Winter Break

Today was the last day of school before a two week winter break. I anticipate a lot of reading, movies, trips to the library and playing on the snow mountain in the cul-de-sac - followed up by lots and lots of hot cocoa.

Here is that cold walk from school - we live less than 1/2 mile from the school and there are crossing guards to help the kids across the two streets to get to our house. It really is that dark when the kids get home from school at about 4:00pm.


They don't seem to mind the cold - Sophie always looks like she has been making snow angels on the way home.


Max sometimes wears his gloves and never wears his snow pants. I'm not sure why I pack them.


I do not like winter layers that end up in the entryway - do you think Santa is going to bring me that mudroom?


Sophie brought home lots of projects that are now decorating our fridge.


Two weeks of 5 kids in close quarters, here we come!

I am Done

Yesterday, the last two packages were mailed . . .


and the Christmas cards were sent. I sent them with my friendly mailman because the guy at the post office said he was going to charge me another 20 cents a card because they are "lumpy" - they have a pearl on them. I'm hoping they'll just deliver them in the holiday rush, but, if your card comes postage due, just smile and pay the guy two dimes and really, really enjoy that pearl embellishment.


I sent these for the preschool teachers (handmade cards and envelopes) . . .


. . . and these for the classroom teachers - don't look too close because I made some of these for family as well.


So, I am done. Everything is sent and wrapped and ready. I am skipping the huge cookie bake-a-thon this year in favor of less stress. I am making some treats tomorrow for the neighbors, but not on the scale that I normally do in December. My only ambition at this point is to sit in front of the fireplace in my Christmas flannel pajamas (which I wore all day yesterday - even to preschool) with a mug of cocoa and a good book - maybe watch some Christmas movies with the kids. And next year, next year I am going to be done earlier so I can really enjoy the season.

Views from my window - winter wonderland

Here is what it was doing when I left the house this morning - snowing. Here is the forecast for tomorrow - snow. At least it is warmer - in the 20's which is actually pleasant in Minnesota!

Cookie Experiments

These are from a week or so ago when I needed some thank-you cookies. I've needed a lot of thank you cookies lately.

These are almond fruit bars. They only make an 8-inch square pan, so I made two sets instead of doubling the recipe. I used a seedless raspberry jam as the filling. Overall, they are pretty and tasty, but I thought they needed more almond. If I made them again, I would add some almond extract to the crust.


These are black-bottom coconut bars. Again, the recipe makes a 9-inch square pan and they are easy to lift out of the pan (I sprayed mine with Pam with flour prior to baking). They were a big hit - very rich and chewy.


I also made a batch of pumpkin chocolate-chip squares. I have no recipe as I literally pulled them out of the oven and handed them off to a friend. She assures me they were delicious and they certainly smelled good!

Sophie's Theatrical Debut

Sophie had her theatrical debut last week playing the narrator in her class production of "Gingerbread Baby". She told me that lucky Lydia was cast as the gingerbread baby, but that her role was the most important because it was her job to keep the whole play moving right along. The play was adorable (better than anything my elementary school put on) and Sophie was a triumph. She read like a professional with expression, much eye contact and her adorable slightly weird Bostonian-like accent. She received many compliments and claimed not to have been nervous at all.


A tiny clip for you viewing pleasure:

Sophie's Gingerbread Creation

I joined Sophie in first grade last week for the annual gingerbread house activity. I remember attending this same even with Max a few years ago. Sophie worked very hard on her little house and then had to save it from Calvin when we got home. Calvin thinks you should actually eat candy - not make houses out of it!

Her class - full of parents and graham crackers and candy. Every time someone rand a bell, the kids were allowed to eat a piece of candy. Sophie took these instructions very seriously.


You should know that her hair is long enough for braids. Oh happy day!


Sophie and her cute friend Gemma.


The house in all it's glory.


That is an ice skating rink around back in case you are wondering.

Ward Christmas Festivities

Our ward has a serious overachiever in charge of the activities committee (I'm talking about you Brother Backer) and so we had another amazingly well planned, fun Christmas party. I was the director of the Christmas skit and arrived to find a professional stage, lighting equipment and sound system along with a beautiful hanging window with working electric candles - wow. Everything went well, the dinner and desserts were yummy (you would not believe how much food Calvin packed away in his little body) - we had a sing-a-long and of course, a visit from Santa. We have a lovely ward - so many good, kind people.

Remember last Sunday, how Calvin was afraid of Santa and would not go anywhere near him? Last night, he lit up like a spotlight when he saw Santa walk into the room. He jumped up and got into the line to tell Santa all of his Christmas wishes. He looked over at me and said "I'm going to tell Santa I want lots of things" - and he did. He talked and he talked and he waved his hands around and was very pleased with himself.


Max saw Santa as well - mom just was not fast enough to get a photo. Sophie would not tell me what she asked Santa for - it's a secret.

How is it possibly Saturday, and who stole Wednesday through Friday?!

