Cookies and Snot

This weekend there was flour and sugar flying everywhere in our kitchen. We had our annual see-how-many-cookies-we-can-bake-in-one-day-without-losing-our-minds bake off. We got 11 dozen in before I had to stash the rest of dough in the fridge for another day! I do love to bake with my kids, but five in the kitchen at once.....whoa!

We went with four varieties this year, you know, 'cause one is just not enough! Oh no! We had oatmeal raisen (Daddy's favorite), Snickerdoodle (at Lizzie's request), Sugar (because they are most fun to decorate, of course) and Ginger (because you are not allowed to make Christmas cookies without Gingerbread. It's a rule, I think).

I made up the oatmeal raisen sans the kiddos and then got several kids involved with the Snickerdoodle. This was the first time I did Snickerdoodle and I have to say, I really liked them a lot! They are surprisingly quite the Christmas treat. I got the recipe out of a magazine I pilfered from my Mother-in-law last year. A whole magazine for baking cookies! Every cookie we have ever made from it has turned out great.....of course that is only three whole recipes. But, we are 3 for 3!

Anyway, just in case the idea of Snickerdoodles thrills you. You know, 'cause maybe you're strange that way.....like me. Here is the recipe I used:

• 1 cup butter (two sticks at room temp)
• 2 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Grease a cookie sheet with butter or use parchment paper (I used the parchment)
3. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar
4. Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy
5. Scrape the bowl and then beat the eggs in one at a time until combined
6. Scrape the bowl again and then add the flour mixture slowly until incorporated
7. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar
8. Form balls from rounded tablespoons of dough and roll in the cinnamon mixture
9. Place the ball on the baking pan and press lightly to flatten slightly.
10. Bake until golden on the edges and slightly soft in the center (about 15 minutes)
11. Cool and eat!

Merry Christmas. No need to thank me!

All the kids helped out with the sugar cookies and gingerbread men (and ladies). But, I was less than pleased with the recipe I used for gingerbread. I don't like to use shortening, so I found a new gingerbread recipe online and tried it. Not good. The kids had fun making the men (and ladies), we just are less than enthusiastic about eating them. So, if you've got a knock-your-socks-off gingerbread recipe, I'd love to have it! Feel free to comment!

Why yes, since you asked, this is the part about the snot. Lizzie was also here during the baking fray. However, poor thing, she's come down with a nasty cold. You know the kind. Coughing, sniffling, lost her voice, head full of snot. That kind. Oh, you lost your appetite you say?

I went in to check on her after she'd taken a little rest yesterday afternoon and came back to the kitchen. Paul asked how she was doing. I told him that she had a head full 'o snot and was going to take a hot shower to clear it. A minute later, I assume after trying to process that information, Claire started running up and down the kitchen hollaring at the top of her lungs "my sister's head is full of snot! My sister's head is full! Of! Snot! Daddy! My sister's head is full of snot!".

That kid cracks me up!

Lizzie was overwhelmed.

Yeah, so she wouldn't let me take her picture. You know, because of the head full of snot and all that. She figured you didn't really want to see it. Did you?

Getting the Dos Done!

I'll be the first to admit that I don't spend bunches of time or money on a beauty regime. As a matter 0f fact, the contents of my bag 'o tricks consists of a tub of Noxzema and a pot of Ponds. Yep. That's the sum of it!

While my teenage self would consume a painstaking hour with customary cosmetic applications and beauty treatments, my almost 40 year old self spends about 10 minutes a day primping. Total, y'all.

And, maybe you think it shows. I'm okay with that.

What I am not okay with is gray hair. Gray. Hair. Gray hair just makes you feel old even when you didn't before you noticed you had gray hair.

Being the frugal-stay-at-home-mom that I am, I tried self coloring kits. Years ago. That didn't go so well. So, I gave in and that is the one expense that I am willing to fork out for. Unfortunately for me, my colorist/stylist/hair doer person skipped out and didn't tell anyone where she went. Yes, she did!

