Three

On April 10, Ingrid was slightly confused when presented with a bagel complete with three lit candles. To me, her facial expression tell me that she appreciates the extra effort but is rightfully confused with the celebratory breakfast. Regardless, she played along and answered these questions with excitement and honesty - in true three-year-old fashion. Here's the first installment of twenty questions. I'm planning on asking her these questions every year on her birthday. 

1. What is your favorite color? Pink and purple. 
2. What is your favorite toy? All of the princesses. 
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples. 
4. What is your favorite TV show? Super Why 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch? Bagels (influenced by breakfast) 
6. What is your favorite outfit? My pink dress 
7. What is your favorite game? Candy Land. 
8. What is your favorite snack? Cream cheese, Goldfish and crasins (again, although cream cheese is great, she was influenced by her breakfast) 
9. What is your favorite animal? Monkeys! 
10. What is your favorite song? Ingrid got down from her chair to loudly sing, "The dreams that you wish. Will. Come. TRUE!" 
11. What is your favorite book? Cinderella and Five Little Monkeys. 
12. Who is your best friend? Eden and Immi and Audrey. 
13. What is your favorite cereal? Snap, crackle, pop and yogurt. 
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Throw snow! 
15. What toys do you like to bring to bed? Cinderella, Pumpkin and Ducky. 
16. What is your favorite thing to drink? Juice. Orange juice! 
17. What is your favorite holiday? Birthday holiday and St. Patrick's Day with Andrea. 
18. What is your favorite breakfast food? Yogurt. Peach yogurt! 
19. What do you want for dinner? Pasta. 
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A big girl.

My heart melted on that last one. She's already growing up way too fast for my liking. Happy birthday little lady! You fill our lives with happiness, joy, love and laughter. 

A Little Video: Trip to the Zoo

Waiting for the train to leave the station. Ingrid was so excited she started to look worried.

Mark my words, one of these days I will hold my phone correctly/the other way. 

Happy Wednesday!

First Haircut

Today, after almost 25 months, Ingrid had her first haircut.

On the way to the kid's "salon" she informed me that she "didn't like haircuts" and wanted to go home to watch a movie. Like all parents of toddlers, explaining things like haircuts, moving, patience, nighttime, ants and orange peels requires some creative thinking. For example:

Why are we not living in the house in Tosa? It's not ready yet.
Why can't we pick up ants? They like to stick together as a family, in the sand.
Why do we need hair cuts? Because that's what big girls do.

Hair cut explanation fail.

I dreaded the experience mainly because Ingrid didn't have a jacket when I picked her up from daycare. It was 50 degrees, rainy and she was dressed in a tank top, striped pants and striped shoes (read: ragamuffin). I'm not proud of the next move: I wrapped her up in (clean) yoga pants and booked it into the salon (wait, "salon").

A reluctant Ingrid instantly fell in love with every mirror, toy, sticker and smock in the joint. The staff had toddler haircuts down to a science: pop in a movie, cover them in a butterfly cape, add some sparkly hairspray and finish it off with gifts. Gifts like stickers and a pom-pom hair clip.

Toy Story 2 and butterflies? Guess I'll zone out. 

As we were leaving I asked her if she liked getting her hair cut. She responded with "Yeah. See ya next week!" I wrapped her awkwardly in a warm bundle of yoga pants, I thought well, this went better and somehow worse than I expected - like a lot of moments in parenthood. These parenthood cliches keep creeping up and I always mistake them for original thoughts.

Lesson learned: always keep a pair of emergency yoga pants in case you're caught in the rain.

Two

During my pregnancy, Dan turned 30. We met his family for dinner one night in early March and during the drive home, he came to the conclusion that birthday celebrations are for parents not kids. Now, this is coming from someone who literally wants nothing for his birthday. As in, "Please stop asking me what I want to eat for my birthday. I don't care."

Where as I love to extend my birthday over several days and I prefer a celebrations that incorporate my favorite things: loved ones, cocktails, good food and the outdoors. I used to apologize for this but as I get older I'm comfortable with my requests and it's not like I'm asking for presents or anything.

Back to the question of who really needs the celebration: parents or kids?

