Done!

Your looking at the cookies I made for the cookie exchange.  All 102 of them.  Turns out that I didn't have to make 240 cookies after all since some ladies backed out of the exchange as well as others opted to make only 1/2 dozens instead of full dozens.  So, my final count went down to 126 (including two dozen to be eaten at the party).  I'm looking forward to the party, but I am so very glad to have the cookie making part over with.  Whew!

It's been a busy week.  Including the cookies, I also made two batches of carmel corn and two batches of chocolate pancake mix.  Those batches of holiday goodness equated to 12 small personal gifts and one large container of carmel corn (for Ryan's co-workers and the larger one for Mae's teacher).  The pancake mix made four large containers full of mix for the other kids teachers and a couple of my friends.  

Being a perpetual procrastinator, I am very proud of myself for breaking my pattern this week.  I worked on one project each day, instead of the typical rush at the end of the week to get it all done in one night.  There was only one point in the week when I got stressed, and that was when I had to make an appetizer/side dish for our couples bible study gathering, which meant I had to cut 15 roma tomatoes in half and core them and make a stuffing mix and, well, stuff them.  I was trying to make just a few more dozen cookies while starting my side dish.  But other than that, my week was pretty stress-free considering all the things that needed to be done.

Needless to say, my kitchen has seen a lot of me this week.  I think we need to start seeing other people, you know, take a break for a little while.

Brought To You By The Letter F

Isabel is learning to read and part of that process is recognizing letters.  The other day she and I were playing a game while we drove around town running errands.  A letter would be chosen, then we'd each say a word that began with that letter.  It was an impromptu game that I thought worked out rather well for my homeschooled kindergartener.  Although, it didn't take too long for me to see that we still have some work to do!

Isabel - Let's do letter F!

Me - Alright.

Isabel - Fan!

Me - Finger.

Isabel - Fumb!

Big Week

I don't have a whole terrible lot going on this week, but it will still be a busy one.  Mainly because of the cookie exchange I'm going to on Saturday.  Did I mention that I have to make TWO HUNDRED AND FOUR cookies??!?!?  And let's not forget the teacher gifts I've decided to make this year (chocolate pancake/waffle mix!).  Oh, and also there's the 12 gifts of carmel corn that I'll be making for Ryan to give to his coworkers also.  That's all.  No biggie.

Yeah, right!  Did you read the part about the TWO HUNDRED cookies??

But I refuse to freak out and be stressed.  I'll save that for Friday night, when I'm literally hours away from having to need those cookies!

I did knock one thing off my baking list yesterday.  The teacher gifts.  I'm so excited about them!  I hope the teachers like them as much as I do.  How could they not?  Just look at how well they turned out!

Three gifts down and 12 packages of carmel corn and two hundred cookies left to go!

Moments That Make Me Smile

There are many moments that make a day.  Some make me smile or laugh and others, well, not so much.  It's those pesky latter moments that make me want to throw up the white flag and surrender.  But it's the sweet ones that cause me to pause, smile and keep holding on to make it through one more day.

Today one of those moments happened.  The ones that make you stop and take note of the good and fun times.  The kind that make you push aside any grievance one may have about rearing children.    The sort that make you want to choose the good that the Lord has in your day instead of dwelling on the mundane or tedious.

I was sitting in the living room as Isabel came galloping down the hall and came to a stop right beside me.  In a whisper, she said "I'm trying to fly!", and then was off again.  I watched her as she took off at a run back down the hallway to her room, and just as she came to her room she leaped into the air.  And for just a moment she had lift off!  Instead of calling after her to tell her to not run in the house, I did something different.  I giggled.  I thought of what Isabel must be thinking as she flew down the hall in hopes of true flight, and I decided to enjoy the moment and to smile instead.  Besides, it never hurt to let the child fly, now did it?  And it didn't hurt me either, as I let her imagination soar interrupted by commands of mothering.

Sometimes it's just good to sit back and let life do a little fly by.

Keeps Me Laughing (and on my toes!)

Isabel.  She's may be five, but she's still saying cute and funny things.

"Only cats get hair bombs."

"What you call cheese that's not yours?  Notcho' cheese!"

When at the zoo, she saw "pokeypines" and "gir-a$s".

What does this imaginative girl want for Christmas??  A jet pack.  Well, I'll just go down to The Jet Pack Store and get one.  Easy peasy!

Gift Idea

Every year it seems that while I'm busy getting gifts together for family and gathering my thoughts about where we're going to spend our time celebrating, I forget about the kids' teachers.  Last year I happened upon some cute little container-type ornaments at Ikea, and even though it was October and Christmas was two months away, I snatched some ornaments and was ready to fill them with holiday candy and give them to the teachers.

