i happened upon this blog that i have not updated since Harlow turned 2. which is great...since she is 3.5 now. i guess i got a little busy. is that what they call it when you work 50 hours a week + full time parent a toddler outside of that 50 hours + try to run a hobby clothing business on the side? yeah. i guess busy is the word. i would like to say that i will turn a new leaf and keep updating this for the sake of having a written history one day when Hlow is older. but, alas, i doubt i will actually do it. so let's just not even say it.
a lot has happened in the last year and a half. that about sums it up. Harlow is awesome. that about double sums it.
maybe i'll write more one day and maybe this is the last post ever. who knows/cares? :)
until those fates decide i leave you with this video made by Auntie Jesh. Hlow is in training.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Monday, April 30, 2012
Harlow's Room
we created Harlow's nursery bedroom over 2.5 years ago. i just realized that in all that time, i never bothered to post the pictures of her room. why? i guess i was busy. but we also never "finished" the room and i didn't want to post the pictures until it was actually finished. we got close. i just never found the perfect throw rug. who cares, right? we also never hung the 3D white flowers that we bought...or finished hanging the flowers from the tree on the wall behind her changing table. not to mention that we never found the perfect (streamlined) orange shelf i wanted to hang with those amazing table lamps i found. so yeah. it's not done. pretty sure it will never actually be done. but who cares? she has been living in this room and loving it for two years. i'm getting real and posting the pictures of the "unfinshed" nursery bedroom.
the unfinished tree wall. oh, and there is her changing table. the table that we never once changed her on in 2 years.
Anna's old bookshelf. lots of memories and love.
the little things.
from the cell phone earlier today...
her lovely Sparo organic crib. finding a crib that doesn't use formaldehyde glue was almost impossible. and nobody cares. found this one used in Manhattan. yay.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Georgie
Harlow likes to be called Georgie. it's, of course, after Curious George. she is smitten with monkeys. always has been. Curious George is the newest obsession in the love of monkeys. then, our favorite day care provider at the Y named her Georgie a few weeks back. and it stuck. my little Georgie. is it okay to change the name of a two year old? because i kinda like her as a Georgie. maybe, if we ever do this again, we just won't name the kid until 2. perfect.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
a few weeks shy of two - this is March
just a few weeks shy of two. so grown up. still so stinky. and so incredibly sweet/thoughtful/funny/cute/loving/and on and on and on.
she went pee pee on the potty twice the other night. the very first time at Jess, Shan, and Laura's apartment. then again when we got home. she was a late bloomer in the pee pee on the potty movement. i hope it sticks! she was a bit terrified but also pretty dang proud.
her personality gets funnier and funnier. she tells me my shoes/jewels/bags are GORGEOUS all the time. i think she is pretty dang goregeous myself.
we are besties that go out together a lot. in fact. we had sushi together, just us gals, twice last week. she is a highly entertaining conversationalist. plus, she shares her sake with me.
we're still pretty anal about her food. this kid eats like a king. although now and again we give her a wee bit of sugar. she had a little icecream sundae the other day for the first time. the funny part is that she was WAY more interested in the big kid cup of water than the actual icecream. i suppose we're doing something right in those regards. my coworkers make fun of me and say that she is going to be the odd kid out in school but i'm pretty sure in this neck of the woods the kids eatting crap foods are the odd kids out. privledged judgment much?
we finally got snow this month. funny. the idea of snow was much more exciting then the actuality of snow. poor kid.
what else? oh. this kid is happy. happy happy happy.
and handsome. she is pretty dang handsome. just like her Papa.
she went pee pee on the potty twice the other night. the very first time at Jess, Shan, and Laura's apartment. then again when we got home. she was a late bloomer in the pee pee on the potty movement. i hope it sticks! she was a bit terrified but also pretty dang proud.
her personality gets funnier and funnier. she tells me my shoes/jewels/bags are GORGEOUS all the time. i think she is pretty dang goregeous myself.
we are besties that go out together a lot. in fact. we had sushi together, just us gals, twice last week. she is a highly entertaining conversationalist. plus, she shares her sake with me.