Last year, Ingrid had no idea what was happening. She was excited to look at new books, dresses and toys. You could sense her happiness as family and friends surrounded for the afternoon. In true skeptical Ingrid fashion, she didn't dive right into her cupcake. She studied it carefully and eventually nibbled at her first baked good. We like to think that she's hesitant to try new things until she knows the outcome. She didn't take her first steps until she was able to put one wobbly first in front of the other.

A year later, someone has delivered us a fully-grown toddler who's capable of walking, running and faux-jumping (jumping with both feet firmly planted on the ground). She's got this incredible raw honesty that will stop you in your tracks. She'll deliver a firm "No. No I don't." if she's not in the mood to snuggle, take a bath or drink water. The snuggle-no always hurts but, sometimes a girl just needs her space.

There is still so much babyness to her: the plump tummy, inability to dress herself completely, or walk long distances. She speaks in full sentences but words are misunderstood. She gets the idea of a time-out and sometimes talks herself out of her "time-out worthy" behavior.

When reflecting on her growth and milestones, it's hard given that the past 12 months welcomed so many small changes but when compounded, it's a world of difference between one and two. Here's what I love about Ingrid - as a baby, at one and today:

• Observant 
• Honest 
• Thinks that dresses are pretty 
• Loves dairy 
• Loves meat 
• Loves adventures (aka, errands) 
• Balloons are amazing 
• Non-snuggly 
• Loves books 
• Loves the outdoors 

Did I even address the question I gave myself of "who needs a birthday celebration - the parents or kids?"

My thoughts (since you won't stop asking): she'll go through two to three decades of thinking and knowing that birthdays are all about her. When and if she ever has babies she'll (hopefully) understand that it's a pretty special day for us parents too. The moment of going from who you've always known yourself to be to a mom is pretty memorable. It's scary, life-altering, surreal and will warm your heart beyond imagine. Mostly it's really scary.

Even though we're keeping it simple this year - candles in French toast for breakfast this morning, one present (doll house) and dinner at Red Robin (fancy!) tonight - it's a really special day for our family. Ingrid knows that because she gets extra sugar today and really, when you're two, that's a rad day. Or when you're 29.

In the Attic

Tuesdays nights are our nights. Dan has poker - or is jamming away on some art deadline. Ingrid and I have been known to watch movies, have a frozen yogurt for dinner or make a stop into Target on Tuesday nights.

Last night, laundry was on the agenda. Ingrid was happily watching Bubble Guppies and I let her know that I was headed to the basement for a few minutes. As I came upstairs a few minutes later, I was greeted by our dog Harper on the stairs. The doorway to the back staircase had been opened by Harper and I didn't think anything of it - she can push the door open if not closed tightly.

I went back to preparing dinner and checked on Ingrid a minute later.

I couldn't find her in the living room and immediately panicked.

Then, I heard the worst sound imaginable. Ingrid crying, hard and loud.She had wandered upstairs and was at the top of the attic stairs.

The whole "search and rescue" had taken about twenty seconds but we were both hot messes. Tears and questions started pouring out. We had a discussion about going upstairs without Mom or Dad. She understands not to leave. I couldn't believe my ignorance - I left her unattended for a few minutes. She's two - what was I thinking? I felt like an idiot. An idiot mother. The worst feeling in the world.

In the large scheme of things, we're alright and lessons were learned but, nothing is worse than hearing your daughter say, "I up in attic. I so scared. Mama scared too." 

We'll go back to indulging on treats and Target trips and save the laundry for weekends.

In other slightly-less-dramatic, only-mom-cares news: Ingrid loves drinking out of an open cup. Those little beer sample cups from brewery tours are really coming in handy:

So proud!

Almost Two

Since becoming pregnant I receive, and sometimes read, those weekly development update emails from Baby Center, Parent Magazine (or whoever else is the authority on childhood development). Back in the day (pregnancy), I loved the weekly "produce" updates: "30 weeks: Your baby is the size of an apple!" Regardless of the size, I would immediately crave the baby-sized fruit, which was bizarre. Oh, my baby is the size of a cantaloupe? Now I want a...cantaloupe. Creepy. 

Now subject lines range from sweet: "Signs your toddler loves you" to scary: "Toddler development: 10 red flags." And the most recent: "23 Months and 3 Weeks."

