Christmas vacation.

Posted on | December 27, 2011 | 21 Comments

this holiday season kicked last holiday seasons ace. last year i was all kinds of grinchy and sick and although i powered through, i had never been so happy to put away decorations and kiss christmas goodbye. this year was different. i learned so many important lessons in 2011 (that i probably should have learned much earlier, but hey, what can you do) and this week, i’ll be sad to clean up the house. but also happy thinking of the memories we’ve had the past month or so.

kids make christmas. the past 3 years were fun – Harper being around 8 weeks, then just a year, then just over 2 – but this year she was so into it and made it magical for me. coupled with Scot, who is the king of christmas, something about this holiday season was just special. now all the hoopla is over, but the awesomeness lives on. Scot is off all this week and we are stee-raight chillin’. sleeping in, hanging out like it’s our job, you know, important stuff. the look on H’s face each morning as she realizes daddy isn’t at work is basically the best ever. i’d like to press the pause button.

the day before christmas eve, we looked at our brown crispy tree and decided the fire hazard had to come down. Scot deemed it unsuitable for christmas. after 4 trillion needles were swept and vacuumed up, we pulled out our old faithful fakey, only to have half the lights not work. 45 minutes later he exclaimed “we’re going to target”. trees were already 50% off, so we scored a new tree for cheap, and redecorating it got us all back in the christmas spirit.

my mom spent the night christmas eve and we made an epic gingerbread house, ate clam chowder and drank bloody marys while watching White Christmas. around 10:30 we decided it was waaaay past time for H to go to bed, so we checked up on Santa on the norad website and he was in boise! we rushed her to bed after she made up a note and a plate for santa (“i think santa would like eggnog instead of milk” – Scot). for future reference, santa hits seattle at 11pm.

in the morning, we woke up around 7 and Scot went in to get her. she was dead asleep, but when she heard the door open, she shot up and in a drunk voice was all “is it christmas day today? mommy? daddy? gg? is santa here?”. it was ridiculous and adorable.

santa brought her a toolset, the only thing she asked for. we have no idea where she got the idea, but she is enjoying fixing ALL THE THINGS.

she knows all the words to, and continues to sing: holly jolly christmas, jingle bell rock (her FAVORITE), regular jingle bells, rudolph, and i want a hippopotamus for christmas. in fact, in line to see santa, she said “i’m gonna tell santa i want a hippopotamus” and i said “really?” and she said “no mommy, i’m just kidding”.

she also “whatever”ed me yesterday. SHE WHATEVERED ME.

but i digress.

this christmas was exactly what it should have been – about family and being together. the presents were few, but who cares? it’s not about the things, it’s about the people. and we made it count in every way. i couldn’t love christmas more this year.

A Year in Haps.

Posted on | December 22, 2011 | 16 Comments

i’ve never really done a year in review on the blog and this year i thought it would be fun. looking back through my posts was a pretty fun journey – it made me realize how much we’ve really done in the past 12 months and how thankful i am for the opportunities and fun times i’ve been given. i’m so lucky to have this space to be myself and have friends/readers (same difference!) like you guys. some of you have been around here since day one and that is pretty freaking awesome. 2011 in my blogworld had lots of ups and downs – lots of reflection, questioning, and looking inward – and i’m happy to end the year on a positive note, knowing that this is what i’m supposed to be doing and doing it my way.

i ended 2010 sick, tired and ready for a new year. and what a kick ace year it has been. shall we?

two thousand eleven, y’all!

the first month of the year brought our farewell to the binkie. hard to believe we started the year with a 2 year old in diapers who used a binkie and ended with a potty trained three year old who knows the words to Cee-lo’s Forget You. love that kid.

february my mama turned 60 (so i embarrassed both her and me by posting some amazing old photos of us on the internet!). our friend Doug turned nerdy thirty, and i kicked off Mama Style with one of my lovely friends Melissa. (more Mama Style coming soon!)

march was busy – first i surprised my mom in las vegas and we had a blast celebrating her big birthday. the loverly Stacy Jacobsen took some family photos for us and Harper and i tried our hand at vlogging. then Scot mocked me and it was awesome.

in april the lil’ nugget had her half birthday, i posted photos of myself in a muumuu on the world wide web, and Harper met dora at the spring fair. also, the day i had put months of work into happened, as a group of bloggers walked for the March of Dimes after raising over $2400 (THANK YOU). that day was AWESOME and i cannot wait to put together next years bloggers for babies!

may! may we went on our first food tour, Harper got her very first brain freeze, and the Haps got a rad makeover. oh yeah, and i turned 30 and had the best birthday party ever, which included my BIFF (best internet friend forever) Mae flying in from florida for less than 48 hours. best. birthday. ever.