we're still pretty anal about her food. this kid eats like a king. although now and again we give her a wee bit of sugar. she had a little icecream sundae the other day for the first time. the funny part is that she was WAY more interested in the big kid cup of water than the actual icecream. i suppose we're doing something right in those regards. my coworkers make fun of me and say that she is going to be the odd kid out in school but i'm pretty sure in this neck of the woods the kids eatting crap foods are the odd kids out. privledged judgment much?
we finally got snow this month. funny. the idea of snow was much more exciting then the actuality of snow. poor kid.
what else? oh. this kid is happy. happy happy happy.
and handsome. she is pretty dang handsome. just like her Papa.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
so amazing - 21 months today!
my baby is 21 months old today. just three more months and she will be TWO. crazy town.
- counts to ten like no big deal
- sings her ABCs like a champ
- sings other songs such as Twinkle Twinkle and The ChuChu Song so sweetly yet in such a show-off manner
- says things like "love you more" when you tell her you love her
- tells me "i busy" when she is playing and doesn't want to eat or bathe
- dances to choreogrpahy that i create
- has lay face down / lay down toddler tantrums
- is always asking "mama/papa where are you?" when we're right next to her
- hugs like no other (and even gets bitten by other children for it)
- sleeps like a champ
- dances amazingly solo as well as with friends and as a family, all hugging
- travels incredibly well
- handles change great
- laughs infectiously
- kisses freely
- still signs words even though she can say all the words easily
- "cooks" and "cleans" all the time
- plays make believe
- "reads" books out loud
- is smart and pretty dang witty
- is hilarious!
- loves, loves, and loves
i'm sure there are a milliong other things that i am forgetting about how amazing Harlow is. i could never do her justice.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
the great gnome photoshoot
i made a gnome Halloween costume for Harlow. but since The Great Halloween Blizzard of 2011 made it so that we had no Halloween - we found another use for the costume. we did a little photoshoot one morning and then Papa photoshopped her into different locations (below). we then compiled those pictures into our holiday card this year. pretty dang cute as a gnome, eh? i think the Chicago one is my favorite with Vegas as a close second. Papa is partial to the snow gnome.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
traveling
Harlow is an amazing traveler. this month she took her 8th flight. third flight to Chicago in her short 20months. she travels like a champ. we spent the night in Boston first and then took a crack of dawn flight to Chicago. she slept most of the way. pretty sure this is her last time being a lap baby. now we shall find the joy of buying a third seat on the plane for the little thing.
night before travel in the Boston hotel room.
post flight and ready to rage.
Harlow at dinner with her bestie, Ida Rocket. she simply idolizes Ida. with good reason, look at those tats! i wish they could be together more often.
most of the time was spent at Auncle Momo's new condo with Pix the wonder dog and Hlow's new favorite movie - Totoro. here she is looking all Seattle in her Papa's hat and her beans/avocado.
night before travel in the Boston hotel room.
post flight and ready to rage.
Harlow at dinner with her bestie, Ida Rocket. she simply idolizes Ida. with good reason, look at those tats! i wish they could be together more often.
most of the time was spent at Auncle Momo's new condo with Pix the wonder dog and Hlow's new favorite movie - Totoro. here she is looking all Seattle in her Papa's hat and her beans/avocado.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
you know what's hilarious? portraits!
these CRACK ME UP. too good.
here she is for her first ever school portrait. put a bunch of 1 year old toddlers in a room and then make them sit on a wicker chair ON TOP of a table while some cranky guy waves a stuffed something at you = brilliant. Harlow was sobbing big round tears. i'm shocked the end result didn't have one large tear coming down her cheek. poor kid.
every year my mom has Christmas portraits taken of the grandkids for her Christmas card. i actually love these because she is dressed old-timey. but man, portraits just don't catch the personality at all.
here she is for her first ever school portrait. put a bunch of 1 year old toddlers in a room and then make them sit on a wicker chair ON TOP of a table while some cranky guy waves a stuffed something at you = brilliant. Harlow was sobbing big round tears. i'm shocked the end result didn't have one large tear coming down her cheek. poor kid.
every year my mom has Christmas portraits taken of the grandkids for her Christmas card. i actually love these because she is dressed old-timey. but man, portraits just don't catch the personality at all.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving
not the best picture of her but her outfit is so dang cute. Thanksgiving was wonderful. Harlow was a champ per usual with our wild bunch.