That's about as close to two-years-old as you can get.

Now, I'm not going to get all "man, the time sure has flown by" on you but I will say that I feel unprepared. I feel unprepared to tell people that I have a two-year-old because at two, she's closer to a kid than a baby.


A few months ago we tossed the pacifiers in the trash. Then due to a six-hour road trip, two-year molars and a growth spurt, the nuk was reintroduced. Yesterday, Dan ditched it again. She didn't take a nap but, she went to sleep much easier and slept throughout the entire night (instead of waking up hours later claiming she needed to eat. Or drink milk. Or, you know, just be awake).

It feels like we're in a grey area. A nice area but a grey area. She's not a baby and not yet a kid. It feels like that time between Real Housewives seasons - I'm thankful that Andy Cohen discovered the magic that is the two (or three) part reunion specials. Deep, I know.

I'm not longing for this stage to be over, not at all. This grey area feels uncomfortable at times because she's so in the present moment while we're rushing from one activity to the next. She can't really remember the past and she has no idea what tomorrow will bring.  

She has harsh opinions and lives in extremes. She can talk and let us know what she wants but sometimes she can't verbalize her thoughts. She loves Hello Kitty and painting. Yogurt and applesauce are her go-to foods. Her imagination is just starting to blossom. She's taken a liking to this little lion on wheels - she'll grab it and run around saying screaming "Giddy up Bullseye! Giddy up Jessie! Giddy up Woody! Giddy up Buzz! What Buzz say?" 

She does things like this:

And even though it's hilarious I had to refrain from asking her to clean up something.

The multiple quarters, the mug that she's not supposed to touch, the pillow or blanket, the tanning goggles that came from who-knows-where. As I was cooking dinner, this is what her wonderful mind wanted to do: take a break from filling her piggy bank to get "Mama's coffee," giddy-up around the kitchen, snack on some raisins and then take a little rest with her unicorn and baby blanket.

Apparently this all happened while being shirtless. The magic and joys of toddlerhood.

Spring!

Happy First Day of Spring! 

We live in Wisconsin so sometimes, spring looks like this: a dog and a toddler running around in the snow. Sliding down a hill. Falling up a hill. Posing like a Old Navy model in coordinating winter gear. Just your typical first day of Spring in the Midwest.

Weekend Recap: St. Patrick's Day

Happy Monday! Spring might be technically beginning this week but right now, we're seeing snow. That's what you get in Wisconsin. This weekend we had a great time celebrating my girlfriend's 30th birthday, visiting The Waxwing - a little shop that's featuring Dan's artwork this week and toasting Irish coffees in honor of St. Patrick.

Here are some of my favorite moments:

Dancing along to the live band at The Waxwing:

And here's part two:

Dancing can't compete with shiny rings.

Ingrid went from a dancing fool on Sunday morning: 

 

To a sad, sick little patient in the evening:

 

She watched movies while I folded laundry and enjoyed the New Glarus sampler pack (I love this mix of light and dark brews!).

Seriously, I'm a little obsessed with the site SkinnyTaste. I made the Corned Beef and Cabage soup and Skinny(er) Shamrock Shakes yesterday. Dan couldn't stop talking about how good the soup smelled - and tasted - while Ingrid sipped her little shake happily.

I'm not sure if Ingrid's not feeling well or if, like the rest of us, the gloomy weather is finally getting to her. We haven't been able to play outside very long and on Saturday morning she cried during our walk when I told we couldn't go to the park because it was too cold (and too long of a walk). I'm with you Ingrid - bring on the sun!

Five Things

The name of the game this weekend: relax with Ingrid. Dan is gearing up for his printmaking convention and is working around the clock (from one procrastinator to another, I totally get it). Ingrid and I are enjoying making grilled cheeses, watching movies and getting excited for homemade Skinny Shamrock Shakes tomorrow (Ingrid's totally into avocados in shakes. Or, she will be.)

Here are a few things that made the week sweet:

Ingrid loved creating little "burritos" out of these Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

photo and recipe via 

I recently read that sipping on sweet, rich tasting tea can help curb cravings so, I picked up some Red Velvet Chocolate Tea. I find that it's best WITH a little sweet treat.

