When the games you create for your kids remind you of your poor choices

So, we have full-fledged toddlers. That is probably evident if you've seen us recently or if this ain't your first trip to the rodeo blog. (Please note: I am now dreaming of a white Christmas and an entire blog post about how raising these two is a lot like the rodeo)

Things that were once relatively easy have become hard: meals, car trips, putting on shoes.  I'm almost ready to advocate that they never play in the snow again because getting into snowpants seems like a cruel joke.  As proof that we took them out once this winter, however, I offer the following:

There, we've done it!

So, that was all preamble to say, Chris was out of town on Saturday, but we got a kind invitation to a attend a holiday party a friend from work was organizing.  Despite inclement weather (six inches on the way!), and the 45 minutes it would take to get there, we loaded up after nap to actually get out of the house have some fun!

Let me bring you back to the above note on car trips... 

We cried (most of us) for the first 15 minutes, fought over stuffed animals for the next 15, and sang for the last 15-20 minutes.  When I say "sang," I mean I repeated the three Christmas carols they tolerate about 63 times.  The bells on bobtails just kept ringing and ringing, though I'm note sure the the impact on spirits was bright.

Fortunately when we got off the highway we were in the quaint North Shore town of Peabody.  This allowed us to expand our activities to include one of our favorite yuletide games, "Spot the Christmas Lights and Start Shrieking."  We saw inflatable snowmen, reindeer, santas, and lights of every color imaginable.  It was pretty awesome.

Then both of them started yelling at once, "Mama, Mama, blue lights, blue lights!"  I looked around and wasn't sure what they meant.  "Mama, over there!"  I followed the tiny arm out to the a pole on the corner, upon which was flashing a large blue weather emergency light. 

It just goes to show you that your children can begin (literally) pointing out your poor decision making at a very early age.

We made it home just fine, albeit slowly, and had a lovely time at the party.  

In true Daly form they were slightly alarmed by Santa, and preferred to avail themselves of the new books rather than run around and hide under tables with the rest of the under five set.