The Polar Express

The Harris family got in our Christmas jammies and went to the "North Pole" near Flagstaff, Arizona on the Polar Express. It was so much fun, and we definitely want to make it a yearly tradition. There is nothing more magical than singing Christmas carols, drinking hot chocolate, blinking Christmas lights everywhere, snow on the ground, and watching Maddie light up with that happy kid magic in her eye.

Holiday Spirit

Thanksgiving was at my dad's house this year. THANK GOODNESS. Because my stepmom loves to cook and is really good at it, so somehow she whipped up a huge traditional Thanksgiving meal in no time at all. I didn't have to do a dang thing. But don't worry, I helped clean up. :o)

I love how everytime I go see my dad, he feeds us. His mother (my grandmother) does the same thing. It's how they show their love, and I am trying really hard to learn how to continue that tradition too.

Maddie got her time in the snow. I hated every second of it. The cold doesn't even make her flinch.

She also got to be a cowgirl with my Aunt Lisa.

Her class did a "Career Day" where every kid chose what they wanted to be. Maddie chose a "jewelry maker" because she is an artist and she wants "to make many ladies happy." Um... okay. She was still the cutest little "jewelry maker" I have ever seen.

We got our Christmas tree, stockings, and lights up at our house! I got bit by the Christmas bug this year. (Some years, not so much....) Merry Christmas to all!!

Some forgotten pictures

I try to keep my blog updated as much as I can, so every once in a while I forget to add some pictures.

Happy Ten Year Anniversary to me and my Josh Bop. Josh knew the manager at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris casino, and it is now on my to do list to get to know every manager at every fine restaurant in the city. Cause then you get the VIP table and treatment. Wow. It really was magical.

The Madster woke up to 100 pink and purple balloons all over her bedroom on her 7th birthday. The smile that it made on her cute little face was worth the bloody fingers I got from tying every.single.balloon. I have decided that this will NOT be a yearly tradition.

A yearly tradition that I WILL continue is a birthday dinner at Maddie's restaurant choice with her mom and dad. Where we talk about her life and her hopes and dreams. I love that her hopes and dreams still involve fairies and flying and getting shiny earrings. I wonder when this innocent little girl phase will pass? Hopefully not any time soon.

Our dear little surprise pet frog got his very own cage in the house. Somehow he is still alive. I wonder when this slimy little frog phase will pass? Hopefully sometime soon.

Maddie learning to skate at her birthday party. And me being the greeter and photographer and present holder on the side of the rink. I'm wearing my new green coat that I love. It just screams Christmas and winter.

Another awesome Clown picture because it is awesome.

Pumpkin carving

Maddie's pumpkin patch class at their Halloween play.

Happy 7th to the Madster!

So, I learned my lesson that we can't invite every single friend of Maddie's to her birthday party. (See the post from one year ago.) Apparently, that wasn't an issue when I was a kid and my only friend was the girl across the street (who actually kind of scared me into being her friend).

So this year, we only did her girlfriends from school. And it was still a big party, but a great success. She was a happy little ice skating seven year old.

From City Boy to Country Boy in Just One Day?

I love my Joshie. He is so cute, and we have a lot in common. One of which is that we are both "city" folk. We both like having a Target nearby, and good restaurants, and more than one movie theater to choose from, and paved roads. These are the luxuries of life.

But he went to San Luis Obispo to his cousin's ranch and had such a blast that he is now trying to figure out how he can move there.

Maddie had a blast too and came home with a pet frog.

Uhhhhh......Thanks Ryan and Leanne? (Said sarcastically and menacingly in regards to the pet frog.) :o)

As soon as I get over this nightmarishly long cold that seems to come for three days, leave for two days, come back for three days, etc., I will have to come visit too.

After looking at the pictures, I guess having a PF Changs and an HOA can't compete with a good group of girlfriends and a frog named "Cinnamon" for Maddie, or playing paintball in tree orchards and shooting squirrels from the back of a four wheeler for Josh. :o)

These other things:

I saw this picture of myself the other day, and I remembered that I'm actually not very cool. (I am the one in the cat sweatshirt and mom jeans on the left.) It is so awesome because I sometimes wonder how THIS:

Created THIS. Maddie is so cool and elegant and chill and did I mention gorgeous? Just comparing the two of us at the same age is hilarious. It makes me hopeful for the future of the world that so much improvement can occur in just one generation. :o)

Maddie played a Christmas song at the Halloween piano recital. I can't really complain, because the only songs I know how to play on the harp are Christmas. Apparently, the only time people want a harp is during the holiday season, so I've gotten away with it for twenty years. (Sorry mom, I will practice more SOME day.)