Folding laundry with a toddler leads to excessive, unnecessary, fashion-forward, adorable layering.

Good Reads is a great site. At first, I was a little hesitant to sign up for (another!) online account. Seriously, is there really a need to track my thoughts on BossyPants? But, I've found that it's great for keeping track of book recommendations. So often, I'll be talking to family and friends about books they enjoyed, make a mental note to remember (or jot it down on some random post-it) and then forget about it 10 minutes later. I'm excited to read Tell the Wolves I'm Home. After finishing Run Like a Mother - which has connected me to a new running online community and honestly, helped motivate me to run...sometimes.  

via

Last weekend, Dan and I went to Milford Hills Hunt Club with friends. It was my first time at a gun range - I had only previously shot a gun in my friend's backyard (welcome to Wisconsin folks). Things started to look up after I adjusted the ear protection and stopped crying about the noise. You need to pull your ear up and really jam those ear plugs in - who knew? Probably everyone but me.

Anyways. It was a little scary to load, hold, aim and shoot a gun. And it was also exhilarating. I felt a little silly about how scared I was to load the gun. At one point, Dan had to remind me that nothing would happen until I pull the trigger. Still, the experience was overwhelming and I was happy to end the day with some cocktails and surprisingly delicious appetizers.

That's the week: skinny recipes, tea, Ingrid in a sports bra, books and guns. Happy Saturday!

Five Things {Ingrid Said}

This weekend my girlfriends and I will run a 5K. The first race of the year! I'm busy putting together a playlist and willing the mound of laundry to somehow get done tonight. Saturday we'll be visiting our family and friends from out of town (and hopefully have a Bloody Mary - or two - while our girls play).


Here are five things Ingrid said this week (some humorous, some obvious): 

1. Run Around 
This sounds more like "Fun 'anoun! Fun 'anoun!" Ingrid loves to "run around" the living room from time to time. She'll simply stop what she's doing - and in this case - put on a hat from one of her stuff animals - and announce that she's going to run around.

2. No Getting Out 
Ingrid started this bad habit of getting out of bed in the night. We'll be in the living room and hear the familiar "squeak-a squeak-a" sound of the doorknob turning back and forth. After asking her to not get out of her bed, this hasn't happened (yet). Now, while tucking her in, she'll let us know "No getting out." Very good Ingrid. No getting out. Now can you try sleeping in too?

3. Please Don't Drink The Chalk.
This came out of my mouth on Wednesday morning.

4. Kiss It. 
After a few minutes of ohhing and ahhing at the nail polish Ingrid announced to everyone at Walgreens that she wanted to kiss it. All of the nail polishes. I entertained one little smooch but received an ear-full when I interrupted the kissing session. And then I heard...

5. I Love It. 
She's figured out that she loves nail polish, swimming suits (aka "Cinderelly dress"), cupcake boxes and a Toy Story 2 DVD case. I'm waiting to hear this phrase directed toward me, Dan or even Harper. Someday. Someday we'll be loved more than nail polish.


I leave you with pictures of Ingrid at Noodles (someone figured out how to create collages!):

Cheers to you on this happy Friday! 

Play Dough

Last week we made some homemade play-dough. It was incredibly simple to make and Ingrid went bananas. After searching around on Pinterest and realizing we didn't have any Cream of Tarter, here's what I did:

1 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Salt

1/2 Tablespoon Oil

1 Cup Water

Food coloring

Mix everything in a sauce pan (except the food coloring) until it forms into dough over medium heat. Wait for it to cool. Throw it on wax paper. Mix in some food coloring. Play with play dough. If you store playdough in leftover sour cream containers. Don't mistake playdough container for sour cream. 

I was disappointed when I opened up the "sour cream" to find playdough inside. Here's a video of Ingrid playing with the colorful dough: 

Three things:
1. Sorry about the camera cropping!
2. Dinosaurs are no laughing matter.
3. I'm having a love/hate moment with that completely unnecessary ponytail.

Dinosaurs

As Ingrid inches closer to two-years-old, her little personality and sense of humor are starting to shine. She goes from smiles to tears in a hot second if her requests aren't granted. As in, "No you can't watch another show, it's time to play."

