Warning - Mama Thinks It's Supercute

One cute thing from P5:

In case it's hard to read, first it's a mind map. Apparently I look after pepol and am kind. I'm not sure I could improve on that if I tried. Then it reads:
My mum's hair is as black as sote. She weres glasses. Her glasses match her hair. Sometimes she loses them. My mum gives us poket money on Friday. I adore my mummy. The end. 

Three cute things from L8:

1) He told me he went to kick the ball at soccer and kneed himself in the head. This inspired his crazy-laugh.
2) The other day he said "Remember when we were playing wii and I was seven points ahead and you had none, and then all of a sudden you started mascara-ing me". Heh. He meant massacre, but I'm always going to call it a mascara now.
3) He told me why scientists believe we get "Chinese rot" - wrinkly skin in the bath if you are being PC about it. Do you know why you get that?

I'm Such A Badass

I bought myself a Christmas present. Isn't it too beautiful?

 It's only bad because I spent my Christmas money on it, so if you are my family or friend expecting a Christmas present, I'm sorry. Yours might be really crappy now. Ooops. Still, totally worth it eh?

And if that's not badass enough, I've told Geeky Husband it's his present too. Bwahaha. Sorry mate. 

The Unavoidable Parts Of Growing Up

P5, you're a funny girl. 

 You make me smile every day with all your crazy faces.

 Not to mention your delightful experiments.

Still, you've totally thrown me with you latest plan - to cut your hair short! Eeeep. I know it's your right, because it's on your head and I know it'll be great for summer and I know it's totally unimportant really and I know combing it has turned into a pain the last few weeks with all your swimming, but still I'm quietly freaked about letting someone take scissors to your gorgeous Rapunzel hair. Sigh.

I promise you we'll get it done on Friday if you still want it off by then.

Mother Of Pearl

Hmmm. . . this was my smart plan to stop random birds flying into my house through the back doors (yes, it happens quite often). It's great. Except the slightest gust of wind makes it sound like all your crockery is breaking at once. Reeeeeeally annoying. 

Sometimes I wish I was the kind of person who thought things through.

Not often though.

This Is Not A Political Comment

but it pays not to be clumsy if you're a rat.

Ewwwww. It's also a bit mysterious. And very dead. 

Election Night

It's early days, but in the immortal blog words of SarahB, it looks like NZ is going to be a big bunch of stupid heads again. I can hardly watch.

Instead, something good looking. Meet our new mates:

Zebedee

and Dot. Or Dottie. Or Dorothy.
Depending on who you ask and which way the wind is blowing.

Bath Wear And A Letter

(We'd have posted it, but it wouldn't have arrived in time.)

Knickers In A Knot

I don't usually care about politics because they are all as bad as each other and it's all a bit ho hum. But this time I'm fretting, really fretting, about how things are gonna work out. Ick. It was better not to care. 

This is a good read. 

I'm going Green. 

Surviving Snot

Both L&P have colds so we skipped school and had a companionable day hanging at home. P5 spent lots of the day stenciling:

 While L8 squatted in his lego squalor, reading about Lego Star Wars.

It was freakishly quiet. 

Growing and Chopping

We already have green tomatoes! Is that really early? It feels like it is. I'm trying to be good this year and trim the laterals and stake them up, but it gets confusing knowing what to biff and what to keep. I think I'll just let them go wild from here.

Also loving the Dublin Bay rose. It has a disease (don't they always?) but I'm trying to be good and spray it and cut the diseased parts, because the roses on it are spectacular, and I don't want to lose them.

Our Daily Bread

Today's sourdough looks really good. 

That's about it for the day. Otherwise forgettable.

I guess that's why you shouldn't blog every day?!

Write Now

P5's love of writing is happily still going strong. This is her before school last week, sitting and writing a book to give to a friend. 

She gave that one away, but this is one she did over a few nights in bed (book 11 in the series) called Why? This is not just a story! Ther's a lot in this book. . . 

and yes there is. Penguin jokes and whale info - pages of it. Bear in mind she did all this without any help or supervision at all - this is the Venn diagram page comparing people and animals:

the passing of time words page:

and one of a couple of simile pages:

I especially liked ODD - as odd as a worm on a rollercoaster. I did tell her when she let me read it that horse had a R in it, because I couldn't leave it as "as fast as a hose in a hose rase" after all that work. See the speed lines around that horse - he's lightning quick!

Today I bought her a  lined book because all that computer paper was getting filled up with pretty BIG writing, and it's hard to write on blank paper. So predictably, this is where she was when I began writing this post:

and this is where she is right now, as I finish it. I think she writes faster than I do.

P5 you are such a smart cookie :)

Karate Kid And Testosterone Rules

He did it! I'm so relieved. I'm sure I was more anxious than he was. Look at my tiny boy up there with all those strange grown ups, doing his karate thing. 

 A few last minute tips from his sempai, showing his focus:

 And up he got, to do his kata:

Thankfully, he didn't do the fighting part. We hung around to watch, because it's always good to see something new, but I did struggle with it. The kids were nicely protected, but still I fretted for them:

 As they got older, there was less protection:

 And harder kicks:

But when it got to the adults with no protection, P5 and I had to leave the room. It may be a sport, and I know there are rules, but no way can I sit and watch two men smack each other over. Ug. 

Still, a new experience is always good. It's not all about knitting. Just mostly.

I'm still really proud of my chap for getting out there. And even prouder that he says he never wants to do the fighting part. Phew.

Fire Friday

L&P made stone circles the other day, so we decided to play with fire. (I saw a list recently of dangerous things you should let your kids do. I'd copy it here, only I can't find it again, but there's youtube clips galore on the concept.)

Of course there were marshmallows encouraged to join in the fun.

As he tended his embers lovingly L8 said to me "Thanks for making Friday great Mum. Fires and pizza - that's a luxury for me!" 

On top of that, both children won the Principal's Award for nerdiness today.

They're rocking. 

Three Heads

One gorgeous newish babe. Congrats on the littlest Pepper Mrs P. He's just delicious.

One slightly crazed old lady with new glasses. Probably not the best way to show them, but you know I'm generally allergic to all pics of self unless headless, so this will have to do.

 One happy little chap, officially 9th kyu.

Legs

My little soccer ballerina :) I suggested this morning that if it kept up raining we might skip summer soccer, but L8 assured me that soccer is meant to be played in the rain, in fact it's actually more fun in the rain. Hmm, perhaps not for the spectators. I love that, despite losing every single game, he always gets out there, nothing puts him off, and he never sulks about positions or scores. 

 You've gotta have one with the crazy face. . .