Monday, May 20, 2013

Crying to Attain Maximum Drama: In Ten Fun Steps


Afternoon Readers,

I hope everyone's weekend was satisfactory. Everything at the Kellerman house flowed smoothly. All children, pets and frazzled parents accounted for, and Husband I were only required to participate in three hundred games of, "I've got something behind my back that I found outside. Guess what it is."

Possibly the most terrifying game on the planet.

But we're not gathered here today to talk about children potentially gifting their parents with heart attacks in the form of a rock or two-headed toad. Nope. I want to throw a comp tutorial on how cry in the most dramatic way possible.

Why is this necessary?

First and foremost, it's essential to know how to tap into this talent because, one day, you may win an Oscar and need to draw as much attention to yourself as possible during the acceptance speech. Remember, it goes: Hug statuette, forget to thank your spouse, weep on Gucci ballgown.

But, besides that, over-the-top crying works wonders when you're overwhelmed and need to feel sorry for yourself. Oh yes, for those of you who think I never cry, please note that this occurs while I'm pregnant, but also when I haven't slept.

I'm fairly sure I'm not pregnant, so I'm going to chalk this morning's breakdown up to only getting to sleep until 4:30am before it was time to get up for the day, courtesy of the baby, me not being able to fall back to sleep after feeding said baby, and the twins needing breakfast at 6am. 

So, let's go through the steps, shall we? Because I simply can't have you all experiencing emotional breakdowns without the proper tutelage.

No, no. It's my pleasure. No trouble at all. I'm great at complaining.

 Crying to Attain Maximum Drama: In Ten Easy Steps

 1.) Wear ugly clothing. Anything less than a sweatshirt over a nightgown will give the appearance that you're not serious about committing to this bout of hysterics. Be dramatic. Be hideous. Be in gladiator sandals at the same time.

2.) Don't brush your hair. If you're brushing your hair, you're not directing all your attention to weeping uncontrollably. This is poor form and looked down upon by all others throwing sand on their heads and rending their garments.

3.) Remember that you are the only one who's ever raised children.

4.) Assure yourself that everyone else in the world always gets eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. Set your jaw so the lie doesn't slip out and sound ridiculous.

5.) Angrily unload the dishwasher. Don't cry on the silverware. This will require excess rinsing, and if we're rinsing, we're not ...? Altogether now. Fully committed to crying. Thank you.

6.) Rest forehead on doorway and weep.

7.) Put head in kitchen sink and weep.

8.) Weep while you check your email. (I didn't say this whole affair wasn't a First World problem, I simply asked you to commit.)

9.) I have it harder than anyone on the planet. Say it three times. Admittedly, this will come out more as a choke/sob, but we're really trying to sell here, so, work it.

10.) Drink some coffee. Eat some yogurt. Realize the baby is finally sleeping. Use this break to save up energy for more crying spells. Try not to be too disappointed that you're now blogging and distracted from crying.

Remember, you can't feel sorry for yourself, if you don't get the proper cry going. So let's get out there and be morose, people.*

*Exclamation mark left off sentence because this isn't your usual pep talk. Thank you.

Until Next Time, Readers!





Friday, May 17, 2013

The Evolution of A Question

"Well, the neighbor said mom snuck out of the country, but left a number where she could be reached, so that was dumb."

Afternoon Readers,

Now is as good a time as any to take a break from making, what I can assure you are, less than angelic Angel Food cupcakes, let the smoke clear, and drink the last of this coffee ...the times it's been reheated are no matter. It'll probably melt my face off, regardless.

(Actually, it's kind of a miracle the cupcakes were made at all, considering the rate I'm being questioned these days. I can't say I was particularly ready to move into this stage of parenting, but you can't stunt their growth with horrible crock pot recipes forever.)