What's surprising though, is her sharp-as-a-tack memory (hoping that "sharp-as-a-tack" is the correct phrase to use here). Off the cuff, I mentioned that she can "earn" an M&M if she uses the potty. Now, like a little solider she'll randomly blurt out "Go potty. Get M. GO POTTY GET M!" Glad we're making this whole potty training thing a causal, welcoming experience.

I can't believe she's still touting this phrase after I muttered it weeks ago.

A back story: When Dan and I were dating, he would do this little move I referred as "The Dinosaur." Stick with me here. While sitting across one another at a restaurant or bar he would move his gaze up and look surprised or scared. Like the face you would make if you saw a really tall dinosaur. I would "fall" for this move, spin around alarmed.

I had completely forgotten about this little joke until Dan played it on Ingrid the other day. She screamed in terror. When we told her there might be a dinosaur outside she thought we were out of our minds. They were on TV - not outside. Mom and Dad joke fail.

Since then, I've tried this little joke on her from time to time. She'll now smile, shake her head and remind me that "No dinosaurs!" but at least she's not screaming in terror. 

Currently

Ingrid received these little "palm stamps" from Grandma for Valentine's Day. Dan's the artist in the family (for further evidence, see recent Instagram photos) and I hope Ingrid gets some of his mad skills. Or should I say "skillz."



Currently...

Reading craziness on CNN.com. Bodies in water tanks, Olympic runners on trial. What's going on 2013?

Waiting for the right house to magically pop up in our price range, in our ideal area and come with a fireplace, front porch and fenced-in yard.

Excited about catching up on the Oscar movies! Argo tonight!

Trying to stick with the Whole Living Action Plan. Day five of no: coffee, sweets, carbs or meat. I'm craving a warm cup of coffee with a big ol' bakery treat alongside.

Working on parenting a toddler. She's starting to say "No I don't." to anything these days. Dinner options, clothing, activities: her response is "No I don't." Here we go...

Enjoying the effects of DayQuil. 

Using the Clarisonic facial scrubber. Seriously, worth every dollar.

Wearing a gigantic scarf

Planning on what to wear to an Oscar party!

Singing along to Mumford & Sons

Needing to be wearing yoga gear.

Learning that I need to be a bit more considerate to those closest to me.

Listening to the rumble of traffic outside my window.

Doing some inbox clean up. I feel so much more organized with a little email inbox and everything else tucked away into folders.

Dreaming of playing in the snow with the family!

Have a wonderful Friday! 

Thinking of: Ingrid's Second Birthday Party

The internet is a wonderful source for inspiration and discovery. What's the cast of Full House is up to now. Well, the internet tells me that "Stephanie" has a three-year-old named Beatrix Carlin Sweetin-Coyle.

It's also a source of frustration. A frustration with the seemingly endless stream of jaw-dropping DIY ideas. After spending a few minutes on Pinterest I feel defeated even before a project has even started. Who are these people making Pottery Barn-worthy headboards? Do fashion bloggers have part-time modeling gigs on the side? Because, ok, we get it. 

Tonight, I set out on an internet adventure to find Ingrid a sweet dress for a Tea Party themed birthday party. Then, after drooling over tablescapes and party favors (complete with monogrammed labels, natch), I decided this theme will work best when she's a bit older. When she can invite friends over to clink little teacups and decorate cookies. 

I thought about her favorite things: yogurt, babies, Cinderella, chocolate, bubbles, ice, books, dancing, playdough, M&Ms and the moon. 

Behind babies, the moon comes in a close second. 

If we head outside during sunset/nighttime hours Ingrid will look up in the sky and search for the moon. Once spotted, she screams: "MOON!" as if it's the first time she's witnessed its glory. If she can't find it, she'll let you know that it's "too cloudy." 

On Valentine's Day we were walking to a frozen yogurt shop when said "moon" over and over. I looked up in the sky and scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. We couldn't see the moon from where we were standing. Then, on our walk back to the car, I noticed a crescent-shaped pattern on bricks for a carpet shop. Sure enough, there was the "moon." The beloved moon. 

So, back to the party. 

