New glasses

At our doctor visit, the subject of optometrists came up, and our doctor said that at this age, the kids could go every other year, and that would be sufficient for their needs. So, since we've done dentists a little too much this year, I figured it'd be a good year to opt out on. But the kids got glasses anyways.

I'm sure you think Matthew's new glasses look terrific! His older brother took quite a while to perfect them. Notice how trendy they are with the square frame style?

Melanie had to settle for a pair that looked more like her father's, since that's all her Mother was capable of doing on short notice.

My Mummy dresses me funny

But I still love her

Organizing requires messy beginnings

The one room in the house that is almost always neat is a disaster right now.

Sad but true, the newer things are easier (read: more fun) to maintain. Hopefully this is not the case when I deal with my children. :o

These wonderful children are also packing kitchen stuff for their own camping trip, as I refused to let them help me pack. I will not even allow their father to interfere in the food packing department, so they did not take it personally. I think Nathan did most of the packing, Melanie most of the supervising, Matthew most of the entertaining, and Daniel most of the interfering.

(Some of the entertainment.) These shoes look a bit more challenging to walk in than heels, but I am only guessing.

New hope with regrowth

It takes me a while to get used to hair cuts. Even Phil, who gets his hair done "professionally", looks awful to me when he gets home. For about a week. And then I'm used to it. If it's not too short. So, with a bit of regrowth and a bit of time, the kids shall all look cute again. We can hope.

Before:


After:


After:



Before:


After:


Amazingly enough, Matthew sat the best for me. And Melanie was the worst. I was lucky to get a snip in when she wasn't wiggling. Once she's old enough to care what it looks like, she'll be old enough to sit better. And maybe by then my hairdressing abilities will have grown dramatically.

I don't think they improved any. I kinda like the longer shaggier look. But I'm not the only one in the world, I'm told.

Maybe in a week they'll look cute to me again.
Maybe in a week I'll be able to love them again.

Presenting Their Royal Highnesses:

In majestic attire.


Prince Nathan

The heir to the throne is pleased to show you his outfit.
He was rather disappointed when we got home
when he found his ribbon was hiding under his vest.
"Too bad nobody could see my pretty ribbon hiding under my vest"
says his majesty.

Princess Melanie

This beautiful girl blended in nicely with the other beauties at the party.
However, her intellect was noticeable lacking,
and she didn't follow everything that happened.
It was a five year old party after all, and she's only 3.
But she had fun anyways.

Prince Matthew

As is not uncommon with royal children, this child acted as one royally pampered.
After putting him down on the floor (he would not refrain from injuring his mother)
he still wanted to be held by her.
When denied this most reasonable desire of his,
he banged his regal head up and down on the floor.

Black n' Stripes

I dunno, Lulu.

Maybe I need a little more help in addition to
the colour change
and slimming stripes.

But these days, being fat is a matter of opinion

(and camera angle).
Whoever says I'm fat can think so themselves.
(and KEEP it to themselves, ahem, MRS. hypocrite BOB!)

My husband still thinks I'm skinny.
If he says hints or thinks otherwise, he shall be very
very
very
very
very
sorry.

Barrettes

Barrettes go in the hair.
Dead batteries go in the garbage.
Mommy Roze should go to bed.
But maybe the kids should go first.

Thanks Chris!

Last Sunday someone at church said she had a package for me from someone from S--. But she didn't have it on her, or know who it was from...so ALL WEEK LONG I was left speculating. She remembered yesterday though. :) It was from Chris!! With some clothes that had been borrowed--plus the above mystery shirt. It looks vaguely familiar, but I really can't place where it's from. Maybe it was mine and I never wore it? Or maybe it was just a bonus 'cause I'm so special! It's not actually a maternity shirt, but I think it shall do just fine for the next couple of months! What do you think?

Thanks for the surprise Chris!!

As for my belly, you can see it is no longer slim. *hahaha* This Sunday another lady talked to me and said
"Roze, you sure popped out all of a sudden!"
So I confessed:
"That's not the baby yet--that's just all the loose stuff leftover from the last pregnancies that has no place to hide anymore. I've been sucking my tummy back for a few weeks now, but it was getting to be too much work."

Mommyish

I was moaning and groaning and sighing as my husband said goodbye to my tired self this morning. He was telling me about my two remaining children who were both awake and waiting for me to release them from bed, while the third was clinging to my legs.

As I crouched there at the top of the stairs wrapped in my housecoat and peering through very tired eyelids he says
"Have a good day."
I laughed in a pitiful sort of feel-sorry-for-me way 'cause my kids are all awake and I don't want them or me to be that way.
But he didn't fall for it.

"You have three wonderful children dear," says he, "Have a wonderful day."

I think he is right. About the day, and the children, and the perspective I should have, even if it is 6:45AM and I am tired.