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Great Halloween Blizzard of 2011
also known as "the year that Halloween never came."
everyone was talking about the big Nor'easter coming. all week. snow snow snow. one of my biggest pet peeves are when people get scared about a big "Nor'easter." 90% of the time, the weather people are totally off. also, why does the name "Nor'easter" freak people out so much? it's just a snow storm...coming from the North East. so what?
as per usual, i ignored the warnings.
i went to dance class like any other Saturday morning. had lunch with a pal. walked around town a bit. no big deal. then Harlow and i went to the mall to get her some much needed new shoes. we entered the mall around 130pm. we went walked out around 3pm, it was winter white outside. i was SHOCKED how much snow had fallen in such a short amount of time. the 10 minute drive home took us almost an hour! we passed six cars off the road in less than two miles. it was BONKERS. my next stop was going to be to the store for fire wood, milk, and food for the weekend. i nixed the store in order to get home safe and sound.
Harlow and i had a lovely evening alone (Gwen was in Boston shooting). we bathed. sang. read books. after she went to sleep, i even ordered a movie and snuggled in to watch the snow fall and relax all alone. before the movie even started, the power dramatically died.
no power = no heat, no light, no water. and to top it all off, my cell service went dead.
i immediately started packing to get Harlow and i out of there and to a warm place for the night. as i brought the first load outside, i realized that leaving wasn't really an option. trees were cracking and falling. the road was full of branches, trees, and power lines. scary. so i hunkered back into the house and made a bed for myself on the floor of Harlow's room.
sadly. i only had FIVE pieces of fire wood for the fireplace. oooooops. totally ill prepared. that did not keep the house warm for long. i put more layers on Hlow plus a hat, and pulled her onto the floor with me...away from the windows.
i didn't sleep most of the night. i am not generally the type to get scared. but i was really scared. it was VERY cold. and in the silence, on the floor, all i could hear were the sounds of falling limbs and trees all around me. i was honestly freaked out. and hovering over Hlow trying to keep her warm and shield her from anything that may fall on the house.
when we woke up at 5am to walk the dogs, this is what we found: dead silence, an creepy feeling of being buried/stuck, trees, power lines, limbs down EVERYONE, and our neighborhood looking completely abandoned.
i was standing in the middle of the street when i took that picture with my cell phone. the crazy part is that it was like that in both directions. there was no way to get out...and no way for anyone to get in either. it completely freaked me out - baby on my back, no wood to heat the house, no food that didn't require cooking. i thought we would be there for days. luckily, by the end of the day Sunday, with the very generous help of some neighbors, we were lucky to get out.
it took SEVEN DAYS to get the power restored to our house. SEVEN DAYS. and i know we were the lucky ones. there are people still without power. also, we were lucky enough to have access to my company's apartment. i cannot imagine what we would have done with a baby in a home without heat for a week. scary.
everyone was talking about the big Nor'easter coming. all week. snow snow snow. one of my biggest pet peeves are when people get scared about a big "Nor'easter." 90% of the time, the weather people are totally off. also, why does the name "Nor'easter" freak people out so much? it's just a snow storm...coming from the North East. so what?
as per usual, i ignored the warnings.
i went to dance class like any other Saturday morning. had lunch with a pal. walked around town a bit. no big deal. then Harlow and i went to the mall to get her some much needed new shoes. we entered the mall around 130pm. we went walked out around 3pm, it was winter white outside. i was SHOCKED how much snow had fallen in such a short amount of time. the 10 minute drive home took us almost an hour! we passed six cars off the road in less than two miles. it was BONKERS. my next stop was going to be to the store for fire wood, milk, and food for the weekend. i nixed the store in order to get home safe and sound.
