14th January, 2006
They Come In Threes. And Also Fives.
I have five children, but it's not often that I have them all together at the same time. Most times I have them in shifts, as they all have pretty hectic social lives. Including Baby E.
Today was the exception, with all of them here in da house in full force. Our tiny house, that struggles to keep bound at the seams while the five of us prize ourselves into every inch of its cramped inner space, suddenly had to accomodate not only Tamara and Cherie extra, but also Derry's friend Tom. Sure, I had to bolster some outside walls with hastily improvised buttresses, but bless it all, somehow she made it through.
In part this gathering came about because there's a cluster of birthdays at this time of year. Derry's birthday was a couple of days ago on the 12th, and now, he's a real teenager. He's actually 13! The thing is, for a long time already he's thought he knows everything there is to know about every damn thing, so what the hell his teenage years could possibly offer up is something I'm personally looking forward to.
Here Derry and his friend Tom are in Derry's attic bedroom. They were playing on the Playstation before I rudely interrupted them for this goof shot - and finally Derry is not playing a football game. They're playing Gun - which is 18 rated! Man, I'm going to Hell as a bad parent.
On the 3rd of January, Cherie turned 12. This is Cherie earlier on today when she got back to our house from a birthday shopping trip with Sarah.
Sarah tells me that when she was walking around with her stacked bags of new stuff, Cherie saw herself reflected in a shop window and said, "Oh, I feel like I've just stepped in to fashion."
Finally, I promised to show Tamara in her brand spanking new home-made skirt. So, I got her to do some spins in the back garden in it. She crashed into the bird table a few times, and nearly fell into the pond, and doubled over several times from laughing her head off, but here she is, captured in magnificent Dervish stylie.
Despite appearances, Tamara isn't leaning on the bird table, it's just a Coincidental Juxtaposition. Which, in fact, is what I would call this picture if I was an artsy photographer. And I'd maybe have the clothes line spray brushed out.* Or, if I was proper artsy-fartsy, maybe I wouldn't. But the fact is, helluva skirt, eh? She tells me that there's almost all of the last two year's clothes in there somewhere, including a pair of pyjamas.
*EDIT 15th January 2005, 11.45am
You might have noticed that if you run your mouse over the image of Tamara, it changes. I've added this rollover thanks to the fine hand of the truly wonderful Celti, who, out of the goodness of her blessed heart, sent me the picture with the clothes line air-brushed out! An unexpected and utterly fantastic gift - thanks ever so much Celti! I'm in your debt.
And Tamara turns 15 on February the 8th. 15. Fifteen. Fif - teen. Shit. Not to put too fine a point on it, but oh holy crap how the fuck did that happen??!!
Ah, so go the passing of years.
TO YOU THREE WITH THE BIRTHDAYS
So all of you are a year older. Every one of you has presented unique and difficult challenges to me that have been at times overwhelming. But I celebrate your birthdays, for you, and for me. You have all brought me joy, partly because you're all so goofy that I laugh my socks off at you all the damn time.
Yeah.
Course, I know you all spend your time laughing your arses off at me. But I don't care. I can take it. And besides, I could take the lot of you on at an arm wrestle, and you wouldn't stand a chance. You know it's true.
Happy Birthday guys! Love dad. X.
Show comments (28 so far)
sweetviolet said:
i've started stepping up the chores around here since i realized that the likelihood of conor agreeing to lots of children probably hinges on how well i can keep it together with two.
15th January, 2006 at 02:26
Celti said:
I love the skirt, and I like Tamara's style. Lovely girl.
I have as small house, too, and very many guests make it seem a bit cramped. Glad everyone got along, anyway. :D
Check yer mail, big guy.
x
15th January, 2006 at 03:38
indiaiynke said:
You know, I really wonder how family relationships for our generation would be like now if our parents had blogged ... I do have some old letters from my father, but they were mainly to my mother when they were divorced and very emotional. Some good, some bad.
You do, indeed, have a lovely family. Literally and figurativly.
Lucky lucky man. Lucky lucky children.
15th January, 2006 at 14:52
Bill said:
Neil, you are indeed a lucky man. One of my great memories is all of us kids squeezing back into my parents house after we'd found a significant enough other, or gotten married, some of us started having kids... It made that big old house feel small, even smaller than when all seven of us were living there... but it was still good times. Maybe that's one of the reasons we've all stayed fairly close over the years... thos 'close quarters'.
Great (as usual) post!!
-Bill
15th January, 2006 at 15:21
Spirit of Owl said:
sweetviolet - Wow, well good luck. Course, the chores will kind of step themselves up when there's more little feet... and hands and fingers and curious little minds around! :D
celti - She'll be delighted to hear that! :) I took a few pics, you know, which I'm going to put together in a little show... :)
Wow, thanks so much for that picture! ((((CELTI HUG)))) That was so fantastic of you.
Still, y'know, less of the "big guy" eh?... LOL! :D
indiaiynke - I know exactly what you mean. I'm glad I can leave this record for the children, it's why I "unmasked" in the end (I used to blog more or less anonymously).
Thanks so much, india. I'm beginning to feel lucky. It's been a while coming would you believe, but I am.
Bill - Thanks! :) You know, despite, or as you say perhaps because of the squeeze, we all had a great time yesterday. Sure it was a little hectic at times, but we got through, and though dinner was an epic to challenge any Christmas gathering, we all ate well, and together, and we all had great fun. :D
15th January, 2006 at 15:45
Celti said:
Yay! Glad it made you smile! Hey, the "big guy" was because you're TALL, silly. lol
If you want some of the others touched up, just send them along. I love doing that stuff.
