For the past three years, our New Year's Eves have been beyond lame. From doing absolutely nothing to trekking our children to a party on the other end of the city, only to spend all night rocking the baby to sleep in the dark next to a pile of coats.
But Tuesday night, Mike and I had our first fun New Year's Eve since we had kids.
We went to the same party we've gone to for the past two years— it's a small party attended by all parents who bring their kids, mostly the same ages. We all go with the expectation that it will be a total shitshow, but at least we'll be in it together.
This year, about twenty minutes into the party, as we all lounged in the living room drinking and chit-chatting while stuffing ourselves with various cheeses, we realized we had the perfect aged kids (a one-year-old/four-year-old sibling split) to bring to a party while still being able to enjoy ourselves.
I'll tell you why.
When Harlow was a newborn, I did not have the sleeping thing mastered. I had to rock and feed her as long as it took her to fall asleep. If I left the room and she started crying, I had to go back in. When Mazzy was a toddler, she could not play with similarly aged children on her own without a lot of crying, sharing issues and injuries (real or imagined) involved.
At last year's party, when we weren't rocking crying babies in a futile attempt to get them all to fall asleep together in one room, we were policing the toddlers.
But THIS YEAR, the babies were all sleep trained and went easily down in their pack and plays. When one woke to cry a bit, we knew that if we left the situation alone, it would fix itself. Usually all was quiet within five to ten seconds.
The four-year-olds were perfectly content to play with the other kids at the party. You can stick a bunch of preschoolers in a room, turn on Finding Nemo and not hear a peep from them for the next two hours while the adults relax on the couch with a glass of bubbly.
It is a miraculous thing.
At 9:30pm, we set the kids up with party hats and blowers and dance music and had a grand old time pretending it was New Year's Eve since we assumed the kids would soon pass out. Instead, they all made it to midnight and partied again with the grown-ups for real.
But I don't want to just talk about my awesome New Year's Eve. I want to talk about what made this entire year awesome. On Wednesday, I gave you my top ten posts of 2013. Today, I'd like to pay tribute to some of the other stuff that happened this year.
The crazy stuff that I still can't quite wrap my head around. Like being nominated for Best Blog and Best Instagram in Parents Magazine. (See how I snuck that in there? Please vote for me in both categories once a day until January 13th! I'm currently in second.)
This was the year that Baby Mugging made it all the way from Jimmy Kimmel to Jeopardy.
Epic Baby Hair became a scandal in the Daily Mail and then found it's way onto NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me."
My toddler facebook newsfeed made it onto George Takei's facebook page. Of course, some jackass stole it and replaced my watermark with her own, but my true fans knew where it came from.
The Evil Baby Glare-Off got so many submissions, it broke my facebook album.
And I had freakin' Julianne Moore in my living room, Jim Gaffigan doing crafts at my dining room table and Taye Diggs disrobing in my bathroom.
I've still got four more episodes of "The Mommy Show" left to air, by the way.
But enough of the me, me, me stuff. Here's a look back at some of the kids who really made my year. And no, I'm not talking about Mazzy and Harlow. Although they were big parts of my year too.
I'm talking about Sydney, the baby with the amazing backstory, who made a deal with Satan to win the Evil Baby Glare-Off:
Sophia aka "Annette Funicello" who DID NOT WEAR A WIG to win the "Epic Baby Hair" contest:
Ilona and her beautiful daughter Amelie who inspired my entire Monday Morning series:
Kadence aka "The House Destroyer" who killed it in the Method Power Pose-Off:
Little known fact: Kadence was also the winner of the Evil Baby Glare-Off in 2012:
Atlas, who revived my Baby Celebrity Lookalikes by looking exactly like Cam from Modern Family:
Holden, who breathed fresh holiday spirit into Baby Mugging at the end of the year:
And lastly, the kids from KISS, one of the winners of my Halloween Costume Awards who actually used this photo for their holiday card this year:
I love you all. Thank you for trusting me with photos of your kids.
To even bigger things in 2014!
xo, Mommy Shorts
Because your Facebook feed made it’s way to George Takei’s page, that is how I came across your blog and contine to read to this day, I am still catching up to the older blogs, they are very funny. I am a new mom at the time and needed something to do while feeding the baby. The iPad is really a saving grace since it kept me from being bored out of my mind during those late night feelings.
