Guess Who...

One of these girls won the local Christmas coloring contest. They were in the same age category. Can you guess which one is the crafty coloring connoisseur (aka: this year's winner)?

Rewind: Pre-Christmas Festivus

Let's go back, just briefly, to before the ripping and tearing, before the pre-Christmas Drama.

I just wanted you to have a quick feel of the Christmas Festivus here at the Seriously, Though household.

There was popcorn stringing...



And tree decorating...



And gingerbread house making...


And reindeer food sprinkling...

Ho! Ho! The Big Guy Arrived...

I have a bazillion photos to share from the Christmas Festivus. There was the making of the gingerbread house, the stringing of the popcorn, and the singing of the carols (which has caused Kate to believe that we should knock on random strangers' doors and sing Christmas songs loudly, any time of the year). Please forgive us if we show up at your house in the coming months (and please clap loudly and yell bravo after we conclude our version of Hark the Harold Angels Sing...because, you know, it makes the wee ones happy).

Here's just a brief snippet from Christmas morning. It was fun. Not as fun as last year. There was a tired and cranky four-year-old. There was a mama who was expecting a little more excitement and enthusiasm from two certain red heads. There was a man who didn't laugh as loudly as one might expect when he opened his brand new Batman underwear. I'm just sayin'...he should have been exstatic about such a gift, don't you think?

But all in all, it was a happy, joyful, relaxing Christmas morning, complete with a visit from Pappy and Grammy, and a breakfast of pancakes and bacon.

The Festivus....

We're up to our ears right now in Christmas festivus. The house is a mess. There's popcorn all over the floor (and it's stuck there, thanks to some spilled apple juice). But we have a real, live tree with homemade popcorn strands on it. We have gingerbread houses on the table and lights on the trees. Kenny and Dolly are singing their old familiar Christmas songs as I type this, and there are Christmas cards hung on the wall (with tape, because we're classy like that). And I have not missed a single Hallmark Christmas movie. Yes...the festivus is in full swing, and despite the mess, I am loving it.

See this little girl's face? That's how I feel right now!

Now, I must shop. Because I'm behind. I think this year it's going to be "gift cards all around." If you're on my list and have a preference, feel free to let me know what kind of gift card you want!

Around Here…

Kate went to her first roller skating party. She was adorable. Do you remember when you were in sixth grade and you thought the coolest thing ever was “couple skating” with a cute boy? Well this month I got to hold the hand of a tiny, 5-year-old girl. She stumbled and she giggled and she fell. And it was so much better than skating with those cute boys from sixth grade!

And Ellie…well, she’s catching up on her reading. See?

Notice that she’s reading “Boundaries with Kids.” That’s my newest library book. Obviously, I’m having a hard time. With kids. And boundaries.

Here's a recent conversation with Ellie:

Ellie: Hi Mom. How's your private parts doing?
Me: Um...they're good. Thanks for asking.
Ellie: Oh... mine are just fine, too.

See. Boundaries. And Kids. We're having problems with that!

Summer Send-Off: Thrill Rides

Ladies and gentleman, it's time to say farewell to a much loved, small town America tradition...The Carnival. You know, those totally safe and perfectly clean rides that are set up in 30 minutes and run by men who smell like Jack Daniels and cigarette smoke?

Ah, yes...and what an innocent, sweet, summer tradition it is (as you cover your kids' ears in hopes that they won't hear the multi-pierced teenagers swearing like a bunch of drunken sailors). My friends, carnivals are small town at its finest. And honestly, I love ours.

Love. It.

Except for the five minutes when Ellie was sucking on the hand bar of the ferris wheel (It's okay, though, because I'm sure it was cleaned with lysol wipes by the tattoo covered, dog collar wearing ride operator just moments before she sat down).

So here's a quick farewell to our beloved carnival and all the colorful sights and sounds (and people) that go along with it.

Summer Send-Off: Farewell to Sprinkles

My girls love sprinkles. Me? Not so much. Melty ice cream with dripping sprinkles is not among my top five summer pleasures. But the girls think it is hilarious to get sprinkles up their noses, down their shirts, and in their socks. Seriously, though...how could you not love a little shot of sprinkles up your nose?

1 in 565...

Out of 565 vacation pictures, I think this one is my favorite. Stay tuned...there's more to come!

A promise kept...sort of.

We promised the girls a backyard campout, complete with a fire and smores. Seems like a simple promise to keep, right? Except who knew that on the very day we had planned said backyard campout, that it was going to be the hottest day of the entire year. We're talking capital H-O-T, triple digits, stinky, sweaty hot. But a promise is a promise and the girls had been counting down the days until the backyard campout. So we complied. Sort of.

Steve made a super small fire. We roasted approximately 15 marshmallows. I ate ten of them. The girls shared the other five.

At one point, Steve and I were quietly turning the skewers, in pursuit of the perfect, golden, gooey, toasted marshmallow, when I said, "It doesn't quite feel like we're camping." He just looked at me, wiped his brow and replied, "What? Is it the sweat running down your butt crack?" And then we both started laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole thing...roasting marshmallows by a fire in 90+ degree weather.

A few minutes later, Kate told me she had to get off the swing because her butt was wet from all the sweat. Yeah...there was lots of sweat. But we kept our promise and the girls had a blast.



We set up the tent in the family room. I tried to convince Steve that he should sleep there with the girls while I lounged in bed and watched a Hallmark movie. Unfortunely, he talked his way out of that one and took his sweaty butt to our comfy bed, leaving me to sleep on the floor between two chatty, giggly, goofy girls. It took them forever to fall asleep and I was about to give up when all of the sudden everything got quiet.

And then out of the quiet darkness, one little three-year-old girl whispered in a sleepy voice, "Guess what, Mama? I love you." And everyone fell asleep.

It is one of those perfect moments that I hope I will remember, even when I'm old and gray. And to think that I almost missed it, in favor of a comfy bed and Hallmark movie. I'm so glad Steve took his sweaty butt to bed and left me between those two giggly girls.

Around 1:30 a.m., I made two trips up the steps, carrying little girls off to their comfy beds before curling up in mine. Because the fun part is falling asleep in the tent. Who needs to wake up there? Now that is my kind of camping!

Field Trip...

Wondering what to do on an overcast, dreary day? Allow me to suggest the following:

*call your partner in crime (I mean, your craziest friend who will go along with your hairbrain ideas)

*dress your kids in cute costumes

*grab your camera

*head to the local laundromat to practice your photography skills.

Yes...we really did all of the above. The girls pushed carts down the aisles and they may or may not have banged into walls and you can bet that people were staring at us. But we're used to it (and they were kind, staring strangers). Mostly, we laughed...a lot. And we prayed that no one got hurt (or sued) in the process.