Hollywood BFF's - New Years Eve Party

Okay Peekers.  We've been friends for awhile now so I think it's time I let you in on one of my favorite conversations - Hollywood BFFs.  If you were famous and lived in Hollywood, who would be your best friends?  Which personas famosas would run in your pack?

I put WAY too much time and energy into this conversation and since I have a large circle of Hollywood BFFs, here's who'd be in attendance at the Meabon 2011 New Years Eve Party:

- Christina Applegate:  She is my Hollywood BFF.  We like to go out to wine lunches, talk about new mom stuff and invade each other's closets when we can't find anything to wear.  Our daughters will also be best friends.

- Natalie Portman:  Natalie and I met in college when we were both studying abroad and have been close friends ever since.  She threw me each of my baby showers and they were lovely. 

- Minnie Driver:  Minnie is wonderful to have a parties.  She's my friend that makes me laugh until my sides hurt.  

- John Cusack:  John is always invited since he and Jared are best friends.  They play basketball together over at our exclusive gym and they both love watching hockey.

- Padma Lakshmi:  Padma is my elegant friend that takes Jared and me to fabulous dinners at all of the new hot spots.  We let her order for us and her selections are always a home run.

- Neil Patrick Harris:  N.P. and I love to shop together.  You can always count on him to bust into a show tune at the end of the night.  His kids, Gideon and Harper (we call her H2) are just a few months younger than our Harper so we do alot of kid activities together - music class, play gym, going to the park.  

- Philip Seymour Hoffman:  Philip is our neighbor.  We often meet him at the cafe down the street for breakfast pastries and coffee.  He likes to wear beat up jeans, v-neck undershirts and sunglasses.

- James Harrison:  James and Jared work out together at the gym.  He's a little intimidating given his football reputation but really, he's a softie. 

- Kate Winslet:  When Kate and I go out, we drink too many martinis and smoke too many cigarettes. (And no, I don't smoke in real life but with a friend like Kate, you have to smoke cigarettes)  She can help me dissect the issues of the day and I always feel filled with confidence after I've gone to her with a problem.

- Justin Timberlake:  Jared and Justin have been really good friends since they first met in their early twenties.  Justin is STILL single and we're always trying to set him up with new people.

- Kristen Wiig:  Kristen is my friend the way JT is Jared's - friends since our early twenties when we were both single and running around the city.  We were in each other's weddings but she's now divorced.  I've been trying to set her up with my brother but she's dating this new guy.

- John Stewart:  John likes to get into debates at our parties.  Sometimes it can get a little tense but he's good about smoothing things over before the night is through.

- Andy Rodick:  You know how your husband always has a friend that you're not too crazy about?  Well, Andy is that friend of Jared's.  We always have to invite him along but I just don't get it.  

- Ellen and Portia:  We love our other neighbors, Ellen and Portia.  They are such an amazing couple and invite us out to their ranch on the weekends.  We love going out there and wish we could go more but our crazy social calendar keeps us so busy.

- Ryan Gosling:  Because every party needs some eye candy. 

Isn't it going to be a great party?  

Okay, your turn.  Who's your Hollywood BFF?  

Christmas 2011 - Highlights

- Lots of time with grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles
- Harper saying "OOOOHHHHHH" like it was the greatest thing she's ever seen every time a present was opened
- Holiday feasting while pregnant - everything definitely tastes better!
- Children's Christmas Eve Service at UUMC - Harps loved the angels and camels
- Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with the family
- Lots of laughing

Santa brought a kitchen

 

Stocking goodness

Thanks for my musical instruments Parker!

Thanks for the iPod dock Dan!

Uncle Brentie was there to help open presents...

...and play with new toys.  Thanks Grammie!

a new DPM original

Over to Honey and Grandy's for breakfast & presents with cousins Dylan, Elena, Hayden and Durham

 

 

 

Numero Dos in the Belly

And then to Bonnie and Tom's for Christmas dinner with the whole Boswell Crew

 

 

 

  

 

 

Merry Christmas y'all!

Still not so much

Maybe she'll change her tune about the big guy after she wakes up tomorrow morning???

School Christmas Party

So what does a school Christmas party for 16 - 21 month olds look like?

Kids being confused as to why their parents are all there early

Eating Chick-fil-a nuggets, fruit and crackers

Hugging on Daddy because its so crazy that he's at school!

Decorating Christmas cookies

Having Mommy micromanage the cookie decorating

Discussing the state of the economy and the effects of holiday spending with her classmates

And eating the icing off of aforementioned Christmas cookie

 Wishing Ms. Julie and Ms. Nelly a very restful holiday break!

Deep Thoughts

by Jack Handy Brooke Meabon

Want to know a surefire way to kill some holiday cheer?  Decide to compare your weight with your husband's whilst six and a half months pregnant.  When your weight is literally the same to the ounce and you realize that within a week you will outweigh him, I guarantee a little bit of that pleasure you experienced as you shoved that extra Christmas cookie down your throat last night will cease to exist.  

Christmas Cards

Do you know how much I love a Christmas card?  I don't know that words can express the joy I have when I open my mailbox throughout the month of December.  The card is a big discussion in the Meabon household each year.  We pour an enormous amount of time and consideration into our card.  Another blogger had this classic posted on her blog.  Do they look familiar?  Perhaps because its the Kardashian family.  Love this!