The truth is, I never thought of reading blogs before until I became a mom and realize the value of reading mommy blogs. At the time, my thinking was “who wants to read about someone’s experience and opinion?” But once you are a new mom, you realized that you needed other mom’s experience so that you don’t feel totally alone and that you are just not crazy, there are a whole bunch of others crazy moms out there too.
So, thanks for sharing and wishing you, your family and blog another wonderful year! Here is to 2014!
You are a walking, talking ad for sleep training.
I hope that’s a good thing!
I never read blogs before I became a mom either. I honestly don’t know how people parented without them. I would lose my mind if I didn’t know everyone was going through the same struggles I am. Glad you found me!
Oh. My. God. How did I miss The Mommy Show?! These are amazing!I just binged watched them all before starting my day. Please tell me there are more coming in 2014.
I started reading your blog after my first daughter was born in May of 2011. I saw your blog about having more kids and the “controversy” that followed… Hilarious!!! I’ve been reading ever since, like you we’ve had a second daughter, and your humor has helped get through some of the really tough bits. Your realism (whenever the toddler is losing her shit and I’m overwhelmed I am appreciative of your post about being beaten by parenthood) is so important and makes this parenting thing so much easier when we’re not competing but all in this together. Thank you for being so generous with your time, ideas, creativity, and most of all your beautiful family. Happy New Year!
Awww…. this comment made me a little weepy. Thank you for appreciating what I do here. I really try to make it entertaining everyone while also very therapeutic for me! Have a happy and healthy 2014!
Oopsies… typo in last line?
To even bigger things in 2013! <-- Ahem, 2014. These dreaded first few months of the year make us continue to live in the previous year. I was actually writing 2014 in all of December 2013. I looked like a complete idiot every time someone pointed it out... or just overly prepared as I'd like to think.
Oops! That’s the second time I messed that up! I did it on insatgram yesterday too.
Voted!!! Similar to what someone said above, you are my inspiration for sleep training my baby who is approaching 5 months. We haven’t started yet, but hope to soon. Anywho, I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings b/c you/MommyShorts just keeps getting better and better! (also one of the more personable big (meaning big following, not big in size of course) bloggers out there)
Happy new year! Even though I can’t comment as much, I’m still reading and laughing from the far away land of New Jersey 🙂
Hopefully one day if you’re not TOO famous (so ridiculously jealous of the Idina Menzel visit!), we can meet you in the city and I can tell Rebecca that this is the lady that is responsible for the NYC pretzel shirt in your closet.
P.S. I got my parents to babysit BOTH kids so I could have my friends over for our annual party. My other friends secured a babysitter too for their 3 year old and the first thing we did when we saw each other was high-five in glee and let off as many curse words as we could as LOUD as we could :). Then? We did tequila shots… ha!
liked the story of new years and thanks for the reminder to go vote again!
the last time we all, as a family, stayed up until midnight, was when my son was 2! we were at a friend’s house. the plan was to party as long as the 2 year olds (almost 3) were awake and having fun. they watched totoro, and played with eachother, and we all rang in the new year. bizarre….I still can’t figure out how that worked out so well. and it hasn’t come together again since.
I’m so sad I missed the “Epic Baby Hair” contest! My daughter could have totally given the winner a run for her money! She will be 2 in a couple of weeks and her hair is about 10 inches long when it’s wet and straight. When it’s dry (and curly) it brushes her shoulders in the most massive afro I’ve ever seen on a child. It’s wonderful!
Thanks for bringing so much fun to 2013. I look forward to your shenanigans in 2014.
(I’ve voted for you. Again!)
I think it’s safe to say my love for you and your blog is evident by my following on your website, Twitter, and Instagram (I won’t show up at your house, I promise!) Having my first (and only) daughter a few weeks after you had Harlow definitely helped make me feel like someone else was going thru the same occasional shit show. I have two boys but didn’t realize how much different a daughter would be. You’ve helped get thru the first year and I thank you! Keep on doing the great things you do. Happy New Year!
I love being a loyal Mommy Shorts reader and commenter, and look forward to your posts in 2014! I’m glad that you had such a fun NYE! I’d write more but my own baby is fussing! 🙂 Happy New Year!
Eh…well…not for me, but that’s okay…I love your blog anyhow! 🙂
Never a dull moment on your ever funny and inventive blog. Luv the amazing instagram shots.
Okay, good. Glad we can still be friends:)
What kind of camera/editing software do you use? The pictures are my favorite part 🙂
I take all my photos on an iPhone 4S. I need to upgrade! I edit everything on my phone using snapseed and pictapgo.