I lost three days this week. I do not know here they went, but I would like them back please. Today I am feeling frantic and overwhelmed and several of my fingers are stuck together from some very powerful spray adhesive. My meringue cookies decided not to beat into frothy peaks and had to be tossed. My kitchen is over-run with Christmas gift craft projects and wrapping paper and the entire floor is covered with the contents of the pantry which this morning decided it no longer cared to stay in one piece, breaking apart and making a situation where the shelves no longer fit in the pantry because the pantry spontaneously decided to get larger.

BAH HUMBUG!

I am done with my little holiday rant. I did actually accomplish a lot today - not the Christmas cards - but other Christmas stuff. I am off to the ward Christmas party with a smile on my face, bearing loads of Christmas cheer and coconut macaroons, instead of meringues.

Here are some happy shots of kids who are not Scrooge-like at all . . . well, except for Calvin in that first photo!


This was not a very cheerful post - I'll report on Sophie's theatrical triumph in the Gingerbread Baby 1st grade play tomorrow!

Christmas for the Hearty Northerners

On Sunday after church, I changed all of the kids into warm clothes and drove over to Holz Farm for their Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration. Have I mentioned how much I love this little gem of a place not 5 minutes from my front door? All of the days events were FREE - my favorite thing of all! It snowed the entire time we were there - at one point turning into a hard hail-like snow, making the grounds just beautiful.

The first thing we saw as we walked up to the farm was a reindeer! The kids were so impressed to see a live reindeer who seemed completely indifferent to the cold and snow.


Inside the barn - Santa! Both Sophie and Max took turns sitting with Santa in the old fashioned sleigh, but Calvin was far too scared and hid behind and hid behind a pillar peeking out at Santa when he was not looking.



I'd like to point out that Calvin dresses himself these days. He insisted on the uber-cool sunglasses. Snow-glare, you know.


We took a sleigh ride - without the sleigh. It was actually pulled by an old tractor. We sat on bales of hay and rang our bells while enjoying the view of the farm.


After the winter hay ride (only in Minnesota), we made smores at the bonfire. Yes, smores in 10 degree weather. The marshmallows tended to freeze as soon as you pulled them off the stick but the kids did not seem to care!


Here is the nice gentleman who tried to help Calvin warm his hands over the fire. By this point he was freezing, but he wanted to eat his smore and the gloves were making that tricky!


Inside the farmhouse, the kids warmed up with hot apple cider and sugar cookies. We sat and listened to Christmas carols being played on an old fashioned organ while Max and Sophie read Christmas stories and Calvin made an ornament out of pine cones and bells.


Fun, fun, free, fun!

Funny things kids say - Calvin

Calvin on the phone tonight with Auntie Koo in Oregon (he is super, super excited for Christmas!):

"I want LOTS and LOTS of presents for Christmas!"

• Race cars that zoom upside down (waves hands around in the air)
• Wall-E movie
• Another Thomas and Gary Movie (Tom and Jerry)
  
• Kung Poo Panda Movie
• Gingerbread cookies
  
• Thomas the Train - a cool one
• I want a car that can "boom" the world
  
• Train with a mote (remote)
• A flyswatter to keep the bees out of my house
• A big car, brand new like Luke has at his house, with a mote (remote) to work with

I overheard Koo telling Calvin that she wanted a husband for Christmas. Calvin replied "I can't".

The Christmas Cards are made

Actually, they were done last week - all 100 of them. I still have to address the envelopes and find a photo to put inside and not write a letter (this year everyone can just re-read the blog if they are so inclined), and since those things take time, here is the card you may or may not receive by Christmas.

Funny things kids say

Overheard in the car this morning:
(BTW, the birthday party theme and whose invited is a constant, ongoing conversation between Natalie and Sophie. It is the first thing they yell at each other when one is mad at the other - "well, you are NOT INVITED to my birthday party anymore!!" It does not matter that said birthday can be 11 months away.)

Natalie: This year for my birthday I am having an American Girl Doll Party at the new American Girl Doll store. Emily said I could invite everyone who has a doll to come. Johnny, don't worry, you can come too.

Sophie: I thought you were having a Build-A-Bear Party?

Natalie: Oh, yeah, maybe I'll do that for when I am six.

Sophie: (BIG SIGH) Oh Natalie, you cannot even begin to imagine how difficult it is to be six!

Views from my window - Friday Snow Piles

The snow has stayed on the ground and the kids have all been itching to play outside - never mind the temperature which is hovering around 15 degrees! When Max and Sophie got home from school on Friday, they all bundled up and headed out to the "snow mountain". Though they wanted them out, I deemed the "mountain" a bit too small to pull out the sleds.

They played hard for an hour or so and then came in . . .


. . . looking like this, all rosy cheeks and runny noses . . .


. . .so I made some of this . . .


. . . and they warmed right up. We are expecting another 5 inches of the fluffy white stuff tonight.