Monday, June 29, 2009

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Rose #2 has been very worried about health issues lately. The news about Michael Jackson was a shock to her, I think. The other night on the couch we were reading and she leaned over suddenly and whispered to me:

"You know that Peter Johnson guy, whatever his name is, why did he have a heart attack anyway, Mom?"

I looked at her blankly for a moment, and said, "Who is Peter Johnson?"

Beat. Beat. Beat.

"Oh! You mean Michael Jackson! Well, I don't know why he had a heart attack. I don't think anyone knows exactly."

Friday, June 26, 2009

Rose #1's Play!

We went to see Rose #1 in her Neverland play today. Her role was Scaley the Fish. It was a complex (not actually unintelligible) story about Peter Pan and Wendy returning to Neverland after they grew up. Here is Rose #3 anxiously awaiting the show:

Sam and Maddie came too, and the lucky kids got to sit in the front row. They were excited to see the play:
The actual shots of the play are a little hard to decipher. Rose #1 is obviously the cutest, most talented child in the production (but of course, you say), and she has what may or may not be a bedsheet tied jauntily around her neck:

Here is Rose #1 singing. I think she genuinely likes being on stage, which is a quality I hope she does not lose:

And in this shot I caught her looking out at the audience:

This is the, "Phew, we're done" shot.


The play was the finale to Rose #1's summer camp at Steppingstone Theatre. I highly recommend their summer camp program. Rose #1 clearly loved it!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

We're all missing Daddy

The girls really miss their daddy, who is gone on a business trip until Friday night late (11 p.m.). I miss him too, for lots of reasons:

1. Rose #3 is not feeling well. You can tell. She seemed to be bouncing back from whatever it was - bronchitis? Flu? No one can exactly tell us what is wrong with her. But tonight she was veering from feeling OK to feeling crummy again. I am worried about her.

2. Rose #2 is also not feeling well. She was running about 100 degree fever this morning, so she stayed home from school. She had a vaccine yesterday, so I am not sure if it is because of that or if she has what Rose #3 has. We're supposed to be going to Kirksville next week, and I really hope we can go.

3. Rose #1 misses her daddy bad. She came upon a watch today - I don't exactly know where she found it, to be honest - but it looks like her dad's watch. Big, bulky, digital, etc. She wore it without stopping all day.

4. I had to miss my writing class tonight because of all of the sickness floating around. We had a babysitter lined up but this particular babysitter is a bad candidate for getting the flu. Next week there is no class because of the 4th. Two more weeks!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Rose #2 went fishing...

A born fisherwoman: Rose #2!

Thank you to Guppy and Poppy for bringing Rose #2 on a fabulous outing on Saturday, which involved a picnic, a kids' fishing clinic, and a trip to Candyland. It will never, never be forgotten as a fabulous time that was custom made for Rose #2.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Birthday to Rose #3!

The last birthday of the bunch - Happy Birthday To Rose #3! Here is Rose #3 blowing out her birthday candles last night at her birthday dinner party. We had a delicious dinner of shishkebobs on the grill, rice, and broccoli. And, of course, delicious birthday cake!!

And here she is opening her gift from our neighbors. The gift was a lovely game of shape blocks that are used to make pictures. Rose #3 loved it. So did Rose #2, come to think of it!
And in keeping with past traditions, here is Rose #1 on the day she was born, on her daddy's chest in a hospital rocking chair. She was such a character when she was born, and she is still one today. This picture makes me think of the smell of hospital hand soap, which will always smell like having a baby to me.
Happy Birthday to you Rose #3, my scrumbly little bunny. I love you so, so much!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Inadvertent Difficulties

We had a lovely father's day (pre-father's day) dinner that went awry tonight for reasons best left undisclosed. I was very sorry about it and I wish it hadn't happened. You can't always control how other people react. Scratch that: You can never control how other people react.

OK, enough obfuscation. To the important stuff: I have pictures of the Roses! Here is Rose #1 after she played (shhhh, don't tell anyone) with a DOLL!!!!!!!

And here is Rose #2 next to the dolly lineup. She wants you to think that she is a tomboy and she doesn't like anything that's girly, but I wish you saw her arranging the baby dolls. Deep inside her beats the heart of a girly girl:
And never forget intrepid little Rose #3. Doesn't she look SMUG? She was so pleased with herself. It is her birthday on Sunday and she is almost 3!
Here is the dolly lineup with its architects:
(Note the baby doll on the far left has a t-ball hat and a brown necklace. Lest you think that Rose #1 was actually going to let those dollies get the better of her tomboy nature. )

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

MND at Harriet Island

MND was at Harriet Island this week! I had my camera in my purse, so I took a few shots.

First pic: Rose #1 pouting. This was a fake pout, BTW. She actually had a fabulous time, and that is surprising since Sam was sick this week and not able to be there!

Rose #2 was hamming it up. This was before she got a bang trim from her fabulous Aunt Boo. Look at that one hank of long, long bang hair!

