The story of my life people.
Story. Of. My. Life.

thanks seester, you know me well!

Epic toss in the pool - Carolyn thinks she can fly

chuck e cheese photo fun

natalie and julia

anna and noah

mom and the professor

b and k

the newlyweds

sisters

nathan, anna & carolyn

me and j (love her!)

the bloggers

Her freckles pop out in the sun, and her hair gets a little more golden. She thinks she can swim, but we make her wear the floaties anyway. She went off the board about 100 times and still wasn't ready to be done for the day. When she swims like that, she eats like a horse and sleeps like some kind of creature that sleeps a lot. She's getting more and more sassy by the day, but its a smart sassy so it only makes me 70% worried and 30% humored.

x

ps. my cousin got a video of the Whitest Guys Dancing at the wedding - LOVE IT

At a random McDonalds on the road between KC and St. Louis

Lady at McDonalds Counter: Can I help you

Me: We'd like two ice cream cones please

Lady: Will that be all?

Carolyn: Uh, well, you're not selling anymore of those poison cups are you?

x

Upon receiving a Dora birthday invite in the mail

Me: Julia! Who sent you an invitation?

Julia: The mean girl at school who pushed me!

Me: Oh dear, are you going to go?
Julia: Of course I am!

(true girl)

x

At Daddy-Daughter Dance class tonight

Nothing funny was said, but I did get to see my husband do the hand jive, and that was hot. Then we shared Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, literally we all passed the four cups around the table until two tutu'd princesses were full-up on bubble-gum-chocolate-rainbow-sherbert-cookies-n-cream goodness.

x

And upon waking from a nightmare last night

Carolyn: Mommy!?! I dreamt you released pit bulls so they would kill me...

but don't worry, it was only a dream!

Me: Oh my goodness, that is a very scary (and bizarre) dream!

Julia: What about me, what was I doing in your dream?

Carolyn: No Julia! You weren't in my dream!

Julia: *Huffing* Well, that's not FAIR!

My 3-year-old clamshell cell phone holds some serious treasures in the grainy photographs it has captured. I flipped back through all 140+ the other night and realized there have been many-a-moment captured that I have never shared... and why not? They are just as bizarre and random as anything else I have inflicted on you.

x

1. The recent Paula Deen Cooking post photo of Julia (HERE) shows a miraculous improvement in her smile since the days of being a Mike Wazowski (HERE) look-alike. This is thanks to some serious mouth surgery and dental work because of an enlarged frenum (the biggest the dentist had ever seen in fact). I wish we'd done a before-and-after because truly her mouth looks amazing, like nothing was ever wrong! And her smile is worth every pretty penny we paid! The day of the surgery she was calm-cool-and-collected(-and-drugged, not much just a little to take the edge off) watching Snow White and chillin'.

x

2. My mother-in-law earned the Grandma of the Century award when she agreed to ride the 'tea cup' with Carolyn on the carousel a few weeks ago. Because spinning in circles to loud circus music as flashing lights go round-and-round just wasn't enough for my little dancer, she needed more spin...More twirl! More TWIRL!!! Her Grandma looked a little green afterward but never complained. My girls are very lucky indeed.

x

3. On the shuttle bus to the posh office Christmas party I sat in a soaking wet seat. I didn't know it was soaking wet since my buns were numb from a combo of the freezing cold KC winter and the blood-restricting panty hose I had donned for this fancy occasion. Upon arrival I knew something was up when my dress was plastered to my bum. I hurried to the restroom and tried to dry the dress with the hand drier... thinking it was kind of a funny moment I attempted a photograph of myself (above) until the Division President's wife came walking in and I realized it really was not as funny as I had thought. (It's ok though, I'm an engineer, we're supposed to be awkward, its our nature).

x

4. This is the snow that stood between our front door and storm door on Christmas morning. Literally over a foot of snow INSIDE OF OUR HOME on Christmas morning. I wonder someday if we'll forget the Christmas of 2009 and how freakin' crazy the weather was. And how my parents were stranded for three days, and had to walk home from Christmas Eve mass in a Kansas blizzard. No, actually, I don't think we'll forget.

x

5. I remember nothing about this photo. All I know is, I am so glad I have it!

picture by Creative.ly
x
Lying in bed, all four in a row, waking up to a Saturday morning...
x
C: When I have kids, I'm going to name them Katie and Brandon!
J: When I have kids, I'm going to name them Miles and Joseph
K: Those are nice names...
C: Ok, well, I'm going to name mine Joseph and Jonah!
J: Ok, well...hmmm...I'm going to name my Miles and Jesus AND GOD!
[Beat that]
x
And in other random thoughts this beautiful Saturday morning - the world could use more Anthropologie Dish Towels. There's just something about them.

Overheard in the bathtub...
x
C: Julia! You know we're not REAL people?
J: Huh?
C: No, God is the only REAL person...we're just his dollies
J: Oh.
C: And this isn't a REAL house, it's God's doll house!
x
Thank you Big Susan and Barbie Dreamhouse for your mind-bending doll house reality

What, at first, seems to be a sweet preschool Christmas program
soon turns into a near punch to the nose by my sweet baby girl.
x
A close up would have shown her face very seriously ticked,
and I'm pretty sure he should have been scared...
x
I know I was a little.

Your kid may speak 3 languages, but can he do this!?!

they rocked, but I am partial

Tee hee, I totally saw this coming

Here's how I've made my mom proud lately...

Lent House Episode 4...

you might not look at me the same after this.

x

C spent the evening with Daddy.

C found a "Dancing Show".

C danced.

C was happy!

B recorded.

This is Mama Mia, it's good to watch

{that is, if you get what a musical is and aren't hacked off when the seventh song starts up in the middle of a perfectly normal and previously song-less conversation}

x

this is all the rage around these parts lately,

my children are singing Abba and dancing around the house in bridal veils

and here's proof - in the form of song in true musical fashion

x

Whilst B was off photographing on the Plaza tonight, the girls and I wandered the lighted streets in-and-out of stores. J got a gorgeous-and-warm-and-adorable cream colored winter hat to go with her gold jacket, while C chose the hot pink tutu {shocking I know}. We ended up at Pottery Barn Kids, and at long last the "Santa" gift was found...

This is the face C made when she found IT. This is what Santa will hear all about as she perches herself on his lap in a few weeks. This is the jewelry box who revealed to her a twirling ballerina AND MUSIC that caused her to clutch it tight to her chest, twirl around Pottery Barn Kids and profess "This is what I've always wanted for my whole entire LIFE"...

This is the picture B shot on the Plaza tonight

he's going to use it for his BRS Christmas card

{Pretty darn amazing if you ask me}

FYI - When traveling to the Smiley Household, leave all weapons behind...Nathan made this sign for the front door, he's serious about gun safety.

Oh yes, he's man enough to even let the poodle help drive

Checking out at the store,
C spotted a teenager looking at a shelf of books...
she engaged the girl in five minutes of conversation while I checked out
x
as we left
C: It was nice to meet you
Stranger: It was nice to meet you, too!
x
[after walking away]
C: Well she was just lovely

I got out of the shower last night and put on my nightgown,
just then Carolyn walked in and gave me a funny look
x
C: Mommy!?!
K: What Carolyn?
C: I think you need to put on your boob thing [meaning my bra]
x
[OUCH]