Harlow and i had a lovely evening alone (Gwen was in Boston shooting). we bathed. sang. read books. after she went to sleep, i even ordered a movie and snuggled in to watch the snow fall and relax all alone. before the movie even started, the power dramatically died.
no power = no heat, no light, no water. and to top it all off, my cell service went dead.
i immediately started packing to get Harlow and i out of there and to a warm place for the night. as i brought the first load outside, i realized that leaving wasn't really an option. trees were cracking and falling. the road was full of branches, trees, and power lines. scary. so i hunkered back into the house and made a bed for myself on the floor of Harlow's room.
sadly. i only had FIVE pieces of fire wood for the fireplace. oooooops. totally ill prepared. that did not keep the house warm for long. i put more layers on Hlow plus a hat, and pulled her onto the floor with me...away from the windows.
i didn't sleep most of the night. i am not generally the type to get scared. but i was really scared. it was VERY cold. and in the silence, on the floor, all i could hear were the sounds of falling limbs and trees all around me. i was honestly freaked out. and hovering over Hlow trying to keep her warm and shield her from anything that may fall on the house.
when we woke up at 5am to walk the dogs, this is what we found: dead silence, an creepy feeling of being buried/stuck, trees, power lines, limbs down EVERYONE, and our neighborhood looking completely abandoned.
i was standing in the middle of the street when i took that picture with my cell phone. the crazy part is that it was like that in both directions. there was no way to get out...and no way for anyone to get in either. it completely freaked me out - baby on my back, no wood to heat the house, no food that didn't require cooking. i thought we would be there for days. luckily, by the end of the day Sunday, with the very generous help of some neighbors, we were lucky to get out.
it took SEVEN DAYS to get the power restored to our house. SEVEN DAYS. and i know we were the lucky ones. there are people still without power. also, we were lucky enough to have access to my company's apartment. i cannot imagine what we would have done with a baby in a home without heat for a week. scary.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PUMPKINS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the Locke family held their 8th annual pumpkin carving party two weekends ago. good thing we did it before the freaking HALLOWEEN BLIZZARD of 2011. more on that later. back to pumpkin carving. this is a party we (Sue and Gwen) started having back in our Chicago days. in fact, here i am carving a pumpkin at our first ever carving party. whoa, that's a lot of pink, Sue.
the parties were a bit different back then - a lot more drinking, a lot later in the evening, and a bit more wild. they have expanded over the years to include a potluck of sorts that i like to call "The Harvest Feed." they have also become a lot more baby friendly in the last two years. good wholesome times.
regardless, here are some pics from our party two weekends ago. i didn't take pics until late in the day, so i missed a bunch of the guests.
a carving group.
Uncle Wolfie, the pumpkin king.
a picture of Hlow making her famous Hlow face.
PUMPKINS! hey, Alex, if you're reading this - you forgot your pumpkins!
this would be one of them artsy pictures...from inside the pumpkin.
and the evening ended with a roll on the ground with Daisy. look at those two, Oliver and Harlow. all grown up!
at night.
the parties were a bit different back then - a lot more drinking, a lot later in the evening, and a bit more wild. they have expanded over the years to include a potluck of sorts that i like to call "The Harvest Feed." they have also become a lot more baby friendly in the last two years. good wholesome times.
regardless, here are some pics from our party two weekends ago. i didn't take pics until late in the day, so i missed a bunch of the guests.
a carving group.
Uncle Wolfie, the pumpkin king.
a picture of Hlow making her famous Hlow face.
PUMPKINS! hey, Alex, if you're reading this - you forgot your pumpkins!
this would be one of them artsy pictures...from inside the pumpkin.
and the evening ended with a roll on the ground with Daisy. look at those two, Oliver and Harlow. all grown up!
at night.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Provincetown!
i am a wee bit in posting about our end of summer vacation. but everything in my life is a wee bit late nowadays. except for mornings. my mornings are bright and early and extra on time.
