Publisher: Jenn Rose          Volume Number: II             Issue Number: I        Date: November 29, 2005

Rose Family Updates  

By: Jenn Rose

     Well another year has passed and much has been accomplished with our little family.  Where to begin is all the problem....

     For starters, we have finally gotten Raven used to the fact that, YES she has to go to school EVERYDAY, EXCEPT HOLIDAYS, and NO, Mommy canNOT tell her teacher that she is staying home sick everyday.  She has adjusted well, once she realized that her teacher was not out to get her.  After her first day of school, I asked her how things went.....well Raven proceeded to tell me "....that her teacher yanked her hair, smacked her hand, called her names, and actually PULLED HER TAIL....", I said, "Raven, you don't even have a tail?!".  To which she replied, "I know, but she pulled it anyway....".  then, there was the infamous "JUICE" incidence, upon where Raven thought her teacher was only selectively handing out juice boxes, instead of her understanding that each kid actually brought his or her own drink from home, that it was not provided by the teacher.  Raven then proceeded to wail like a banshee from underneath the school table about how her teacher "hated her" and "How rude it was of Mrs. Herman to not give Raven a juice box!".  Yep, folks, they actually had to call the school psychologist down to the classroom to calm her down.  This, all after Raven had freaked out the previous day because they had an un-announced fire drill.  To which Raven's little brain thought that meant the school was ACTUALLY on FIRE at that EXACT moment and she freaked out and etc and so on....oh and then there is the day she told the Vice Principal she was a tiger, with sharp claws, that would scratch her, so she had better watch out....right before Halloween she did this....but that's a whole other story...let's just say that I was actually called down to the school, to pick my child up, and told she was one of the most "obstinate" children this new VP had ever met.  Needless to say, it was I who had to hold my temper, not so much Raven.  I mean, Come ON....Raven is a handful, and Raven is just RAVEN, but "the most obstinate child ever"?  I highly doubt it!  To which I replied that I thought the VP should gain a little more "field experience" or actually give birth to, and raise some children of her own, before she went about calling my child such things.  And I wonder where Raven gets it from!

     Thore has taken well to school this year, little episodes of whining and crying about how every kid in school doesn't like him, and that he cannot always find his friends on the playground.  We've had one or two fights, where the kids have had to stand their ground, and penalties were issued, but I guarantee you, those kids will NEVER mess with my kids again.....My poor Zubby, he takes everything so personally, he is a big boy with a humongous heart of gold, filled with love and wonderment about the world around himself.  He quit football because he actually hit a kid so hard off the line that he sent the kid skidding across the field, and the kid had to sit out the rest of the game because Thore hit him so hard....so Zubby  apologized profusely to the kid and the kids parents, to the opposing coaches team, and his own, but refused to play anymore,  he said "it was no fun to hurt people like that" and he " wasn't going to play football anymore if it meant he had to hurt people".  So THAT shows you where his heart is at... 6 1/2 years old, weighing in at almost 100lbs.  And he is nothing but a big, mushy, gushy teddy bear.  Which is fine by both me and Brad, you are only a kid once.   My philosophy is this, always use your manners, treat others how you would expect to be treated in the same situation, and be a kid...don't waste your time trying to BE a grown-up !, you spend over two-thirds of your life with adult responsibilities, I want my kids to be kids for the first twenty or so years of their lives....You can never get those years back, and you only get one opportunity to be eccentric and as crazy as you want to be, between the ages of 0-25...after that, people start looking at you sideways when you dye your hair bright fuschia...(yes, Kestra dyed her hair that color, and then for cheerleading dyed it her school colors of blue and silver) ... hehehe...and NO BODY piercings allowed, ear piercing-allowed, anywhere else pierced-NOT allowed without prior parental consent or else you get an "ass-whooping", as my Dad would say.  When I first dyed Kestra's hair pink like that all I could think of was how crazy Uncle John would have drove her about the color of her hair.....ahh boy....you just can't go back, only forward...and so, with that in mind, I drag my weary, tired, mother of four rambunctious children, off to bed...another day filled with adventure and tribulations will begin soon enough, but for right now, I just want to watch Growing Up Gotti, and hope I can afford to give my kids such nice cars and parties for thier birthdays!!.....lol....as if the price of two weddings, four college tuitions and insurances on FOUR TEENAGERS WITH VEHICLES,  won't make us have to take a second mortgage out on our house!!!!

     Let's see,  I bought a karaoke machineand to the shopping cart Ialso addded one big, old bottle of Tylenol...But, the kids sing thier hearts out, I get headaches, and they have fun....but they are definately not shy!!!  And that's what I want!!  Brave-hearted children who believe they can conquer the world!!!

     Every one of our kids has won "The Principal's Award" at least once, every year, although Zubby holds the title for the most...he got it three, yep read'm 3 times in ONE YEAR....unheard of!  It is an honor they only give to one child each month of the school year....Not that I'm a proud Mom or anything ....They have all won the "Caught Doing Something Nice" award at least once each also...so I know I must be doing something right along this rocky road of parenthood.  Kestra made the local paper for her response to the question, "What do you want to learn most about this year?".  To which she implied something about saving the enviornment and becoming a veterinarian...she's a tree hugging liberalist already....she wanted Kerry to win...albeit, slightly influenced by her teachers I think....

      The kids also made the headlines when, during General Montgomery Day (a local festival here, that draws thousands of people), they held a lemonade/bake sale and raised over fifty dollars....and then Talon decided to give all the profits to the victims of Hurricane Katrina....can someone pass me a box of tissues or what here?????   I mean, I was never so proud of them in my life....They actually are getting plaques made by the local paper here for their generous donations and for being outstanding  citizens.  I'm doing something right here people.  I'll tell you....

      Just so everyone knows, they drive me nutzo on a daily basis, make my heart skip a beat every time they break into one of their "brawls" or chase one another around the house wielding two litter bottles of soda as their weapon of choice.  But they also make me damn proud to be their mom.  You know, my mother-in-law said something the other day that made a lot of sense, regarding the kids and school....she said "...And just think Jenn, hundreds of kids go in and out of that school everyday, unrecognized, but EVERYONE knows who your kids are..." and it's so true.  From the Principal of the local High School, to the Valley Central Football/Cheerleading leagues...to the Berea Elementary school and staff....they all "KNOW" the "ROSE KIDS".  So life is good after all.......just a little crazy now and then, but oh-so-good none-the-less!!!!!

     And with that!  I bid you adieu, and hope you can't wait for the next "Rose Family Newsletter"!!!