:D
xox
15th January, 2006 at 17:37
littlemissknit said:
I love home-made/unique skirts and my favorite thing to do in them is spin...
great pic!
15th January, 2006 at 18:21
Chiromum said:
Happy birthday to all the young (and not so young) owls!! Fantastic skirt, Ms. T! Methinks you'd make a fantastic designer and with pops taking the pics, who knows how far you can go! Owl, good luck with Derry. I have a feeling that as 13 progress onwards, the horrid monster known as teenage angst will be subject of many a blog! :)
15th January, 2006 at 19:39
Spirit of Owl said:
Celti - Oh, Celti, if there's any touching up I need doing, I'll be sure to call you up! :D
lmk - You know what, me too! ;)
chiromum - Yeah, Tamara the Designa! :D
With Derry, well we'll see, but its pretty ominous that he's as moody as hell already...! I don't know if you're familiar with Harry Enfield's Kevin character? Scarily accurate! :D
15th January, 2006 at 20:05
sweetviolet said:
actually, don't they come in six packs...?
16th January, 2006 at 00:27
Comfort Addict said:
Nice family, Neil. It must be neat, and terrifying, having teenagers. Tell Tamara that that's a nice skirt.
Enjoy your festival of birthdays.
16th January, 2006 at 03:55
Neil said:
You sound like you have one great family there, but didn't it occur to you back then that it would be a whole lot easier if you spaced those birthdays out a bit...?
16th January, 2006 at 22:05
Mistress Ubermilf said:
You've still got Baby E to hug and squeeze...
And a full house is much better than an empty one.
17th January, 2006 at 02:48
Monkey said:
Happy Birthday to the Three Owlettes!
The skirt is gorgeous. Gorgeous I tell you!
17th January, 2006 at 06:41
Spirit of Owl said:
sweetviolet - Ha! I think six- packs are supposed to be some kind of prevention, aren't they?? Anyway, no number 6 for me... steps have been taken. By steps I mean... well, I mean steps!
comfort addict - Thanks CA! :) It is unbelievably concerning though. In the end, I think it comes down to trust, and you have to give trust and mean it or you'd go crazy. Oh, wait a minute...! Still, it's one of the proudest things in my life as I see them growing older into independent people. Also, I wish they'd hurry up and bring home a wage... kidding!! :D
Neil - Thanks Neil! I know the timing is a bit bad, but I'm a Taurus or something, so, you know, rutting in spring and all that. Uh, yeah, that's right, clearly I have no conscious choice over my life...! :)
Monkey - Wahay! I'll be sure to pass your wishes on. Tam will be so pleased that her skirt's impressed you... she has a thing about monkeys! :D
17th January, 2006 at 08:00
lilreddramaqueen said:
wow, i bet they laugh at you all the time..
what talent she has..
and 15 wow! i must not be payin attention cause i thought you just had tiny kids..wow! 15!
17th January, 2006 at 20:40
Cyli said:
Awwwww Happy Be lated birthday to the Birthday trio. Tell your daughter I love the skirt! very nice! They are such cuties
18th January, 2006 at 01:19
Spirit of Owl said:
lilred - LOL! Sometimes I wonder if I've been paying attention. Wow! 15! is right!
cyli - Thanks on their behalf! (Tam and Derry read this but they hardly ever comment, in fact Derry never has!)
18th January, 2006 at 15:16
Celti said:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
*snort*
Huh? Wha? New post?
Oh, never mind.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
*snicker*
18th January, 2006 at 17:46
Tamara said:
Thanks for the comments on me and my skirt. :) Thanks Celti for customizing the picture :)
18th January, 2006 at 18:36
Rhonda said:
Happy birthday to your children. It just so happens that mine is January 12th also.
18th January, 2006 at 19:56
-Kami- said:
I think you make a wonderful dad. Dare I say I wish I would have had a dad like you when I was growing up. It warms me to see you fawn over them. They are truly blessed.
P.S. Your dumb form still doesn't like my website. I give up. No really... don't worry about it. I should have chosen a better address. Maybe one day I will.
19th January, 2006 at 04:07
Spirit of Owl said:
celti - What are you, my conscience? My Jimminy Celti?? :P
Tamara - Hey darlin'! So, are you going to pursue a designer career then? :)
Rhonda - Thanks! And happy birthday to you too! :)
kami - Aww, kami. I am a regular dad, and I've made plenty of miserable screw-ups. But I do love them all dearly, and every one of them is a delight some of the time at least... lol ;)
And for the love of pickled onions, I'll fix the darned form!!! :D
19th January, 2006 at 07:59
Kris said:
But I want to see a close up of the skirt. It's all twirly. And while we can tell it's pretty, we just can't see it! Tam - show off that artwork!!
I'm not having my birthday. It is forbidden.
19th January, 2006 at 15:44
Tamara said:
Hello! You will have to ask my dad for the close up of my skirt as i have no camera! and i dont know how to work them! lol. I had some help from my gran as i am rubbish with sowing machines but apart from that s'all good!
19th January, 2006 at 21:22
Tamara said:
HAHA dad HAHA! i will beat you at an arm wrestle all on my own.. in another 30 years when your older and wrinklier :p haha.. and i ate lots of spinach! HA x
26th January, 2006 at 22:20
Derry said:
how cum no 1 says owt bowt mi!
13th June, 2006 at 14:38
Spirit of Owl said:
Tamara - I will never be old and wrinkly, and there is not enough spinach in the world.
Derry - Aw, there there. Ok, I'll make a post all about you. And your curious spelling. :P
13th June, 2006 at 16:56