But that was last year.

However, this year I found this idea.  It's a chocolate pancake and waffle mix that the kids and I can mix ahead (minus the wet ingredients, of course) and fill in cute air-tight containers.  I plan to make festive holiday labels for the instructions to be placed on the containers as well.  I think it's going to be a great teacher gift this year.  I can't wait to get started!

Speaking Of Cookies....

I found this video and just had to share!  Enjoy!

Christmas Cookies

It's that time of year, time to bust out my awesome Kitchen Aid mixer and cookie sheets!

Every year I make snickerdoodles at Christmas time.  It's a tradition, I suppose.  And Christmas just wouldn't be the same if there weren't any snickerdoodles.  I've always liked the light sugar cookie texture they have, and coupled with the cinnamon and sugar that the cookie was rolled in before baking gives it the perfect touch of sweetness.  I always like my snickerdoodles to be soft, so I bake them just long enough to cook through then I whip them out of the oven so they don't dry out.  My dad, on the other hand, likes the cookies to be crunchy, so I usually do at least one cookie sheet just for him - crunchy.

Last year I stumbled upon a recipe for pumpkin-oatmeal raisin cookies.  I found it in a magazine and it was boasting that the it was a more 'healthy' cookie, though I don't recall why (it has a cup of sugar AND a cup of brown sugar!).  Maybe it's the oatmeal?  Anyway, I didn't buy the magazine but found the recipe online after doing a search.  It a light cookie (not rich or too pumpkin-y) but after making one batch I decided to add a teaspoon of cloves to give it a little more flavor, which totally worked and now is more of a holiday cookie than it was before.  I finish off the cookie with a light smash with a sugar-coasted fork (kind of like one would do to a peanut butter cookie).

My mother usually makes persimmon cookies at Christmas.  She adds golden raisins to her recipe, as well as a nice little swath of vanilla frosting on top.  With the frosting, they are perfect Christmas cookies!

Next week I will need to bring about three dozen cookies to a moms function at church and I can think of no other cookie to take than my fabulously delicious Christmasy cookie.  Then later this month I am planning to go to a cookie exchange and I'll need to take several dozen cookies, like, I'm talking A LOT of cookies, not just a few dozen.  So I'm not sure if I want to take my snickerdoodles, they take too much time to make into balls then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then bake.  So I'm not exactly sure if I'll go with the pumpkin or persimmon cookies.

Do you have a Christmas cookie that you make every year?  A tried and true recipe you'd like to share??

It's So Fluffy I Could Die!

I pulled out the artificial tree the other day, and now it's all assembled and lit!  Now all that needs to be done is to fluff out the branches so it doesn't look like the tree has been crammed into a box for the last 11 months.  And since Mae is home 'sick' today (really, she is sick, but it's amazing how quickly she recovers after I get home from taking Caleb to school.  ok, so it's not that quick, but she is feeling better and its too late in the school day to take her to school) so I'm putting her to work on fluffing the tree.  She doesn't seem to be getting the point.  I showed her this clip from Despicable Me to give her inspiration.



I want to walk into the room, look at the tree and say "IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!"  Is that asking too much?

Heebie Geebies

Is anyone else creeped out by this commercial??



Frankly, it does not make me want to go out and buy any.  In fact, it has the opposite effect.  I'm thinking the ad department went in the wrooooong direction on this one.

Ewe.

Oh No She Didn't!

**warning, some content may be considered harsh, untrue, and at times, vulgar.  descriptions and verbatim comments told here are NOT the views of this author and should not be considered as such.  read at your own discretion.

Mae is clearly not my child.  And if she is (which is highly doubtful after what she has said) then I disown her here and now.

The other day, the kids and I were making Christmas ornaments and even though it was just days before Thanksgiving, I thought it was appropriate to put on some Christmas music.  I opted for my very favorite, When My Heart Finds Christmas by the one and only Harry Connick Jr.  We decorated and talked all while listening to Harry C and his orchestra belt out some of my favorite holiday tunes.  We even sang along.

*stop reading at this point if you are of weak constitution

Later, Mae was looking at the cd case and commented on Harry's picture.  She then asked me (brace yourself, Harry fans!) if I thought he was strange looking. Of course I said HECK NO!!!  Mae disagreed and even went as far as to say that (prepare yourself!) he was kinda weird and (gasp!) freaky looking.

How can Mae, a child whom of which I brought forth into this world and given such love and care, say such things?

Where did I go wrong?

How could I have made such error in her upbringing?

Answer:  She's not mine.  Another sweet, pretty baby must have been switched at the hospital!  I can think of no other reason.

