Give us a guitar and we're ALL rockstars--just look

Happy New Year! Talk about slacking on my posts, but I know you can all relate...the holidays took over and it was much more fun to experience the nuttiness than to write about it. All in all, it was a winner of a holiday--the kids really got into the Christmas season counting down days using the good ol' fashioned paper chain links, advent calendars, and the newest fad--sprinkling reindeer "food" (sugar, oats, etc.) all over our lawn (basically, it was a coming out party for ants, but hey, they loved it). I even painted one big toe on each of the boy's feet with candy cane stripes to match my holiday cheer pedicure. Yes, we got into the season.

By far, though, the scene that I'll never forget involves a guitar...in fact, it involves 4 guitars and 1 trumpet. I recall my father telling me as a kid that if I wanted a set of drums, he'd be fine with it...as long as I played them at someone elses house. That's love, eh? Same went for any loud, noisy instrument (must have been why I made the oboe my instrument of choice in middle school...ever heard of a quiet duck?? he he). Ixnay on any instrument above the sound of a flute-type noisemaker.

So, you can imagine my reaction when I heard Cole screeching away on one of those Little Tikes guitars at my brother/sister-in-law's house during the holiday. My first thought (insert robot voice): "Loud instrument noises inside house...BAD...must stop." But then I turn to see him looking like a little Eddie Van Halen--knee bent, plastic guitar resting on it, eyes closed and swinging his body back and forth rockin' out to the computerized Muzak, and I just cracked up. So much for nixing loud noises in the house, I'd totally gone over to the dark side.

Jump ahead a few hours to opening presents time and the fun really begins. Now, the rest of the kids (4 others all under 7 years old) join the guitar party--Cole still hasn't given up his new-found fave toy--under the tree. Well, low and behold, Rhys and Cole get the same guitar and a set of (oh, no!) drums! from their aunt and uncle--"woo-hoo!" they scream!--but wait, it gets better... Mark gets the full-size Guitar Hero guitar for the Wii, too. So, suddenly, our cool little Eddie Van Halen is now joined by 3 of his buds in stereophonic sound and oh-so-out of tune, and I find myself now understanding where my dad was coming from.

The piece de resistance? Meaghen, the oldest of the kids, walks out of her bedroom with a REAL trumpet--and no, she can't play, but man can she wail! It was hilarious...we went from 0 to deafening sound in 5 seconds flat...picture the worst possible school band concert you could ever attend but then picture each "musician" giving it everything they've got. Little Abby, who's not even 3 yet, suddenly turned into this Robert Palmer girl with the pouty lips and slow hip swaying moves. Yes, this is what the holidays are all about, my friends. Especially when you see the biggest kid of all--my hubby--leading the pack. Take a peek for yourself. Here's to a rockin' 2009! (Oh, and Rhys took a breather, by the way--every true musician needs a break--which is why he's not pictured.)