The time will come for princess themes (the girl loves her Cinderella...), tea parties and "Mom, I'm too old for that kid stuff." parties. This year we'll be celebrating one of her favorite books: Goodnight Moon. 

Goodnight Moon is one of those books you think you remember as a kid but, once you've memorized it, it's so much better than you remembered  It's simplistically wonderful. During an episode of Mad Men this season, Pete read the book to his daughter. I love that generations of parents have said "Goodnight stars. Goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere." 

For Ingrid's second birthday, we'll make moon-shaped sugar cookies and you better believe there will be a red balloon. I'll leave the intricately decorated cake pops, waterbottle wraps and matching cupcake liners to those wonderfully patient moms (and dads!) who apparently have never-ending creativity, patience (and bigger budgets). 

That said, here are some great Goodnight Moon party ideas. 

You can find more over on my Pinterest (ha!) Parties board: 

image via

image via

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What are your favorite kid-themed birthday parties? Any ideas on activities for toddlers?

Valentine's Day Date

Ingrid was my dinner date for Valentine's Day this year. After overhearing a daycare mom announce that the kids were having frozen yogurt after dinner, I decided that a frozen yogurt dinner sounded even better.

Ingrid was so excited when I told her our plans. I reminded her that she couldn't scream or run around the yogurt shop so she whispered in excitement over the toppings, "Shhhhh - berries! Ms! mango!" 

We grabbed a seat by the window to watch the buses drive by and the snowflakes fall down. She was the perfect date:

Funny sidebar: Ingrid thought the coconut was cheese.

Watching snow flakes.

Dancing around to Mumford & Sons. There was a lot of singing going on. 

P.S. Dan DID receive a special Valentine's Day gift too. I made him a little date-coupon book over at Datevitation. It's a super easy and cute idea, custom coupons for loved ones.

*Please note, this is NOT a sponsored post, I just like the Datevitation idea!

The Toddler Room

Ingrid will turn two (as in, years old) in a few short months.

I have stopped referring to her as whatever-month-old. Now, I inform those who question her age that, "She'll be turning two in April." Which kind of bums me out. She's still so tiny - how can she be two? How can I remember her at nine months so vividly, but 19 months feels like a blur?

A few months ago, Ingrid's favorite teacher at daycare jokingly asked when will we have another baby. She explained that many of the babies leave the Baby Room and forget the teachers. But, the toddlers (and older kids) remember the staff and greet in the hallway and gym happily. If we had another baby, Ingrid would have a reason to visit the room and hopefully remember her "first" teachers.

I had never even thought of this and my knee-jerk reaction was to respond with "Who can afford to send two kids to daycare here?" and then, "Ingrid will totally remember you guys!"

The teacher is right. She won't remember them, but we will and that's pretty important. They were so wonderful at making us feel comfortable. They were in constant communication and more importantly, Ingrid loved (loves) them all. As we drive away from school, she yells "Bye bye Chrissy! Bye bye Malena! Bye bye Tao Tao!" - and will sometimes blow air kisses (too sweet!).
 
Yesterday was Ingrid's first day in the Toddler Room at daycare.

I feel like the time is right, she's ready. Although, it's hard not to feel some emotional connection to these caregivers who have watched her go from laying to crawling to walking. Cooing to talking. From being baby to insisting on playing with babies.


I had planned on going with Dan to drop her off in her new room, but when the day came, it just didn't make sense. We never drop her off together. She would have to say good-bye to both of us. It didn't feel necessary.

After receiving a text from Dan letting me know that the drop off included a tearful good-bye a little wave of shame hit me. Realistically, I could have been there. Should I have been there? Guilt mixed with worry caused me to search for carbs that afternoon. Sadly (and thankfully) there were none available.

I rushed out of work to pick her up. Going across the hall to the new room felt foreign, but as soon as I peaked my head around the door, I saw Ingrid organizing cars (with a baby in hand, natch), and felt relieved.

She had a rough start to a wonderful day. Played with all of the new toys and fell asleep while watching the fish tank. On the car ride home, I asked her if she wanted to go back to the Toddler Room. She thought about this for a few seconds and shouted a resounding "YES!" 

Sometime transitions - like moving to a Big Girl Bed or ditching the pacifier - feel hard and leave me longing for her to stop growing. I know that we'll have ups and downs as Ingrid adjusts to the new space but, thankfully, this transition feels right.