Josh and I took Maddie to Disneyland. Remember when I said Maddie loved the Tower of Terror? She talked about it the whole day and we caught it on our way back to the car. I KNOW she loves it and I KNOW she can be dramatic sometimes, so when she started crying and shaking and freaking out in the line, I kind of rolled my eyes. But then I got some seriously dirty looks from everyone else in line, and the ride conductor person wanted me to go to hell. But after the ride, Maddie said "it was the most awesomest and funnest ride." That's nice Maddie. You can tell that to Child Protective Services when they show up.....

Baking like it's going out of style...

As I stated earlier, being room mom kind of sucks. Now, don't get me wrong. I like baking cupcakes or volunteering in the cafeteria or helping in art class. But when you are room mom, you have to harass all the other women to do these things and then do whatever doesn't get a volunteer. So Halloween morning, I made these....

And these....

And this....

And these....

....And showed up early to set up....and stayed late to clean up. I was pooped trying to be Suzy Homemaker. Thank goodness for Pinterest or I don't think I would have been able to fake it so well. :o) But this little Cleopatra Cutie makes it all worth while.

Happy Halloween from the Harrises

Josh REALLY hated the costume that I picked out for him this year. But he was a good enough sport to put it on for three seconds while we took this picture. I was supposed to be a spider, but my costume was admittedly kind of lame. Maybe I will do better next year. It depends on how lazy I feel in early October. :o)

Maddie had a freaking blast trick or treating. Our buddies came over too, which always makes holidays more fun. Here they are being patient on our doorstep. Our neighborhood is the bomb trick or treating neighborhood. I have never had so many trick or treaters in my life. I am so glad that I bought an insane amount of candy to hand out. I had just enough for every trick or treater, and a bag of Baby Ruths left over for myself.

And then, like all OCD children across America, Maddie sorted her candy by color and then wrote a list of what candy she got. Luckily, her buddy enjoyed this activity too.

Busy busy busy

I disappeared for a while. I started working as Josh's paralegal, got forced into "volunteering" as Maddie's room mom, and am constantly at physical therapy to recover from my knee surgery (from an old, stupid, stupid injury - not a big deal). I have come to learn a few things. Working full time and trying to maintain a functioning house is very, very hard. Being room mom/PTA lady sucks. And recovering from a surgery as a 30 year old is harder than as a 20 year old (last time I had knee surgery I was 20).

Other than that, life is good. :o)

Maddie started first grade. She loves school and everything about it - except for P.E. She constantly asks me to make up math equations for her to do. She is well beyond her age in math because she is always bugging me to teach her more. So she loves doing multiplication, division, and addition and subtraction where she carries the number to the next column. She also loves to read. I've read a book to her every night since she was a baby, and I guess it's finally paying off.

First Day of First Grade. So big!

Her guitar teacher says he can tell that Maddie loves playing the guitar, and I have to agree. She loves it. Here she is playing the birthday song for her Grandma Linda.

She also desperately wants to learn to ride her two wheel bike, but is still terrified that she will fall. It's obvious to me that she has more of my genes (music and math and reading) than Josh's genes (sports and P.E. and sports), but I won't be the one to convince Josh. (Can you see why we love our house/neighborhood?!? I bet you couldn't even tell this greenery was in Vegas!)

Our friend was moving and sold us his trampoline for a great deal. Have you seen these tramps? They are genius. They are springless, so no more arms or legs flying through the holes and breaking. And the net around it keeps kids from flying in every direction. Maddie is in love....

We also went to the Phineas and Ferb musical that came to town. Maddie's favorite character is Candace, and Josh's favorite character is Dufenshmirtz. The musical did not do justice to the show. (One of the few kids shows that I actually will continue to watch when Maddie leaves the room.)

Josh's band had another gig that they headlined. They are getting really good. I love watching Josh rock out on the drums. You can tell that it makes his soul happy.

Maddie claimed she wanted to go see Josh's band, but then sat and watched her iPad and complained that the music was too loud and that she couldn't hear her show. Oh well. At least this time she didn't fall asleep.

We also went on a fun little day trip in the motorhome with cousins to visit Josh's grandparents in St. George. We love 2nd cousins!