national cathedral

For several years we've had on our holiday activity list to visit the National Cathedral to see their creche exhibit, and we nearly didn't make it this year. We're lucky they left it up until late January, so Bria and I had a little date to check it out on one of the last days. We didn't take any pictures inside, but when we got out, Bria found a ladybug crawling on the steps. (Is it true you can tell a ladybug's age by how many spots it has? That must be some childhood misconception I have, right? Because this ladybug had, like, twenty spots, and I find it hard to believe ladybugs live multiple decades.) Anyway, we spent quite a bit of time looking at it before heading out.

Of course since we were just around the corner, Bria and I ate lunch at 2 Amys: one of my all-time favorite places to eat.

 (she drew a picture of me sitting in a beach chair, under an umbrella, reading a book.)

Guster Weekend

For Christmas Sam surprised me with concert tickets to one of our favorite bands, Guster. This was one of the first bands we really bonded over, since we've both been fans since high school. The concert was in Durham, NC, so we left Bria with Marc and Jenn and made a weekend of it. Before the concert we grabbed dinner at Dame's Chicken and Waffles, then walked over to the concert. As expected, Guster put on an awesome show; we both absolutely loved it. Sam arranged the whole weekend including conspiring with my friend Katherine who lives in Chapel Hill so we could stay at her place, so it was fun to go back and then stay up late chatting. In the morning, she and her husband made us a huge and awesome breakfast. We drove through the center of Chapel Hill, past UNC, and I was totally smitten by its charm. We then hopped on the freeway for the four hour ride home. We did, however, make a quick stop in Richmond to pick up some Dixie Donuts, and seriously. I want to go to Richmond again soon to eat more and more of those gems.

First Snow

Shortly after Christmas we had our first snow. It may be pitiful compared to this Colorado girl's standards, but it was magical just the same. We wanted to get out there before it melted or turned to rain, so Bria wore snow boots 2 sizes too small; my hat, scarf, and gloves; and plain leggings, since I don't think I have any snow pants her size. Luckily Bria didn't care.

I promise there's a snow angel in there . . . 

Joyeux Noel

As has become our tradition, we spent Christmas Eve with friends this year, enjoying a tasty dinner, games, and great conversation. We headed home and quickly opened our new Christmas pajamas, which I sewed for everyone this year! (Pants for me and Sam, a nightgown for Bria.) We set out cookies, milk, and a little note for Santa before quickly shuffling Bria off to bed.

Each year Bria is more and more aware of Christmas, and this was finally the year her excitement kept her from sleep. Up until now she has slept in every Christmas, but even after going to bed almost three hours late, she still stayed up chatting and singing to herself for almost an hour, and in the morning, she told us she was awake in bed for an hour before coming to wake us up. Those are some of my favorite Christmas memories as a child-- experiencing a near physical pain from excitement, staying awake for hours during the night until I was finally allowed up. I can't wait for Bria to have a sibling with whom she can share those painful hours.
Once she was awake, we prolonged the anticipation pulling out the camera, taking pictures, talking about Christmas. And then it was time! Santa was good to us this year, as were our generous and loving friends and family. Bria was particularly excited about the authentic Flamenco dress she received from her cousins living in Spain.

After eating the traditional McPhie breakfast, we relaxed, played with toys, and took naps before heading out to spend the rest of the day with Sam's brother's family. We can mark Christmas 2012 down as a success.

I really love our quiet Christmases. Bria is at an age where she will start tucking away lifelong memories, and I love to think our budding family traditions will make the cut.

Holiday Spirit

There is so much to do in DC during the holidays. I feel like we have a list a mile long, and we barely check anything off each year.  (This could also be because Bria's and my immune systems are practically non-existent-- between the two of us, we've been sick for five weeks out of the last four.) But we managed to pack in quite a bit since Thanksgiving. Here's a rundown.

When the fall weather was still around, Bria and I took a stroll through our favorite cemetery in Old Town. Areas of it are still in use, but there are also headstones that date back to the Civil War.

Bria wrote a letter to Santa. I can't believe I forgot to take a picture or scan it before it went in the mail!

In years past, I bake and cook up a storm for various Christmas gifts and goodies, but somehow, this year, I caught a crafting bug. I have no idea what's happening to me.

Though I did host a baby shower in December, where I made four different kinds of cookies: gingersnaps, mustache-shaped sugar, apple pie cookies, and nutella stuffed brown butter and sea salt chocolate chip. (I know, right?)

And we did make our fair share of treats, like when we made sugar cookies, and after Bria had her fill of decorating, I stayed up an extra three hours decorating the rest. Oy.

We went to an awesome gingerbread decorating party. Confession: I am known to hot glue my gingerbread houses together. So when I had to rely only on frosting . . . it wasn't pretty. Bria wouldn't let me help with the decorating, either, and she was pretty hopped up on sugar, so let's just say we didn't win any awards.

We brainstormed, gathered props, exploited our friends' generosity, and walked dangerously close to a couple nervous breakdowns to film our annual Merry Mangum Christmas video. 

Which, of course, included buying our Christmas tree! We had to try five different places to find the right size, but in the end, we were successful! I love our little tree so much. And yes, it could have fit in our car with room to spare, but Bria insisted on it being tied to the roof on the way home from the lot.

 

 We packaged up lots of presents for our dear friends and family, and sent them off with lots of love (with pompom decorations made by Bria!)

Bria had an awesome Christmas program at her school (which is run by a Methodist church). Her whole class dressed like Wisemen, followed by a great family lunch.

And she was a lamb in the church nativity . . .

We had a mommy-daughter day on Capitol Hill, eating lunch at 7th hill, shopping at Eastern Market, and dessert at Pitango.

Bria's cousin Amanda turned 18! (and she gave Bria a bunch of glitter tattoos.)

 

On the one Saturday Sam didn't work, we trekked in and braved the crowds at the Botanical Gardens, which is one of our favorite things to do each Christmas. Of course we stopped by the tree at the Capitol and followed up with dinner at We, the Pizza. Yum!