Thankfully, I have some friends with good hair. Friends with good hair = good hair dressers, because I am too old to have friends that don't need hair color!


It was LONG overdue, but I went to my "new" salon today. And just for kicks, I took all the kids. Because doesn't that sound like fun to you? Two and a half hours in a salon with four kids. No?

Mommy loves Isabel's hair growing out!

Isabel loves to get her hair cut!

Isabel won!

She is quite adorable in this sweet pageboy bob type coiffure, if I do say so myself!

And, I do!

Claire is going to grow her hair out, but she got a tensy trim. This was her FIRST time in the chair and she did amazingly well!

Mom has been giving her all her trims until now.

She thought it was great fun to be like Isabel and get her hair did!

And look!

Miss Mary Sue didn't even trim your eyebrows with your bangs like mommy does!

All done!

The girls loved looking in the mirrors!

Isabel thought Mommy needed her picture taken too. Thankfully she did it after the color and cut was performed!

She even made sure to get a close up of the gray-less color for you.

Bless her!

Since the boys were looking a tad bit shaggy, I wrangled them into the chair too!

Noah was thrilled to be having his photo taken during this experience!

Thrilled, I tell you!

But, he kept his humor anyway.

A successful afternoon?

But, Parker is the real test.

His hair is sneakily hard to deal with.

It is thicker than it looks, has a tendency to frizz and holds a head of hidden cowlicks!

So, did she tame the tiger?

You'll just have to wait to see,

The picture I took afterwards came out all blurry.

So I took my newly quaffed family home so we could see if it past muster with the Mr.

Suffice it to say, I believe we have us a new hairstylist.

For the whole lot of us!

Well, except for Paul.

His mommy still does his hair!

Yes she does.

LOL!

A Birthday Boy!

One of our two favorite Papas turned 39......again, today!

Okay, so maybe he's no spring chicken, but we love him!

Happy Birthday to Papa!

with love from

Parker, Noah, Jordan, Isabel, Lindsay and Claire

And that is only some of his grands!

OH SHOOT!

Ummmm, I mean. What-do-you-know, it's time already!

It's time for our yearly familyphotoshoot. In front of the tree. The children are excited 'bout that! As you can plainly see.

Have you ever tried to wrestle 5 kids into a 3x5? Have you?

It ain't easy, I tell you!

You get a lot of this.

And some of this!

And this!

You give into the kids, and you get this!

But, if you're talented (which I'm not) or lucky.....or you just take so darn many pictures that you can't help it....

You might get one of these!

Or these!

And, this one will make it worth all the torture time and energy you went through.

All for the sake of a Christmas Card!

MIA

I don't even know where to begin. I want to apologize to all my adoring fans my mom and the three avid readers who have been waiting patiently sending hate mail to my facebook account encouraging me to find the time to update sooner rather than later!


It's not writer's block and I really have no excuses since finishing my "sewing project". Unless you count a little holiday cooking and holiday cleaning. Oh, and decorating for Christmas, a little holiday travel and some holiday shopping. It's not even worth mentioning that we also had several school projects going these past few weeks, or that Isabel had to make 24 gifts for her American Girl Club Christmas party. I won't bother telling you about the mound of paperwork I had to do to try and get more services for Claire. Or the interview we had with a state employee to do with said paperwork. Let me see.....then there was piano lessons and extra practice for our holiday songs, basketball started and both Claire and I had doctor's appointments, and of course it's time for our Advent activities here on the home front and we have cookingandlaundryandcleaningandschool. But other than that, I've just been sitting around here doing nothing, thankyouverymuch! Nothing at all. Ho hum.


But, before I start losing readers to more interesting blogs. Blogs that update regularly. I thought I'd give you a quick peek at some of our recent activities. Because I know pictures is why some of you tune in at all. Mom.

