“Happy New Year!” My three year old bellowed out with joy as she grabbed as much confetti as her hands could hold and put into her crazy paper bag hat. For the third year in a row, on December 31st, my husband and I took our daughter to the Please Touch Museum to bring in the new year for their countdown until noon event. With each passing year, Quinn enjoys it more and more. This year, she proudly counted down starting at 30 seconds eager to blow her noise maker horn.

Another New Year’s Eve tradition she looks forward to is bringing in the new year at my brother-in-law’s home. But prior to setting off to their house, we attended a Kwanzaa celebration which is usually held prior to New Year’s Eve. It was a great time filled with activities, learning about the principles of Kwanzaa, music, food and community.

Needless to say, with three outings, it was a packed day, and my husband and I both wondered if Quinn would be able to stay awake until midnight without being cranky. Luckily, Quinn and I both were able to get cat naps in between each event, so we both were up and ready to party with our family to bring in 2017.

“I want to bring all of the confetti I collected at The Please Touch Museum to Uncle Scott and Aunt Dee’s house,” Quinn informed her father and me. “I can’t wait to throw it in the air and say, “Happy New Year!” she said with excitement. Her wish was fulfilled as we all counted down together, and she along with our other family members threw confetti and noise makers too.

Just thinking about how much she has grown and matured throughout the course of 2016 leaves me in awe.  Just thinking about how much I’ve grown as a mother leaves me feeling blessed and motivated about my journey and the baby steps I will continue to take in the years to come.

As I said in my 2015 post leading into 2016, “I am so happy and blessed that I was able to bring in the new year with my husband, daughter and family.” Here’s to an awesome 2017!
All the best,
Tanya