More Christmas Cookies

 Cutout Cookies

 One of my favorite Christmas songs is Christmas Cookies by George Straight.  It's fun to sing while making cookies, too!  I already showed the Snowball Cookies we made earlier.

We made the cutout cookies again this year and instead of doing the colored icing, went with an all-natural milk chocolate.  Some of them turned out cute... some not so much!  These cookies taste better, believe it or not, with the powdered sugar icing instead of chocolate.  But they're fun anyway.

My chocolate helper!

Sundance Santa

 Saturday morning we headed to see Sundance Santa.  He arrived at 11am and we got there about 15 minutes early, not knowing how big of a crowd to expect.  We usually go in the evening and this was sooo much better.  Not only was the weather nicer, but the wait also!  We were 3rd or 4th in line, so it went pretty fast.  Elizabeth was very excited.
 

 Even Santa was surprised when she jumped up into the sleigh and ran straight to him with a great big hug!  All the elves said, "Awww..."

 She was very excited to talk to him.  David & Rebekah wouldn't acknowledge him, but at least they sat in the sleigh and smiled for pictures! 

Getting Ready

Boy am I sore today.  Yesterday, Baby Sarah was turned from her breech position via an external version procedure at the hospital.  It was rough, but successful.  The sorest is the lower side of my protruding belly - right about head level for Rebekah and Elizabeth when they come running up for a hug.  : |

Aside from that, we've been spending the week getting ready.  To be ready for my contribution to the Christmas dinner, I made 2 double layer pumpkin pies and put them in the freezer, and am attempting to have the Christmas sweet potatoes ready so they're in the freezer, too.  Hopefully they won't turn to mush when they come out to finish baking!  Also stocked up on brown & serve rolls and the green beans & seasonings are waiting for the big day.  And I've got cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.

 Kids looking at Santa in lights

For our family's consumption, I made 2 loaves of pumpkin bread (one is almost gone already, the other's in the freezer), one loaf of banana bread in the freezer, snowball cookies and will probably make more cookies in the coming days.  Haven't decided which seasonal cookies to do, but my family always wants chocolate chip.

 Elizabeth by the PINK angel, of course!

All the Christmas gifts are bought & wrapped!  My BFF got her box yesterday and they loved the curtain!!!  I put a box in the mail today for my sister... forgot to send it with Lauren!  And I received a package from my sister with two of the softest, most beautiful, hand crocheted newborn hats!!!  I forgot to take pictures before putting them into my suitcase, but they'll be cuter to see when Baby Sarah can model them.

 Elizabeth & David by the big flag

I have given up on having the new stockings done this year... again.  Dad is the only one with a new stocking hanging.  I found enough other stockings to have one for all 4 kids hanging.  I don't have one, but at least it won't be hanging there empty on Christmas morning!  I also gave up the neighbors' cookie boxes this year.  Too much other stuff going on this year.  I'll re-introduce the idea next year and perhaps with the kids a year older, they'll be old enough to enjoy the giving, too.

On Tuesday we enjoyed a great evening strolling through the Christmas lights!  The kids were soooo excited about every light we saw.

 

Rebekah didn't want to stop free roaming to be in a photo

Happy December!

Well, it's obvious by the pumpkins that "fall" is over and "Christmastime" is at hand!  But first, I wanted to show our completed Thanksgiving Turkey.  And maybe I'll try to get a better picture today.  Hard to take a photo on the window during the day and be able to read it!  I was happy with the results.  We'll probably do this again.

One of my favorite things about Christmastime is our Little People Nativity - you never know who's gonna show up to worship Baby Jesus.  This year, we also had some excitement at the Thanksgiving Feast when someone showed up with this prize-winning tomato!

I think we are now all ready for Christmastime.  The decorations are scaled back a bit this year as (almost) everything that is breakable was left in the attic.  It was just too risky with Rebekah and the bouncy ball that's not supposed to be bounced in the house.  I didn't want my nativity scene that Grandmama gave me to fall victim or the blown glass fire truck ornaments...

We put the Christmas tree up on a little table to keep it more out of little hands' reach.  The star scrapes the ceiling, but so far little hands are staying in check.