And my little Rose #3. She was smiling with her cousin Baby Kate on the playground in this picture:

I got one quick group shot on top of this very curious item of playground equipment. It is a faucet on the top of a long stone or brick expanse. I was actually wondering why Rose #1 and #2 were playing so long with their cousin Bea at the playground without needing adult diversion. The reason: water play! Hooray for water!

Baby Kate got into the spirit of dancing atop this strange play equipment in her bare feet. Here she is behind Rose #1, looking pleased to be part of the gang and only a tiny bit perturbed that her feet were in very, very cold water:

And here are two good-lookin' cousins smiling together:

And finally, while the women tended the young-uns, the men watched a barge float down the Mississippi River:

Harriet Island is an excellent spot for a picnic. I highly recommend it!

Friday, June 12, 2009

I wish I was a better mom

In the "good mom" column, I arranged for birthday cupcakes to be brought to Rose #2's class this past week. Here she is smiling for the camera in her #5 crown:

Below Rose #2 is enjoying her treat with the friends at her table. You can see behind her the age chart ("I am 4") - presumably she graduated to the "I am 5" chart above.

In the "bad mom" column:

  • It was not in fact me that went with the cupcakes to class. Although I am very grateful to Guppy for going, I always feel terrible that I can't go.
  • I forgot until now that Rose #2 had a field trip to Dodge Farm this week. I was only reminded when I read the report in her folder from her teacher. How could I forget something like this? Why don't I have a good system to remember all of the comings and goings? It is only going to get worse, and I will be the *totally* clueless mom who is late for soccer and who forgets the dance rehearsal. Then it will get really bad, and my teenage girls will be skipping out on curfew.
  • I throw away my kids artwork. Really, I do. I don't know what to do with it. Why doesn't someone come up with a system? Which ones should I keep, anyway, and which ones are OK to toss? Why do the kids always get drawn to the recycle bin or the garbage can after I put an item of artwork in there? Why?
  • I am terrible about buying cute clothes for the kids. Some moms are super picky about every single thread that goes on their children's backs, and I can't bear to fight mine on what they wear. Plus, I am so cheap.
More confessions of a bad mom, tomorrow.


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Not to be overlooked...

Rose #1 graduated from first grade today!  Well, not graduated technically.  She was recommended for placement in second grade.  She was glad to be done with the school year.  We have lots of camps and activities planned for this summer, but hopefully also lots of time to be a kid, and read, and play outdoors.

Rose #3 got a very, very good haircut today!   Her Aunt Boo cut her hair and did a great job getting it short enough:


An Ode to Rose #2

Today, Rose #2 is 5 years old!  She wanted Bakugan jammies and Bakugan balls, which she got. We had a very nice dinner with her Guppy and Poppy at Davanni's.  And, she also got a puzzle and a red Razor scooter!

Here she is, posing in her Bakugan jammies with the big Bakugan ball:

And here she is, just smiley:

And here, 5 years ago, is newborn baby Rose #2.  Wasn't she sweet?  Isn't she sweet?



Sunday, June 7, 2009

Happy Birthday To Rose #2

We had a great party for Rose #2 today! She will be 5 on Tuesday, and we celebrated with her cousins and her friends today. We had a fine Power Ranger cake, and Rose #2 made a big wish. I don't know what it was, but I sure hope it comes true:

Here is a closeup of the cake, by Aunt Charity. I sure wish she would go into business, because she makes a fine cake:
One of the games at the party was the "go fishing" game, where the kids put a "fishing pole" behind the fishing curtain. Rose #3 got a popcorn container!

Another game was Pin the Tail on the Zebra. I know, "donkey" is more traditional, but Rose #2 wanted Zebra. We are all about keeping Rose #2 happy:



Rose #2: I can remember the minute you were born, and I can't believe you are close to age 5! I can't wait for the next 5, to see how much more beautiful and sweet you become. I love you so much!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me!

What a grand 40th birthday I had. My darling husband threw a SURPRISE birthday party for me on Sunday, which involved a lot of family and friends at a cookout, and karaoke. Karaoke, if you want to know, really can CLEAR a party.  Anyway, below you can see me and Aunt Charity singing RESPECT.

Tonight we had quiet birthday dinner at home and I opened my birthday gifts.  I got an Edward action figure (if you spy carefully in the photo below you can see Rose #2 holding it!) and another very, very nice gift which I will not name on the website for fear of sounding elitist or something.  But I really, really loved it.
Tonight for bedtime story Rose #1 picked Where the Sidewalk Ends, which she received as a gift for her birthday.  We read the poem titled "Listen to the Mustn'ts", which I think is OK to reproduce since it is fully credited (to Shel Silverstein, of course):

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child.
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me -
Anything can happen, child
ANYTHING can be.

I love this.  It sends a shiver down my spine and makes me hopeful for the next decade - the next decades.