So now I'm feeling sort of mommyish today. It's a drearyish day, with fresh snow, yeah, fresh snow. We are staying at home today. And I am doing chores ever so slowly, and just existing as happily as possible in the same atmosphere as my kids. Maybe I'll even hug one of them spontaneously. ;)


Melanie and I had matching hairstyles the other day, at her request. Braids look 10x cuter on her than me, but they stay in my hair 10x better. So together, we are a wonderful combination.

These Shoes

These shoes are made for crawling
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these shoes are gonna crawl all over you!

(oops, if I can keep them on, they will)

Don't they look great with his most formal outfit?

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.

Just what are you laughing at?

I was calmly enjoying my lunch when two kids kept laughing and laughing. By the volume coming from their direction, it was something worth seeing...


When I peered around to see what was so funny, whatever it was, was gone.

By the way, isn't that sweater SO fashionable! I think I look a bit like Raphael here, don't you?

On the subject of red sweaters, YES the one Matthew was wearing is indeed the red elf sweater. I just love it's name. :) And it is super cute too. So glad I snagged it the other month. Thanks! I am curious about who actually made it though! The other day someone just couldn't believe that a sweater in that condition could have been worn by someone older than me. I guess I'm starting to look older and more mature, and that's why it was so unbelievable. ;)

I'm desperate--I'll try ANYTHING!

Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time.





However, the long term effectiveness of the idea was not as good.
Alas.
Back to square one.
But aren't those ear coverings styling? I made them myself. :) :)

Thank you to all

for comments and tips and such. I always forget to say thanks...must be due to lack of manners. :o I did want to point out that in regards to my nose, I've always been especially proud of my slender nose holes. I've always thought that my noes and my toes were my two permanently pretty parts of me. Highlights of my beauty, I'd say. While the rest of me is great too, I always fall back on that dependable duo for support.

Consisting of various kinds of stuff

Oh man there's so many pictures to sort through!


I bet you can't guess what one of my favorite activities is! I do always have to make sure she's actually laying down in bed, since she's the sneaky one in the family. She likes to stand up on the very edge of her bed's "headboard" so she can reach the light switch, and then she flicks it on and off until one of her clueless parents clue in. Or she smuggles toys in bed. :o


We have an affectionate girl in the family. Not sure where she learned that from--perhaps from one of our visitors.


Melanie has developed a very fake laugh. She can work herself up with this geeky laugh until everyone laughs at the geekiness of it, and then it's all the real deal.


Yup, it's about bedtime, I'd say! It's much to late to be blogging...but I'm addicted now! :o


It's been so long, and I'm sure there was an important story here about some miserable miserableness. But it wasn't today. I forget most crimes against me with a good nights sleep! So I'm giving you some advice--tick me off later in the day, then the grudge doesn't last so long. (There is the disadvantage that I may be so angry it keeps me awake for hours, and then I'll be cranky the next day anyways. :p )


My blog is just so lovely, that even people in my very own house feel they need to reread it, just to catch all the poignant phrases I have recorded for their pleasure.


More quality time with some "out of town" family. All our family is out of town, so that's pretty safe to say. ;)


I made playdough today. Got green food coloring all over my pants. I'll see tomorrow once they've dried if I managed to get it out. If only I could blame the kids...maybe I should! After all, I was demonstrating to them the science of blending food coloring into the playdough when I did it. Yah, I know I'm highly intelligent. :)


I wish I never taught them to say cheese in front of the camera. It causes more problems than it fixes. *sigh*


Warning! Never lift hand blender out of liquid you are blending while it is still blending! This is only a tiny section of the disaster--had to show you my WAY too much pumpkin puree too. Never again (hopefully) shall I buy a jumbo pumpkin and cook up the whole thing. Next time I'll make sure it gets wasted into a jack-o-lantern. After all, I don't even like pumpkin pie. *deep sigh* Dad, can you come over so I can make you another six pumpkin pies? I've got 12 cups left over! Oh wait--might even make 12 pies actually! Yikes! Any good non-pumpkin-pie pumpkin recipes?


Highly recommended "activity books" for little kids. My mother in law gave me a few of these when Nathan was two, and he loved them. Melanie has started too, and is just as enthralled. I'm
pretty impressed with how the books progress from simple and easy to much more difficult. Quite well done--and I consider myself hard to please when it comes to children's material. On the right picture, you can see Nathan's work on the top two (mazes and cutting), and Melanie's on the bottom two (coloring and sticker/pasteing). They are the easiest levels, and work they're way up. With Nathan, I remember occasionally he didn't have enough practice with a certain step before it progressed, so I imitated a few of handdrawn ones, and gave some extra time off to get a bit older, then he got it.

Confessions of a non-lady:


I broke down and bought a hair dryer the other day. Not sure if it helps me any. But it was fun spending the money. Heehee. ;) Fashion tips please! Anyone want to come over and give me some hairstyling tips. Warning--must be simple to follow, and take no longer than five minutes. I have a five minute attention span when it comes to self-beautification.