Kinda looks like Santa's already been here and dumped his bag out all over the floor.  Don't be jealous.  And the kids think our Christmas tree is ginormous!

Our snowman family is on the mantle and we added another snowman this year to represent the one that's not here yet.

I still didn't get the stockings finished.  : (  So I gave in & hung the old ones.  I still have my sewing machine set up to work on them, though, so as/if they get finished I'll switch them out.

I have a little tree in the kitchen decorated with cookie cutters and one in the bathroom decorated with old toothbrushes (but I forgot to take a picture of that one).  And yes, I saved the kids' old toothbrushes one year just for this purpose.

My little poinsettia is out of reach also.  (This year is more challenging that keeping stuff cat-proof ever was!)

And I only had to return the kitchen rugs to the kitchen once... so far.

We're going to try doing "advent activities" in coordination with the countdown to Christmas this year.  In the past we've just done a countdown chain.  That was fun, but I wanted to try something different and I didn't want to have to provide a present every day, so the activity countdown seemed like the way to go.  I've seen some good examples of really cute countdowns here and here.  I'll post pictures of ours some day.

Yesterday's activity was putting lights on the playhouse!  Sounds fun, right?  We bundled up and headed out for the excitement!  After about 10 minutes of whining, complaining, getting Rebekah out of the barn, crying, wiping noses, keeping Rebekah away from the cat poo and the ant pile, and still not a single light on the playhouse, I brought them back inside.  Then I did it myself.  I know, I should have made it work

Anyway... here are the 2 versions of the picture for those who just won't believe that it's the playhouse unless they see it.  : )

Rebekah loved looking out and seeing it all lit up last night.  She kept saying, "Play!  House!"  Used last year's LED lights since Dad said I couldn't put them up on the rain gutter this year.  Tried 5 different strings of last year's LED lights before I found one that worked!  Is that common for new-last-year LED lights???  It was almost as annoying as all the crying and wining and chasing.  Hopefully the rest of our "fun Christmas activities" will go better.  Or we're going back to a simple paper chain!

Santa has been sighted...

Last Thursday I took David to the elementary Christmas party for our home school co-op. We were enjoying ourselves when a special guest walked in!

David had his back to the door, so I casually said, "Oh, look who's here." David turned around & started grinning. He said, "It's Santa!" in a hushed tone. Then he looked at me and asked, "How did he get here?"

That took me by surprise, so I replied that I didn't know, maybe you should ask him.

Santa mingled with the kids for a while, then went & sat down in a comfy chair in front of a cardboard fireplace. Without prompting, the children began to line up, as did moms with cameras... which I had forgotten to bring. : ( Fortunately, another mom was willing to take some pictures for me!

The first thing David said to Santa was, "How did you arrive here today?" To which Santa informed him that he came in his pick-up truck. I think he might have explained why he wasn't in the sleigh, and it was probably weather related, but I didn't hear all he said & David didn't tell me. He asked what David wanted & of course, David told him Legos.

Later, Santa was mingling again. David asked, "Is it ok if I walk around the room with Santa?" I saw no problem with that, so I said ok. They didn't speak to each other, but David just followed Santa around as he mingled. Santa would put his hand on David's shoulder occasionally. Before long, David was first in a line of about 5 kids that were just following Santa as he walked around the room.

I did not realize Santa was going to be at the party, because I left Elizabeth at home for her nap time. But Rebekah was with us. She just starred at him.

I intended to take the kids to see Santa when he stopped by a local bank, but Dad needed to run errands in the city during Santa's hours, so we caught Santa in the city so that Elizabeth could get in on the picture, too.

It was cold, as you can tell! Again, David told Santa he wanted Legos. Elizabeth said she wanted a kitty cat. (That's my girl!) I think she's referring to the pink kitty cat she's been talking about ever since we made the shoebox Christmas gifts.

Note to people who give my kids presents: You don't have to try to meet their Santa wishes... we've got those covered.

Homeschooling Through Christmas

Elizabeth, now 2 11/12, has been wanting to have school right along beside us since Thanksgiving. Above you'll see her Christmas tree drawing. Very colorful. I've been giving her a wipe-off ABC handwriting book & she's been coloring in it for 30 minutes or more. She very carefully traces the letters, then scribbles over the entire page. Need to get a picture of that...

