Our Classical Conversations group made Christmas cookies together last Tuesday and it was so fun. The dough was premade by one of the moms in our group. We all brought rolling pins and cookie cutters and the kids rolled and cut out the cookies. Then we baked them all. I am estimating about 20 dozen cookies were made! The next step was decorating and the kids went to town with the icing and sprinkles. They had a great time!
Getting started... Silas is ready to help!
Taking time out from baking to pose for the camera.
Notice the flour on the shirt and the knee-high
Hello Kitty socks on the outside of her jeans.
If she wore them under her jeans, no one would
see that they were Hello Kitty!
These tasted even better than they looked!
Last year at Christmas time Maleah asked if we could have a real tree. I told her no but said, "maybe next year." She remembered that and started talking about have a real tree about a month ago. I have never in my entire life had a real tree before. Jason had real trees for Christmas when he was young. In fact, rather than cutting down their trees the Cooper men would "shoot" their tree down with guns. For those of you who know the Cooper men, this is no surprise I am sure. Anyway, I ordered a tree stand from Amazon and it was to be delivered on last Saturday. My friend Deb gave me excellent advice on what stand would be easy to set up and give us the least chance of the tree falling over, especially with a Silas on the loose. So, Saturday morning at 9 am we went up to the Boy Scout stand downtown where they were selling Christmas trees. We (as in me) had a hard time deciding but we (as in me) finally picked one. They loaded it into Jason' truck and we brought it home. We waited and waited on the FedEx truck. It didn't come. Although it was "guaranteed" delivery on Saturday it wasn't delivered. In fact, that Amazon "guaranteed two day delivery" doesn't really mean anything Jack. And that's a fact. Our beautiful tree stayed in a bucket in our front yard until Monday when the FedEx truck finally showed up with our tree stand. On Monday night, we all put the tree up. It is the most beautiful tree that I have ever had. I just love it. I didn't expect to love a real tree at all. But I do! I love, love, love it! Here are some pics:
Picking out a tree, with an angel behind them, apparently.
Carissa and our new tree!
The Cooper Family with their tree!
Taking it home...
Two days later it was decorated with love
by these two beauties.
A lift from Daddy and we got the star on top...
A certain little boy is about to turn two years old. I can't believe it has been two years since this little miracle came into our lives. Uncle Brad stopped by to bring him his birthday present a little early. Silas loved it! He has been very busy driving that Tonka truck around the house.
I forgot to tell you about our Thanksgiving. We had a great Thanksgiving. We all had a lot to be thankful for this year. It was so nice to spend it with our families. We had lunch at my Uncle Timmy and Aunt RaeAnn's house. The food was delicious. And then on Friday night we had supper with the Cooper's. Aunt Kay fixed a huge meal, like usual, and it was delicious. It was really good to see everyone. Most of the people there had traveled to be there and it was good to see them all.
On Thanksgiving night, I went to Flora Walmart to get some good deals on Christmas presents for the kids. I had a great time. I love Black Friday (or Thursday) sales like that. I love a good challenge. My Mom dropped me off there about 5 pm on Thursday. Jason had stayed home with the kids and Mom was headed to Effingham Kohls with her friends Mary and Margaret. I was going to catch a ride home with my Aunt Angie, who was meeting me there. She had left a vehicle there earlier that day so we had a Suburban parked right up near the door. How is that for being awesomely prepared? I got there at 5 and promptly started looking for all of the stuff I wanted. I had brought a lightweight backpack (a 31 cinch sak) with my billfold in it (from Initials Inc.) and a bottle of water and that was all. No purse. I stuffed my jacket in my backpack when I got there and was now hands-free to shop. Luckily I had a lot of cousins and family in the store to help me get everything I wanted before they were all bought out. My cousins Ethan and Amanda helped me get some things. I waited in line to make sure I got the one thing Carissa really wanted. My Aunts Angie, Patty, and RaeAnn were in there helping too, plus getting their own things. My cousins Abby and Andrea showed up a little while later. There was a big group of us and we had three shopping carts parked near the front of the store and they were heaping full. We even had stuff laying on the floor next to our carts. A few of us would stay with the carts while others would go and get stuff. It was really a lot of fun. But somehow in the middle of the madness I lost my cell phone. We called it but no one answered. I asked a manager if anyone had returned one and he said no. We backtracked and searched but to no avail. A little while later an employee found me and returned it to me. I was so thankful for that. My phone is junk and old but I don't really want to mess with replacing it either. Shortly after that, my Aunt Angie noticed that one of my diamond earrings was loose. I checked it and the back was gone. I was so thankful that she had noticed so I took it out and put it into a zippered area for change in my billfold. I didn't want to lose it! It was about this time that I realized that I was also about to lose one of my fake eyelashes. Good grief! Could I be more of a lose-r? We left Walmart a few hours later. I had a great time but...
Fast forward to the next day, Black Friday. I went to a few stores in Effingham that morning. One of them was Weber Jewelers in T-Town. I had two necklaces to pick up there that had been repaired. While I was in there, I remembered my earring. So I asked if they had a back to fit it and I opened the zipper on my billfold to show them and lo and behold, no earring! All I could do was laugh. The woman helping me probably thought I was a crazy bald woman. But all I could think was, "Really?" I thought I had saved it from being lost and it still got lost. I examined my billfold closely and realized (a day late) that there was a section at the end of the zipper where it didn't attach to the fabric, leaving a hole there. The hole was too small for a dime to fall out but plenty big for my diamond earring to fall out. Errrr. It is a major design fail in my opinion. I have had those diamond earrings since right after Jason and I were married. But it is just a "thing" so I am not that upset. Life isn't about stuff. I know that very well. But since I was in the jewelry store, I went ahead and priced diamond earrings just in case someone wanted to get me some for Christmas. :)
We are having a snowstorm here this weekend. We have at least eight inches so far and are forecast to have between 10 and 14 inches before it is all said and done. And then more snow is supposed to come on Sunday. We are having a small birthday party for Silas on Sunday. I hope it doesn't get snowed out! The kids got to go outside today and play in it. They had a great time!
Silas fell on his butt and wasn't sure he liked that.
He liked standing in it much better. It is past his knees!
He wanted to knock all the snow from my Christmas decorations.
I have no idea what she is doing...
The view from the window. I wasn't going out there! Brrrr!
Even though Carissa was bundled up to play outside she promptly changed clothes as soon as she was back inside. Her outfit of choice? A tankini of course! She is always asking me how much longer until Summer and even went as far as telling me that she does NOT like winter. She hasn't heard that from me so I guess she just decided it on her own. She is a summer girl through and through. No doubt about that.
My summer girl...
and the little boy who wanted his picture taken too.
It has been a great two weeks and I am so looking forward to the next two weeks. I love Christmas time and I can't wait to celebrate Silas' second birthday. December is just pretty fun at the Cooper house!
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