Unfortunately, I'm less than excited with the quality of pictures I get with my camera and so, I do not take the quantity of pictures that is standard for me. Take this picture for example. This is our "Family Thanksgiving". We celebrated the weekend before Thanksgiving because that was when we would have Lizzie with us. It was great fun to have her for the weekend and to prepare my first Holiday-Meal-In-My-New-Kitchen! I tell you, the kitchen makes a big difference! The food was wonderful, if I do say so myself. The table was gorgeous, and it was so nice not feel like you were in a classroom while we ate. But, the picture is not so great. At least you get to see my sweet window! I don't think I've loved a feature more than that window.

Again with the not-so-good-pictures. But, he enjoyed the turkey leg! As you can clearly see! And he needs to go to manners classes. As you can clearly see.

That concludes our pictures of Family Thanksgiving.

See what I mean?

After enjoying our Family Thanksgiving immensely, I coerced my sister-in-law into hosting our other Family Thanksgiving got started planning our other Family Thanksgiving with my sister-in-law. I started by helping her decide that it should be at her house! Since her husband was on call and all, that helped cinch the deal. LOL! And, Jeanie and I, for all our hard work and cooking, got crowned Queens for a Day! Aren't we just lovely. Courtesy of the little princesses themselves: Lindsay, Jordan and Isabel. Lucky us!

The crew of cousins at David and Jeanie's house on Thanksgiving Day!

The sweet kids table full of cousins! Fun times!

It was a wonderful few days spent with Paul's brother's family.

Before the leftovers had cooled completely we had to run along home to decorate our tree. Because you know that only left 29 days until Christmas!!!

It's a family affair at our house. Paul gets everything out of the attic and he and the boys use the air compressor to blow the dust off the tree. What? Everyone doesn't use their air compressor to blow the dust off their tree???

Do you have a real tree? Must be nice if you do. We used to have real trees. But, after five years of doctor's visits, nebulizer breathing treatments, steroids and SICK kids the week following the tree decorating ceremony at our house.....every darn year.....the light bulb went off! We're quick that way.

We got used to our fake tree. And there are many pros to having one. You don't have to water it for one. And, you only have to pay for it once! It won't die either. But, I guess sitting in our living room for a little over a month every year takes it's toll. It comes out of the attic sputtering and coughing.....or maybe that's my husband. heh.

So we use the air compressor! Our neighbors already thought we were nuts!

Then the kids help Paul put it together. Piece by piece. We're too cheap to buy one of those new-fangled-pop-up-prelit jobs! Which means, I get light duty right after the branches have been toyed with.

Bend this one thataway. Bend that one thisaway. It doesn't matter, you can still see the pole in the middle where a trunk should be. Whatever.

Then the fun begins. The kids love to hang the ornaments! And I go behind them and move all the ornaments into more suitable places later am so easy going, I just let them pile the ornaments on where ever they like! So long as it's where I want them their happy with their masterpiece! Because that's what matters. You know?

While we decorate, Daddy reads one of our Advent stories. I have to say the set of books I bought years ago by Arnold Ytreeide is one of the best purchases I ever made! I was looking for something to do with the kids that would help our family keep Christ at the center of our Christmas. It isn't easy to do in our culture. These books have helped a lot. The first in the series is Jotham's Journey, next is Bartholomew's Passage and last is Tabitha's Travels. At the time that I bought them, I think I got the last printed copies. They went out of print after that for years. But, recently I've seen them resurface and if you can find them, I highly recommend them. Each story is linked and you don't really have to read them in any particular order. Plus you only read one per year, beginning on the first night of Advent. The stories are amazing and thought provoking. We are on our second go around and they really anchor our Advent activities, which include the lighting of an Advent Wreath, Bible readings and other books. Among some of our activities during this season. Some.

So, you're caught up. Happy now? I know. It could have used some more pictures. What can I say? This will have to do. At least I'm back. Right?

Excuse me, I have to go get in the car. We're heading out of town for the day.

*sigh*

You know, 'cause we have nothing to do around here!

Never a dull moment, I'll tell you that!