And these are my children

Here's the first appearance of my kids on my blog. Enjoy it! You probably won't see them so well dressed for a long while. Their usual uniform is jeans and tees. The occasion for such a grand display was that while I was in AC, they attended the NAACP Gala (that was my babysitter). At least they smiled for the camera. They look like they're having a better time than they told me they did. But what do kids know?

I did my best to put my daughter's hair in flat twists. Earlier in the week, I had set her locks (locked 3+ years now) on SoftSpike curlers for her school pictures, but it rained several days that week. She still has some curl left but it wasn't enough to leave it out completely and still be in keeping with the formality of the affair. Plus, she so hates for me to do much of anything to it, preferring to free-style most of the time. I think it came out rather well. I wish I'd had some shiny clips or beads to anchor the twists - but I really didn't plan ahead for that and had nothing to match.

They so rarely get the opportunity to dress this formally, so I'm glad I have a picture. But I'm going to confess my little secret - I'm a BIG fan of shopping at the thrift store, especially for the kids, who grow out of everything in the blink of an eye, and for occasions like this when they'll only wear an outfit once or twice. My daughter's dress is a Nicole Miller purple velvet (Brunsli - I'll save it for your daughter!) that surprisingly fit her perfectly considering she's a toothpick. Unfortunately, due to her modesty, you can't see the beautiful rhinestone spaghetti straps that hold it up. My son's suit also came from the thrift store and also didn't need alteration. I can't believe how dapper he looks! For the price I paid, you can't beat it. And I know someone's going to ask, so I'll tell you now - the dress cost $4.95 and the suit was $7.95. Champagne taste for beer money!