I didn’t see this one coming. Clearly. Clearly, I should have. We all know Emma has been an innovator in Sharpie fashion for years and Sadie’s recent flirtation with all things goth should have been a red flag. But yesterday, I got busy making my AWARD WINNING White Chicken Chili, (What’s that?? WHAT award-winning chili?? I’m sorry… did you not hear?? I WON my church’s chili cook-off.) And had I not been obsessing about whether I should sauté my onions in butter or just throw them in to the pot to simmer in chicken broth, I would have realized that Emma was busy giving Sadie prison-style tats with a ballpoint pen.

Upon first glance, I assumed Sadie had scribbled all over herself again. But once I examined her face closely and saw the graceful arch of a butterfly wing above her left eyebrow– I realized Sadie had a little help.

Her colored in zipples are nothing new. It’s a Sharpie swimsuit… Sadie style.

I popped her up on the counter to get a better look and realized her right eyebrow had been penciled in… or rather, INKED in.

Also? Eye shadow. Yay.

Then I saw this beauty and that’s when I knew, without a doubt, that Emma was responsible.

That’s definitely Emma’s handwriting on Sadie’s leg, but it was sort of hard to be mad… that’s pretty amazing penmanship for a 5-year-old.

Me: EMMA! DID YOU DRAW ALL OVER YOUR SISTER?

Emma, with her classic deer in headlights expression stuttered, “Uhhhhh. I just did the “M.”

Me: So you’re telling me that you “just” wrote the ‘M’ and SADIE, your TWO-year-old sister, wrote the ‘Ississippi’? UPSIDE DOWN? Really? That’s your story?

Emma blinked. “Well… okay. It WAS me.”

Clearly.

It wasn’t until several hours later when I was snuggling in my bed with Emma that I realized they had gone all Spring-Break-’97-Or-Bust and got matching tats…

At least it’s not a dolphin… right?