Popcorn

Happy New Year! If you're like me and coming down from the high of a 12 day vacation, then yesterday felt a little weird. It was only my fourth day on the job and it felt like my first day all over again. What's the code to the building? Did I just inadvertently steal someone's coffee creamer? 

At home, things felt a little off as well. For dinner, we looked to the freezer for guidance and after two weeks of decadent treats and cheeses, fish and broccoli felt like the right choice - but also a little sad. Bye vacation! Guess I can't wear my pajamas all day! See you later cheese and chocolate! 
 
After tucking in a sleepy Ingrid, I happily climbed into bed at 8:30 with my new book ready for a full night of sleep. An hour later Ingrid started wailing. Dan and I looked at each other and groaned with annoyance. She wasn't tossing or turning or searching for a lost pacifier - she was just wide awake.

Dan suggested her and Ingrid watch a movie in the living room. I agreed but was a little twirly because A) Everyone needs their sleep. B) Dan had been with her all day and I was getting the guilts C) Seriously Ingrid? Go to sleep!

If you're already up with a toddler after bedtime, why not have a snack? Snacks make everyone happy.

I thought Ingrid would get a kick out of watching the popcorn pop, but we didn't get out of the pantry before we both started cracking each other up. I started to fake laugh at Ingrid over her fake-smile (mature Mom move!). She fake laughed at me, I "real" laughed, she replied and we went on like this until I had tears streaming down my face and had to quickly throw her into Dan's arms because I was too weak with laughter. I don't remember what started the fake smile/laugh or why I though giving a toddler popcorn at 9:30 at night was a good idea, but I have never had so much fun with my daughter in a 3 minute period. So glad I stayed up to give her a treat and share late night laugh.

Advent Calendar

Growing up, one of my favorite holiday memories was the good ol' Advent Calendar. I loved opening the cardboard windows each day to reveal a little piece of chocolatey goodness. Goodness that my sisters and I could enjoy every day for 24 days. Simply wonderful.

I had high hopes of creating a DIY Advent Calendar. One that would last for years and years and become a sweet annual tradition. I would carefully choose daily treats for Ingrid: stickers, ornaments, candies, random things from the dollar section of Target. I would place them in special envelopes or boxes. On December 1, Ingrid would come rushing into the living room with slippered feet with anticipation of her first daily surprise.

I found these seriously cute ideas on Pinterest including a countdown to Christmas book idea. You wrap 24 books (new, used, borrowed from the library, holiday-themed, non-holiday-themed) for kids to open and enjoy each night. We have plenty of books so I narrowed down my options to these sweet ideas:

Home Advent Calendar - via

Kraft Box Advent Calendar - via

Old Window Advent Calendar - via

And....didn't feel like creating any of them.

I don't know about you, but sometimes Pinterest makes me feel like a worthless pile. I love the idea of these crafts but not the patience or energy. All of the beautiful homes, intricate desserts and crafts make me want to throw my laptop in the air in defeat.

Enough about Pinterest.

During a semi-routine trip to CVS a quirky Advent Calendar caught my eye and I figured that Ingrid would get a kick out of Santa and I'd throw a chocolate or two her way and we'd move on with our day.

I completely underestimated the power of chocolate and the memory of Ingrid.

For the first few days, I would offer Ingrid a little piece of chocolate and watch as her eyes would light up - just around the same time Dan would offer me a look of judgement from across the kitchen. I would shrug my shoulders as to say "Come on Dan, live a little!" And then pat myself on the back for being a Fun Mom.

The next morning her first words were "Chocolate?" and I knew I had created a treat monster.

We had to deny her the chocolate that I introduced. We had to deny her because the whole "one-chocolate-a-day" thing created a whiny child who would repeatedly point at the calendar and ask ever-so-sweetly for "More Chocolate?"

This afternoon I threw away eight pieces of unwanted chocolate. Eight! Ok, I had a rough case of food poisoning otherwise none of that chocolate would have seen the trash can. I guess any case of food poisoning is rough, but I had to miss my first day at my new job because of it, so I would say it rough.