Little did I know that by taking the week off for Thanksgiving, David would seem to forget everything he's learned in kindergarten! It was crazy. By Friday, he's finally doing things on his own again.

We've been taking advantage of the Christmas Countdown activities to get some good number practice in. (Also a Brachiosarus on the board.) The chain goes all the way to the floor right now.

That was a couple of days ago.


For the past few years, David has memorized and recited part of the Christmas story at our family Christmas gathering. We're working on it again this year and he's also writing it out this year. We're adding a phrase every day.

I think in light of our Thanksgiving experience, we may keep doing school right through Christmas! I don't want to have to keep taking an extra week just to repeat everything!

Time to deck the halls!

HAPPY
DECEMBER
&
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!

I usually deck my halls the day after Thanksgiving, but I wasn't home this year, so I ran a little behind. For the first time ever, I had help putting up the tree! David & Elizabeth both helped & it was wonderful... even the clump of ornaments practically stacked on top of each other down about Elizabeth height. Better pictures to come...

The dark shadows on each side are David & Elizabeth admiring the tree.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

David helped finish the Christmas cookies for the neighbor's tins yesterday. Now Dad wants us to make a batch for him!

On with the Tiny Talk!

While sitting on the potty one day

Old McDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a potty

E-I-E-I-O

With a flush, flush...

Old McDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a fire truck
E-I-E-I-O
With a whoo-oooh, whoo-ooh...

Saturday morning at 7:30

David: Mom, get up!

Mom: Why?

David: Because I'm being up!

Play-doh Day

(Elizabeth's first Play-doh experience!)

For our Christmas Tiny Talk, we present a song:

AND, flash back to an August day for this rousing rendition of Jingle Bells:

Before going to MawMaw's house to play yesterday, we went by the little library in town & got some more Christmas books. So far, David's favorite book has been My First Christmas Magnetic Adventure. For more Tiny Talk, join us over at Not Before 7, where Mary is still hosting the Christmas Giveaway for all December Tiny Talk participants!

MOPS & Another Christmas Book

Today was our MOPS Christmas Party! I took my camera, but then had such a good time that I forgot to take any pictures! You'll just have to trust me that we were cute - Elizabeth wore a snowman shirt, David wore his VeggieTales Merry Christmas shirt, and I wore a sparkly Christmas tree shirt. We were very festive!

There we are resting back at home after our exciting morning! I think we could have fit the other cats up there with us, too!

Today's Christmas book was My First Christmas (Magnetic Adventures). This book was so much fun! Several of the pages are magnetic with a background scene. The book comes with a whole nativity set of magnets to interact with as the story unfolds. David had so much fun putting the magnets on the pages as we read the story of Mary & Joseph travelling to Bethlehem, looking for a place to stay, Jesus' birth, the shepherds, and the wise men.

I found 2 drawbacks to this book: There's no angel magnet! and this set was made in China. So you'll just have to imagine the angels, or come up with your own - and make sure the pieces are kept away from little ones who might put the pieces in their mouths! There is also the standard warning that the pieces could be a choking hazard; not recommended for children under age 3. Aside from that, this interactive book got David's two thumbs up for keeping him engaged in the story!

After a week of sickness (both me and the kids), 2 prescriptions per kid, a box of cough drops for Mom, and a lot of hacking coughs & snotty noses, I think we're finally starting to get better. At least the kids are!


David perked up considerably to finish the Christmas Cookie Bake-a-thon today. We finished baking the chocolate chip cookies, mint reindeer patties, pumpkin pie tarts, and a full size pumpkin pie (which is in the freezer waiting for Christmas). We just have one batch of peanut butter cookies left to make to finish up our neighbors' cookie boxes.

We're going to try to read a Christmas book every day from now until Christmas. Today's book was The Animals' Christmas Eve (Little Golden Book). It's a really cute book where the animals are recounting the night Baby Jesus was born from the point of view of the animals in the stable that night. Also works in some counting. David enjoyed the book and asked for it again. I highly recommend this book for your little ones. It would make a great Christmas Eve gift, if your family does that.