Grow, Change, Learn: Goodbye 2011

we loved much..

we ate well...

we met with new friends..

and loved on old ones..

we had fashion hits..

and some misses too..

But through it all, we had family..

and a few good pairs of boots.

Welcome 2012.

To much, much more of the same..

Told You So..

I'm pretty sure I just heard my mom gasp.

 

See?  I wasn't exaggerating.

This was our darn tree the day after Christmas, when I unceremoniously stripped it of its decorations and hauled it to the curb.

Can I add too that I was actually trying to be careful when taking stuff off of it, to lessen the needles?  Did a lot of good didn't it? 

 

 Can you say fire hazard?

And you call yourself a Christmas tree.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Especially because I actually remembered to water you this year.

 What a mess.  Hope you are enjoying your new home next to the trash cans, though I am finding remnants of your ugly self in all sorts of unexpected places: upstairs carpet, on my sweater, one stuck to the back of Brixton's shirt.

Damn you, tree.  Damn you. (Shaking fist).

CHRISTmas

Happy post-Christmas, everyone! 

It's over, isn't it?  All that build-up, all the gift buying, stocking-stuffing, holiday-eating, Christmas dreamin' is done for now.   It's never like I think it's going to be.  I always have some glossy image in mind, like our Christmas has already been edited with some cool effect, but LIFE isn't really like that is it? 

That's why life gives us Picnik. 


Christmas Eve day was spent..hmmm..cleaning I think.  I've already forgotten.  I do know that we went for Chinese food for dinner and it was scrumptious (that's saying a lot, since Chinese food is on my 'least liked' list).  We dined on pan-fried potstickers, lettuce wraps, seafood noodles and duck.  It was quite delicious.  It was weird too, because we ate with a famous celebrity.  Through the whole meal people kept stopping by our booth to say hi and compliment him.  Guess who it was, James Franco!  Okay, no, it wasn't, it was just Brixton, but it felt like it was J.F. because so many people came by to oooh and ahhh. (And I can secretly wish it was J.F. though that would have been kind of awkward for Brendan).

**Side story**
The restaurant hostess saw us coming and opened the door for us to give us easy access with the stroller (so nice!).  Then we saw her.  Tall, slender, about 17, with the body equivelent of a Lambourgini, accented by a very tight red skirt and black top, also accentuated by her managing to stick out her top and bottom at the very same time.  You couldn't hate her though because she was so darn nice, but I had so much fun watching the eyes of the families following her to their respective tables.  The men were all looking down, a little flabergasted, all singing "Glory Days" in their heads, while the women all looked ruffled, put-out and deflated.  "Now he's not even going to notice my Christmas sweater."  I overheard one lady say to her husband, "My gift to you this Christmas is her."  

I'd like to point out here that I had NOTHING on my lips.  They are just severely chapped from Old Man Winter, who likes to make me look like I'm wearing lipstick.  Jerk.

Christmas morning.  Brixton stirred us awake at 8:30am.  Ahhh..I love my child.  We spent hours opening gifts, since Brixton had a million and gift opening was interrupted by eating, napping and the aforementioned poo-nuggets. But in between there was this:

Possibly qualifies for 'best gift ever.' He gave me two of these!
*The asterisk are great--right? Full sleep in! Meal Prep! YES! 

 A gift only an enthusiastic grandparent could give.  Notice the pine needles. 

 "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.."

 Banana Bread French Toast.  Amazing.

 Hope your Christmas was merry and bright!


P.S. I'm SO enjoying lurking on everyone else's holiday posts!  So if you also did a holiday recap, let me know in the comments so I can come visit!