Anyways - I don't know what I was thinking - that she wouldn't catch on. That she wouldn't ask for more. I thought it would be a sweet surprise to the end of the day or a post-nap treat. Those DIY Advent Calendars are looking pretty good right now - but I think next year I'll opt for the classic construction paper count-down chain.

A Tree for Ingrid

Every season brings a new batch of holiday traditions to be remembered or created with Ingrid. It's hard not to get swept-up in the moment. Let's take today for example - as I was a few phone calls away from booking an unnecessarily expensive Breakfast with Santa when a coworker reminded me that we don't have to do everything this year. 

Breakfast with Santa can wait. Wish lists for Santa can wait. Cutting down our family's first real Christmas tree can wait until next year when we're in a bigger place. 

I love that Ingrid only understands a small percentage of what's going around her this month. She loves looking at the Christmas lights twinkling on front yards. Tonight, the holiday section of Target blew her mind as she yelled "Sparkly balls! Sparkly Balls! SPARKLY BALLS!" Hilarious and accurate. 

The decision to postpone the "real" tree was a slight disappointment for me but, I perked up when I saw this little Pinterest-gem: A Felt Tree for Toddlers.

It took Dan five minutes to cut out the tree from green felt, while I created as many ornaments as Ingrid would let me finish. At first she called the ornaments "makeups." It was one of those moments where she looked at me with such conviction as if to say "Excuse me Mom, these felt circles are now referred to as makeups, not 'ornaments'. How old are you?" 

At least once a day, she'll toss her baby to the side and happily jog over to her tree to "pat-pat" her ornaments (felt sticks to felt!). She'll admire her handy work and then aggressively wipe the tree clean and decorate it once again. 

She loves it and uses it daily. It cost roughly $5 and took 20 minutes to create. Our real tree can wait until next year. 

Nice ornament layering. 

Patting the ornaments to make sure they stick.

What's happening?
Someone cut my bangs. 

Although her expression would lead to you believe she's in a tragic situation -
Harper actually loves snuggling under this tree. 

Here's what I used: 

• 1 yard of cheap green felt 
• Leftover felt 
• Double-sided tape 

The Big Girl Bed

Earlier this fall, I thought Ingrid was ready to transition to a Big Girl Bed.

Some parenting books and websites recommend this transition once toddlers can climb out of their cribs. I know Ingrid, and Ingrid is not going to climb out of a crib. She just won't. The time felt right because she had napped on beds and was restless in her crib.

After looking into the price of a toddler bed, it was determined that our old twin mattress and box spring would work just fine. We moved the bed into her room, picked out some bright green bedding and plopped Ingrid down on the New Bed and anticipated her excitement. 

Ingrid looked at us like we were insane and started to cry. 

We took her off of the new bed and back into the familiar. Once and a while she would play on the big bed, but beyond that, she wasn't interested. That was, until I had enough of weaving in and out of the numerous pieces of furniture in her room and abruptly transitioned her to her Big Girl Bed.

Looking at the big picture, this is a small step into toddlerhood, and even though I pulled the trigger, it was a surprisingly emotional experience as I watched Dan disassembled the crib.

The first three nights were rough. She would cry for about 10 minutes, climb out of bed and rattle the doorknob. Such a creepy, sad sound.

But not nearly as creepy as the times she magically appears in the doorway. Nothing will scare the shit out of you more than a toddler standing in the doorway whispering "Hi Mama." while clutching and over-sized unicorn pillow.

Now, she happily climbs into bed for storytime, cries a little as you make your way to the door and sleeps throughout the night.

I'm happy to no longer hoist all 25 pounds of her in and out of the crib. She's happy in her big girl bed surrounded by her stuffed Duck and Kitty - but if I'm honest it's another milestone that just arrived expectantly.

When she was 6 months, I knew she would sit up and whenever babies crawled, she crawled.  Now, we're entering into a new stage of development and timing will vary. There isn't a magically time to start potty training or throw away the nuk. Or introduce open cups (you know, non-sippy cups). There are general guidelines, but the cues from Ingrid will be more important than whatever conflicting information I find online.

Today, I bought Ingrid a holiday sippy cup. I was giddy about being able to choose the sippy cup and not the Big Kid cup, because for now, she's just too little.