But I think I've just found my new inspirational website.  Please take some time and admire this beauty.
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

But I'll leave you with the Meabon card from 2011.

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Happy holidays y'all!

Thumbs Up Thursday

It's baaaaccckkk!  After a short hiatus, Thumbs Up Thursday is back this week.  

Thumbs Up for Dillard's children's holiday clothing.  I am cheap....well, let's say thrifty.  I have a very hard time laying down a credit card for clothing over the $25 price range.  And that includes clothing for me as well.  I tell Jared daily how lucky he is but then he likes to remind me that 15 items worth $25 dollars is just the same as one item worth $375.  Um, NO IT'S NOT!  So when it comes to the adorable Christmas outfits for kids, I have to bypass the fabulous smocked holiday wear just for the mere fact that I can't stomach the Squirrel wearing a $70 outfit for one month.  Well, hello Dillards!  I stumbled across their Christmas outfits by chance and realized that almost everything is under $30 and quite festive.  And they carry clothes for newborn - girls sizes.  So get in there and get yourself some holiday goodness before its too late!

via

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I receive no compensation for these reviews - I just like the products!

A Honey Hijacking

Okay Peekers - she's at it again and with some 1980's Christmas pictures to boot.  I feel a little like Ed McMahon but "Heeeerrrrrreeee's Honey!"

I can’t help myself…

The other day Brooke and I were amusing ourselves with something new and fabulous that Harper had learned to do. We were in my kitchen and marveling at the genius of this perfectly normal child, laughing and going on and on about how truly amazing Harper is, sickening actually. But it was at this point that Brooke stopped dead in her tracks and looked me in the eye and asked, “Were you this delighted with Brent and me?”

My answer, “Of course we were, I thought everything you all did was exceptional!”

Brooke’s question has stuck with me like a looming shadow that keeps haunting me because I feel I need to give her a more complete answer. To those of you reading this blog who are young moms, you may not understand my answer as well as those of you older moms will, but to answer you my sweet daughter, did I find you and your brother as delightful, as brilliant, as creative, as endearing, as enjoyable and adorable as we do Harper? The answer is, I have used each and everyone of those adjectives to describe both of you over the last 33 years and will continue to do so until the day I draw my last breath.

It is these adjectives, these feelings of incredible love and devotion to your children that makes life worth living. It’s loving someone this much that enables you to go through those teen years and stay up till all hours waiting for your child to walk safely through the door. Or be tough enough to discipline that child you love so much because you know it will make them better in the long run.

It’s that same love that makes your heart soar when they are recognized for honors, awards, catch a fly ball, take the lead in the Christmas program at church. And it will cause your heart to break when you see their heart’s breaking. Whether it’s over some silly argument with a friend, losing some well-deserved accomplishment, or worse dealing with their health issues that you have no control over.

This motherly love will never end because from the day I held my babies in my arms, I began to be amazed in awe and wonder at their magnificence and I fell in love with two of the most incredible people I will ever know.

Now you can begin to understand how much I love you, because I love you just exactly as much as you love Harper, and as much as you will love your little son. It just doesn't get much better than this!

I love you this much…

Mom

  

16 months

An update for 16 months.  Harper:

- is picking up more signs. Recently started using fish, strawberry, light and dog.  We're working on lots of foods and animals but learning a little at a time.  

- seriously can't get enough of books.  She loves bringing books over to Jared or me, crawling up in our laps and flipping through them.  She can do this for almost 45 minutes.  She'll also disappear into her room and we'll walk in to find her surrounded by her books and she's silently sitting in the middle of them flipping through them one by one.  She can identify over 40 different items in her books when you ask her to point certain things out.  Excuse me, Harvard admissions, are you listening to this???

- likes making animal noises when we talk about the different animals.

- recently started rejecting proteins like chicken, hamburger patties, sausage, turkey sausage, etc.  Tonight we tried dipping her chicken in ketchup.  Bingo!  The chicken was devoured.  I see alot of Heinz in our future...and I'm not just referring to the Steelers' home field.

- still loves her babies and sleeps with Douglass the Monkey as her primary bedfellow.  

- still requires two pacifiers to fall asleep but we've been a crib-only paci household for quite sometime.  Trying to decide when to start fazing these out.  Thoughts anyone?  Before or after Numero Dos?

- really likes nativities.  I collect nativities and have them all set out for Christmas.  I figured I should get Harps a couple of her own so she has a felt nativity and a rubber duck nativity (yes, all of the holy family is represented as rubber ducks - could this be sacrilegious???).  She likes to tote Baby Jesus and the Wise Men around with her.

- has not touched my Christmas tree!  I didn't make any changes this year when putting it up and, sure enough, she'll stand in front of it and say "Oohhhh!" but hasn't had any attempts at attacking it in the week and a half that it's been up.  

- loves having tea parties with Honey and Grandy, as you can see in the pictures.  She has her own nativity to play with at H&G's house and they are, most definitely, invited to the tea party.

- is just starting to get some hair.  She's the only child in her class that's severely lacking in the crinigerous area.  There are a couple of curls (yes, I said curls - hooray!) coming in at the back but still not bow-worthy.  Bald is beautiful!