The twins don't nap anymore, which is great because now they have time to fill the day with all sorts of queries. Some I can answer. Others I can't hear over the clinking of the ice in my high ball. But the good news is they're developing and curious. The bad news is they rarely accept my answer to anything.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Dumpster Diving

"All I saw was legs kicking and a lady screaming, "Is that a dead pheasant?""
 Morning Readers,

Judging by the sudden switch from bitter cold to ridiculous heat, I'd say Kansas has officially skipped spring and declared us to be in an emergency state of summer.

Yay.

Honestly, I was tempted to turn on the ac yesterday, but, as we have our trusty attic fan up and working again, I couldn't really justify it. What I did justify was piling all the children in the van and heading out to do a midday car wash/ car vacuuming, because the Teddy Graham population had multiplied to such an extent, I found a petition on the steering wheel, asking that they be granted the area behind my seat as a preserve.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Look What Came In the Mail ...June 3rd, My Dears


Someone once told me a well-placed pipe in a picture lends more credibility to most authors.

Afternoon Readers,

I hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day, and enjoyed being pummeled in the head by multiple toddlers.

Besides the holiday, celebrating the twins birthday, and tracking down all missing parts to Mr. Potato Head and other birthday gifts, a light also shone in my mail box this weekend and I got my hands on the very first copy of the book.

So, today I'm popping in to assure you that At Least My Belly Hides My Cankles: Mostly-True Tales of An Impending Miracle is a real, tangible thing, and that you, my dear Readers, will be able to get your own on June 3rd!

...yes, June 3rd of this year.

And stay tuned, because the week before the release may just hold some semi-non-yawn-inducing things I'm giving away, so be prepared. Not fallout shelter prepared, but you know where I'm going with this.

Ok, I'm off to go make hotdogs and cut them into boring shapes because I'm not a fun mom, but I shall regale you with a story on Wednesday, or, as I like to call it, the third Monday of the week.


Until Next Time, Readers!


Friday, May 10, 2013

Three is the Magic Number

"Is she still staring at us?"
Afternoon Readers,

I'd just to take a moment to state that the new Peanut Butter Toast Crunch tastes a little odd.

Now then, between bites of this slightly-off cereal, let's throw a group,"Happy Birthday" out to a pair of twins who are a constant source of fascination and interesting fashion choices.

Oh, wait. No, the Olsen twins aren't twenty-seven until June.

Well, that's ok, because it just so happens that Butch and Sundance turn three today. That's right, three years of semi-successful parenting, three years of random yet acceptable blog content, and three years of having the best kids in the entire world. I tend to be a little biased because they look freakishly like me and can make a mean Koolaid/ bagel swamp at mealtimes.

So, what advancements did they make this past year?

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Fan-tastical Attic Fan

"When the fan broke, I set up camp next to this wagon wheel. Not much cooler, but there's lots of spokes emphasize the rustic quality of my button downs."

Morning Readers,

You know what I love more than Strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce?

Nothing.

Ok, I'm kidding.

No, I'm not kidding. That gloriousness is the pinnacle of dairy confection perfection.

But, today, running a close second, is the attic fan. Do you have an attic fan? I'm not sure if they're like the noble salmon, migrating and enriching the ecosystem wherever they go, but I do know that these types of fans, snugly embedded in hallways ceilings, are extremely prominent in the Midwest.

Monday, May 6, 2013

If It Prospectively Fits, It Ships

Susan was upset the floral-print blouse she ordered didn't compliment the monkey as well as she'd hoped.

Morning Readers,

It's only 10am, and I'm already out of coffee. Which only goes to show that letting your spouse have a cup on his way out the door is a terrible idea. This isn't some sort of half-way house. What am I doing handing out coffee like I didn't want to drink all eight cups?

Get it together, Paige.

However, we gather here today to talk about shopping online, that dangerous yet exhilarating pastime akin to rolling the dice or asking Helen Keller to trim your bangs. Perhaps you don't enjoy it as much as I do, but, due to my current station in life, getting out to actual stores usually presents a problem.

What was that? No, I'm only doing one Hellen Keller joke today.