Night Out

Tonight I finally had a date with my husband.  It's been over four months since we last got out for an evening.  That's too long, in my opinion.  Life gets busy with small events here and there, then couple that with sitters that have busy lives themselves and that's how you go four months with no date night.

So, needless to say, we had a nice time out.  The evening was simple.  Just dinner and a movie (with thanks to a gift certificate that we got for our anniversary....four months ago!).

I only hope it doesn't take another four months to go out again.  Who knows, there could be a Christmas miracle for us next month!

Thanksgiving

We prepared food.

We ate food.

Then we had pie.

All with some family and friends.

Yep, it twas a great day.  

My favorite part may have been this morning when Isabel said "It's Gis-giving!".  I'm thankful for the cute little things that little girl says.

The Calm Before The Storm

This is my range.

Of which I just finished cleaning.

The day before Thanksgiving.

Which, also, will be the commencement of all kinds of spills and messy carnage that will occur on top and all around (and inside all kinds of nooks and crannies).

I don't know why I bother cleaning it.  For no one will see it in this state of cleanliness.  Except for you, my most loyal of blog follower(s).  But it gives us a great starting point for tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  May you eat, fellowship and give thanks to The One who blessed you with it all!

One Day Left

....to shop for Thanksgiving, that is.

I've got my shopping list together.  And Ryan has already purchased the turkey.  But I have, like, 50 other things yet to buy.  And only one more day to tackle it.

*sigh*

I hope that I'm not too late and that the shelves are still stocked with the things I'll need.  

A Rigid Search Has Ended

Yep, I did it.  I bought me some pretty red ruffley shoes!!!!

If you recall, the other day I found these perfectly priced pretties but couldn't decide if I should a) get them in size 7 and have them be a teensy big.  b) buy the 6 1/2's even though they were an itsy bit small. c) not buy either and keep looking for a pretty pair of red flats.

I went back to the store today and went with option A.  You see, I had a idea.  I can sum it up in one word - inserts.  Yep.  I put in a pair of inserts and now the 7's fit juuuuuust right.

Now I an tap my heels together and say "these red flats make me happy"!

Whoops....

....almost didn't make it today!  Whew, just in time too!

My major accomplishment of the day (aside from slipping this post in under the wire, of course) is I have two people taken care of for Christmas.  If I keep this up, then maybe I'll have extra time to play!

Goldilocks Looks For Red Flats

I've been a hunt for the perfect pair of red ballet shoes.  They can't be just any 'ol pair of red ballet shoes either.  I'm just picky that way I guess.  It all started when a friend showed me these

And that was when the bar was set.  The only problem is that pesky little thing called 'the price tag'.  These little beauties are normally about a hundred bucks.  Which is too much, in my opinion (or is it only because I don't have a hundred dollars to spend on shoes?  Doesn't matter, I'm not buying them. *sigh*)

Then today, I found a pair that might make me mostly forget about the above-mentioned/pictured-shoes.  Some very lovely red ballet flats with a few ruffles.  They kind of look like these

Only, the ones I found were a tad different, they have an extra ruffle.  On me they look like this

As awesome as they are, I didn't buy them.  Not yet anyway.  Normally I wear a size 7, but the 7's felt just a wee big.  And the 6 1/2's felt a teensy bit tight.  So I have a delima - do I buy the 7's and deal with the extra wiggle room?  Or do I get the 6 1/2's and hope they stretch just a bit?

*sigh*  

I just don't know.  Priced at thirty bucks, they're totally right!  But I'm just not sure.  Maybe if they are still there tomorrow, then I'll buy them.  Or....if they aren't there, then I'll know they were the ones!  Isn't that how it is, the one thing you're looking for is always gone?  Especially when it comes to shoe size.

To Be Continued.....

Too Tired

Long day.

Long night.

Must.  go.  to.  bed.

Completed Projects - The Dining Room

Completed?  Well, not exactly.  But it's a whole lot closer than it was when we moved it. So to me, that's progress!

Here it is, the 'completed' dining room.  (please overlook that there are not curtains, or rug, and also the light fixture isn't really our style and one of these days we may, or may not, replace it).  (also overlook that  I do not have a 'before' picture to show off the grand scale with which I have 'completed' the room).

I guess when I really think about what I put into the dining room, it isn't much.  I bought the tablecloth (that brings in the dark brown and turquoise from the living room).  And I bought the mirrors at Ikea and painted one turquoise, then arranged them just so.  So, yeah, there isn't too much there than what I started with.  But when I look over at my living room and see that the two rooms flow together, the dining room gives me a pulled together feel.  And that makes happy.