, Nathan, I was only kidding. You can have it! I don't like them THAT much."

Interior Designing Advice, please.

Help! I need advice, quick! I've narrowed down my selection to a tying three, and don't know which one to pick.

Which gives the window a better finished look?


A. Artsy and affordable, for an elegAnt look.
A sheet draped lovingly over a decorative rod.


B. Boring and "un"brazen, for a traditional look.
The more haBitual drapes.
(Please note that they are NOT finished yet, they are merely hanging up for measuring purposes)


C. Classy and chic, for an eclectiC look
A combination of the two.

Conversation of Myself with my Other self

ROZE says, "I'm feeling crabby."
roze says, "Well, at least that is something definite to work with!!"
"It's lousy."
"Well, snap out of it, then!"
"No.
Nobody gave me tea in bed this morning.
Nobody got me dressed this morning.
Nobody cleaned my house for me this morning.
Nobody did anything for me today!
What did I do to deserve such neglect?"

roze says, "ROZE, ROZE, why is it so hard to realize that the world doesn't revolve around you?"
"It doesn't? You must be kidding!"

She was kidding, right?

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?

Or can they not be stolen if they're not actually finished being made yet?

I followed the advice, or perhaps, more accurately, the example of someone today. I banished my stay-out-of-the-kitchen-or-end-your-life-early rule. But only for the afternoon.

Both my helpers were eager, curious, and cooperative. Must be because of their lack of exposure to real life experiences. Poor kids. :p


Nathan is adding tonnes of extra vanilla extract. Fortunately the vanilla container is empty, so it's only imaginary extra vanilla. Otherwise the taste would have been a LITTLE off. After all, he was only adding a LITTLE extra.


Melanie's thinking "Those don't look very much like cookies to me!"AND "I wonder if I can eat some now, or will Mom notice?"


If the cookies turn out a little damp it's probably from all the extra drool. (Three sources of drool today instead of only having one source normally.)

Gulp

I have a great big lump in my throat and it won't go down.


I just spent a wad of money, and am flying directly to my destination instead of us doing the family thing via Edmonton. It's way too expensive to fly! But from all the pros I've talked to, this is probably the best it will get...unless the economy makes some crazy changes to the plane ticket market...but I'd better not count on that!

SO...

July 28 I hope to fly out and Aug 5 I must return.

I am completely dissatisfied with the length of time I chose. Not only is it way too short of a time spend with family, it is also way too long to spend away from family!! Having a twin would come in handy right now, I think.
Hahaha.
Or not.

Done one

One project, that is.
And maybe not done very well.


If you look at the ceiling in Melanie's room, you can notice the paint peeling off in the corner. Unfortunately the paint did not adhere to the wall everywhere. Can't excuse the quality of paint, since we didn't cheap out on that. Perhaps we didn't put on enough primer?

But one day we shall patch up the peeling spots--it happened on the orangey/yellow in places where we pulled up the tape too--but not in too many spots, thankfully. The closet isn't finished yet either--the trim only has primer on--think we ran out... Also we need to hang up a curtain rod. New curtains would be nice too, but THAT'S another LONG LONG delayed story that is still mostly unwritten.

Despite the shortcomings, I think that it looks 400% better than purple with silver dragonflies. It isn't overwhelming anymore, either, even though the colour choice is a bit bright. It no longer has purple walls, purple ceilings, purple trim, and purple doors. No longer is it Mr. Pine's Purple House. And it really lightens up the hallway too, when it's sunny. You can just see the yellowishness glowing there. Ahh. It's good to be done"ish".


"That's MY "new" room, I'll have you know!"

The (three) story(ies) of the three little playing children

Nathan and Melanie and the Big Meal

So what's for dinner today kids? Earlier they had spaghetti, looks like bead tea now though.
Nathan and Melanie played really well together all morning, with the exception of that one important time when I was tied up and couldn't help them--so they, obviously, had to beat each other up and call for help then. Matthew would come up to join occasionally, but when I wasn't within sight Nathan would say "no no Matthew" and he'd leave crying.

As usual Nathan does almost all of the talking, organizing, and bossing around. Melanie mostly just listens...until she gets fed up...and then eventually there is a fight. But they WERE happy together for over an hour. Pretty impressive!

Melanie and Nathan and the Super Dooper Noisy Crash

"Mommy come see what we're doing downstairs!!"
Nathan shoves the basket up while Melanie acts the part of some sort of cooperative uselessness on the other side.

Dump. (accompanied by lots of hyper laughter from both of them)
Some manual dumping was required for the last box. (Kind of spoiled the climax for me a little. ;) )

Wasn't that so funny?

Matthew the Left-Behind Neglected Child

Impatiently waiting for me at the top of the stairs is the odd one out. Too little to go down by himself. Too intrusive to be welcomed by the older two. Poor Matthew.

At least Mommy feels sorry for you.
But what mother wouldn't seeing their baby waiting for them piteously moaning "maamaamaa maa".
After all he just said

MOMMY!!!!!

Didn't he?

I smell a Stinker or two...or three

Nathan loves to copy Matthew being a baby, and he is quite good at it. I have confused the two of them a few times now, especially when I just hear or feel them--Nathan will grab my pant legs too...which is NOT cute. His latest thing is to ask questions about where things come from (peanut butter, snow, etc) and he just loves to sit and have incredibly long stories read to him.


Melanie is talking like crazy now. She has big long stories that can almost match her big brother now. Makes for difficulties, since it is hard to make out two conversations at once! She's a real social girl, and loves getting adults (ladies preferred) to converse with her, and help her get her snow stuff on--which she really can mostly do herself.


Matthew is a grandson after his grandpa's own heart. He's got the right kind of shirt, and the car...time to get him a tool set. ;) He's really taken an interest in anything with wheels now, and will push them all around the place. If there are none, he'll shove my chairs and coffee table around. He's a little clown, and loves to do bad things over and over again just for the punishment and attention he gets.

My four eyes are becoming square eyes

which means it is high time I got off of the computer.

But first I shall treat you with a blurry photograph of me and the awful results of aggravating my own acne. I should just grow up and leave it alone.