We Loved You, Baltimore

It's the last day of the year, and our last day in Baltimore. I can't really bid this city a proper farewell. It's the place I've called home for my entire adult life, it's the people I've met who've become my family; Baltimore is a part of who I am. So I can't say goodbye because I'm taking a little bit of it with me, hon.


Today is the last "last" in a long line of "one last time". Tomorrow brings with it a new year, a new home, and more firsts than I know what to do with.


We loved you, Baltimore!
Every day was like an open door!
Every night a (loud) fantasy
Every sound was like a symphony...

We loved you, Baltimore!

More Christmas Cuteness

We finally made it to see the Miracle on 34th St tonight - the lights were a lot of fun. Maddie was especially fond of the house with trains set up inside and out.


This night shot is a little rough, but it's so rare to get a picture of all four of us that I had to share it.


We came home and enjoyed some cookies and milk, then left some out for Santa. Maddie dictated the note to Santa and I wrote it down.


Then we got the kiddos dressed in their matching Christmas pjs. Could they be any cuter?



And now they're tucked in to bed, with dreams of sugar plums (or Dora) dancing in their heads...ready for the excitement of tomorrow!

Merry Christmas!

Did you get our Christmas card? No? Oh, right. I didn't send any. This is the picture that was going to be on them. Pretend it's a card.


This season has obviously been a chaotic one. I mean, Christmas is always crazy, but add selling your house and moving across the country with a one and two-year-old in tow, and you get a whole lot of chaos. And boxes. Lots of boxes.


We've been visited this year by the Elf on the Shelf. Maddie named him Christmas, and every day (even on days when he's tricky and eats her yogurt covered raisins), she tells him what she wants for Christmas. It's the same things every day - a necklace like Dora has. I hope Santa gets the message.


We didn't have a lot of Christmas wrapping paper, and so we made our own. If anyone gets a package wrapped in a two-year-old, I'd like her back, please.


The kids both spent some quality time reading their Christmas books while I frantically packed. Gavin was very into the snowman book and Maddie loved the Fancy Nancy Christmas story.


We didn't do much decorating (imagine that), but we did set up the kids' nativity set. It looks like a nativity massacre in this picture, but Maddie was just putting them all to night night.


And to kick off the holiday weekend, Dakota made us all yummy hot chocolate with marshmallows.


The kids loved it...


...as evidenced by Gavin's marshmallow goatee...


...Maddie's smile...


..and that. Yeah.


So even though there's no tree, there's still some magic in the air and a lot to be in awe of.


Merry Christmas, everyone.