june we broke out the kiddie pool! Scot turned 28! my friend Josie got married and Kenny from Smonk You busted up into Mama Style. awkward.

in july we headed to the gorge to see Soundgarden with our friends (chris cornell FTW). Harper got obsessed with CHAPSTICK whilst i got obsessed with mason jars and succulents. we floated around getting sunburns (well me anyways).

august was cray cray. i went to blogher for the second time. my best friend got married and we were all in the wedding! Scot and i celebrated our 5 year anniversary and headed off to Mexico to do nothing but eat and sleep. august ruled so hard.

september, this little biscuit basket started pre-school. i freaked out (naturally). Steppin’ Out Saturday turned one year old (whaaaat?) and a few friends and i coordinated the first PNW Bloggers Meetup and it was a smashing success!

Harper turned three in october!we started potty training a few weeks before her birthday, which was trying. but we did it! it took a bit of perspective to get us through it. she was the most adorable little snow white for halloween and had a kick ace birthday.

november we headed to yakima for a wonderful thanksgiving with Scot’s family. Harper got to see yo gabba gabba live for the second time and toy story on ice. and she showed off her style like a pro a few times. legwarmers!

this month has been pretty awesome so far – full of christmas fun and family activities. we got our tree, went on the polar express, and spent some time getting our holiday on with friends in seattle. bring it on christmas!

i’m practically giddy to start a new year. so many things on the horizon, the year ahead has so much potential to be a great one. i hope you guys have fond memories to look back on in 2011 and even if not so much, hey, kick it to the curb ’cause 2012 is almost here. here’s to hoping 2012 is the year i finally figure out how to make a saddle for my pug to ride my french bulldog. ::fingers crossed::

Well that’s different. {A Santa photo link-up}

Posted on | December 12, 2011 | 45 Comments

if you were around these parts last Christmas, you may remember how Harper reacted to meeting the big jolly guy. if you were around, the image of her scream-crying, reaching out desperately whilst Santa shushed her (quite creepily i may add) probably just jumped into your mind and made you giggle. but if you weren’t here, let me refresh your memory:

yeah.

this year, we prepared for the same, but she did awesome. like, so awesome my face almost fell clean off from the perfectness. apparently, my kid has only 2 speeds when it comes to Santa meetings: melt-your-face-off-hilariously-terrified OR melt-your-face-off-RIDICULOUSLY-ADORABLY-MAGICAL.

SERIOUSLY.

she was so excited she was literally jumping up and down when it was her turn. she went right up and gave Santa a hug, sat on his lap and told him she wanted a tool set for Christmas (the look on his face was priceless). she told him she had been a good girl this year (mostly true) and as we left she yelled “merry christmas santa!”. it was just stupid how precious it all was.

i stare at this photo every time i walk by it on our mantle. she looks so adorable, but so LARGE, like a real kid. in my mind, she is still like 2 feet tall and has rubberband wrists and leg rolls. but that isn’t the case. she looks so grown up and completely different from last year. SIGH. i am simultaneously overwhelmed with pride and sadness when i look at it.

ugh, i got something in both my eyes. ::wipes face::

let’s make this a link up like last year – share your posts featuring your cute, sad, and hilarious santa pictures (please be sure to link the post, not just your blog URL)! it’s a great way to get a good dose of giggles in, and find new blogs to enjoy. wheeee!

O Christmas tree.

Posted on | December 6, 2011 | 35 Comments

this past sunday we headed out to pick out our tree. last year was our first year getting a real tree together ever, and i was skeptical at first. real trees are messy, they need watering, and we have a cat who’s only real wish in life is to live outside in a tree. you know, recipe for disaster and all that. but then! we got a real one and i fell in love. so it was decided that i was a real tree girl, when i thought i was a fake tree girl, only to be changed when i decide later in life that i am a fake tree girl again.

oddly, the sun was shining as we picked out the perfect tree. this is me not complaining. rain makes me unreasonably angry and the thought of traipsing around a tree farm in such madness gives me a bit of an eye twitch to be completely honest. so, yay sunshine!

needless to say, we had fun. the other reason i’m a real tree convert is days like this one. the actual act of going out as a family, choosing our perfect tree, then going home and putting on White Christmas while we decorate the house makes me all kinds of warm and fuzzy. last year i was a bit of a bah-humbuggy grinch, but this year i am stoked on the holidays and plan to squeeze every last drop of christmas. it’s only right. i have some making up to do, you know? handmade gifts, cookies to make. IT WILL BE LIKE A CLICHE BLEW UP IN HERE. is what i’m saying.

so here i sit, next to our (very delightful smelling) tree, drinking cocoa with gingerbread marshmallows (were you even aware that is a thing?!) and watching the light twinkle in my 3 year-old’s eyes. could you just barf? i love it.