Ptown was incredibly lovely. we went with our usual friend/family Chicago group. only it was a smaller group this year as money as been tight for all. it was Ben's 30th birthday. yay, Ben! we tried really hard to get him a special surprise but it never actually came to fruition. too bad. because it would have been the perfect finalizing of Heather's 30th birthday some four years ago in Vegas. that's all that i can say in such a public space. okay, i'll give you one hint = Winnie the Pooh.
anyhow.
our vacation was delightful. we took FREEZING COLD swims in the ocean over and over again. it was actually very refreshing once you were in.
man. just looking at the picture makes me shiver. brrrrrr. out side of swimming, i had a few other highlights with no pictures to document it happened.
1. yoga on the deck in the sun.
2. pina coladas with Ben and Nako on the deck while Hlow slept. actually, i think that is what got us into the ocean that first day.
outside of those favorite moments, i loved loved loved watching Hlow and Ida Rocket play together and interact. Ida was smitten and did a lot of hug/choking Hlow. Hlow mostly just followed Ida like a doggie the entire time. terribly cute. here are a few sweet moments.
here is Ida Rocket. THE most lovely bebe (besides my Harlow of course). although i suppose Ida isn't really a baby anymore, huh?
playing on the beach together.
coloring together.
the city mouse teaching the country mouse how to use an iPad.
Nina teaching them about beer bottles.
they also did a lot of kissing (here they are kissing with the bear in the background).
what else? there was so much more. but pictures do always tell the story the best. there were sunsets from our room. Mama, Papa, and bebe all laying in bed watching the sun rise over the dunes and sparkling on the ocean. amazing.
getting the time to spend with my sleepy Hlow rather than rushing off to work in the morning.
there were also chances to nap with Hlow. here she is asleep on my chest. something that she hasn't done since she was a BABY baby.
there was FORT BUILDING!
and "playing circus."
amazing photo ops with hot Papa. this is Hlow's "take my picture face" that she has recently developed.
and there were early morning breakfasts that were just lovely. here Hlow is with her bestie, Nako. what an unlikely pair.
last but certainly not least...butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies.
Ptown was incredibly lovely. we went with our usual friend/family Chicago group. only it was a smaller group this year as money as been tight for all. it was Ben's 30th birthday. yay, Ben! we tried really hard to get him a special surprise but it never actually came to fruition. too bad. because it would have been the perfect finalizing of Heather's 30th birthday some four years ago in Vegas. that's all that i can say in such a public space. okay, i'll give you one hint = Winnie the Pooh.
anyhow.
our vacation was delightful. we took FREEZING COLD swims in the ocean over and over again. it was actually very refreshing once you were in.
man. just looking at the picture makes me shiver. brrrrrr. out side of swimming, i had a few other highlights with no pictures to document it happened.
1. yoga on the deck in the sun.
2. pina coladas with Ben and Nako on the deck while Hlow slept. actually, i think that is what got us into the ocean that first day.
outside of those favorite moments, i loved loved loved watching Hlow and Ida Rocket play together and interact. Ida was smitten and did a lot of hug/choking Hlow. Hlow mostly just followed Ida like a doggie the entire time. terribly cute. here are a few sweet moments.
here is Ida Rocket. THE most lovely bebe (besides my Harlow of course). although i suppose Ida isn't really a baby anymore, huh?
playing on the beach together.
coloring together.
the city mouse teaching the country mouse how to use an iPad.
Nina teaching them about beer bottles.
they also did a lot of kissing (here they are kissing with the bear in the background).
what else? there was so much more. but pictures do always tell the story the best. there were sunsets from our room. Mama, Papa, and bebe all laying in bed watching the sun rise over the dunes and sparkling on the ocean. amazing.
getting the time to spend with my sleepy Hlow rather than rushing off to work in the morning.
there were also chances to nap with Hlow. here she is asleep on my chest. something that she hasn't done since she was a BABY baby.
there was FORT BUILDING!
and "playing circus."
amazing photo ops with hot Papa. this is Hlow's "take my picture face" that she has recently developed.
and there were early morning breakfasts that were just lovely. here Hlow is with her bestie, Nako. what an unlikely pair.
last but certainly not least...butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies, butches and babies.
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