He actually asked me to take his picture...

So glad to see this today...

Sunshine... I can't even remember the last time the sun was peeking in the windows.

Walker's outside right now... squealing with delight about still having hard snow to play on. Love that it's 41 degees outside and sunny... come on spring!!

Ainsley came home from school yesterday with some observations that were puzzling... she said

"Hey Mama... did you know that I was the only one that got an orange from Santa in my stocking?"

"Isn't that weird that no one else in my class got an orange?"

Before I had a chance to answer she says, "I guess Santa just knew that I really like oranges!"

Back to the world of blogging... had to take some time off... it's hard to gather my thoughts and sort pictures when I have kiddos asking me all sorts of questions... the music is on... games are being played... Walker is jumping off furniture... you get the picture.

It was a good Christmas... strange in the sense that it took a hard time to get in the Christmas Spirit... we didn't get out all the decorations... and had them all put away on the 29th... I think we just had such a full plate this season... don't think I'll do a house project during the month of December again!

As much as we all needed a few weeks off... we are all glad that school started back today... kiddos too. Ainsley got her hair cut over the weekend... Super Cute... so grown-up... eeks!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

The replacement ornament is safely on the tree... and very high up.

So glad that it made it here before Christmas... we also reviewed the rules about touching ornaments!

Santa cookies are frosted and ready for the plate tomorrow night!

It's getting closer...

Seems fitting that today's number was a snowflake since we woke up to a winter wonderland...

Want to see pure joy... just look at Walker's face... so excited about the snow..

Was planning on making a trip to the grocery store to get my produce for the rest of the week but thinking that today will be a good day to stay in side and finish up the cookies.  Today's goal is to get the Santa cookies done and frosted... kiddos are such a good help... here's Walker and the hand of Ainsley scooping up the spilled sugar on the counter... what good help!

Ainsley started a letter to Santa... worried I guess. She writes...

Dear Santa,

I ben good and my brother's ben good too.

I made a santa cookie for you.

(she then added... and leave Ainsley a... ) which later was erased after i read the letter out loud... she thought better of it I guess.

Off to get the kiddos dressed warm to play outside!

Christmas vacation has begun... well at least for me and the kiddos. Both kids had a fun time at their Christmas parties. Walker was all into the craft (an ornament)...while most kids just threw stuff on... lost interest... what have you... Walker put his together exactly like the picture... causing his teacher to stay, "Well we know who does crafty things at home!"

Ainsley's classroom party is well interesting... especially when organizing 26 students. Their individualisms crack me up. I was in charge of the craft table. The idea was to put glue on a little pinecone tree with a toothpick and then attach sequins to the glue. Some kids complained that it wasn't working right... some hated to get their fingers gluey... and other put them on exacting. Ainsley's approach... drizzle glue around the tree and then with a handful of sequins drop them over the top... resulting in the most colorful tree in the classroom.

They also had a little gift exchange... the idea was to sit in a circle... everytime the words Snowman, Santa or Christmas were mentioned during a story they were to rotate the gifts in a circle. When the story ended they got to keep the gift in their lap. Ainsley opened hers... it was a stuffed animal... she was less than thrilled. The girl that got her present (Hannah Montana Stamp set) brought in the stuffed animals. They both wanted what they had orginally brought so they switched... resulting in 2 happy campers... too funny.

Baked up those Orange Cranberry Cookies this morning... jury decided they were a nice change but didn't make the tried and true Christmas Baking List.

In the process of making Chex Mix now... added some mini goldfish crackers to this year's batch... can't wait to try it out.

The holiday baking has begun...

made a couple batches of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies last night and plan on doing a new recipe today... cranberry orange cookies... sounds refreshing... hope it tastes as good. Then next week we'll do the normal "Santa cookies" with the kids once they finish up with school... which is tomorrow (Friday). It'll be a busy day since both kiddos have their Christmas Parties... so glad I'm not in charge this year... just happy to help out the other Room Parents. I think we are all really looking forward to having 2 weeks off for Christmas break!

Walker came home yesterday with this... his gingerbread house creation!

A little drum roll please... I give you the before and the just taken after pictures of the kitchen!!!

Still have a few more little details to complete... a new rug for the kitchen, some new dishtowels and a little curtain over the sink window. Need to make a new drawer front on the missing area as well... we took out the old cutting board... which had a shallow drawer front. Other than that its done!!

So every Christmas there's some story... remember when Ainsley was 2ish and put ornaments under her rocking chair legs to break them up? When Walker took a few bites of Ainsley's chocolate dipped candy canes? Or last year when Walker had pink eye and Ainsley was throwing up?

Well this year also has a story... despite our numerous talks about touching ornaments on the tree... Walker decided to play with Ainsley's special series snowglobe collection. I caught him and put it away higher out of reach... or so I thought. Couple days later he was playing again and this time he dropped it and it broke!! Ainsley starts screaming hysterical, "MOMMMEEEEE... Walker just broke my Ornament!!!" Sure enough we find this...

So the ornament is small the globe part maybe has 1/2 c water in it... but it seemed like a gallon was dripping off the tree... the tree skirt was soaked... wrapped presents underneath were dissolving... oh not to mention the glass! It wasn't one of our finer parenting moments... we yelled and sent both to their rooms sobbing. The most comic thing out of the whole thing... there was a strand of lights on the bottom that has been out... we've tried fuses and different bulbs and it still stayed unlit. Well thanks to this little episode it now works!!!

Thank goodness for eBay and the fact that it was just last years ornament not one from 5 years ago. I got one ordered that night... which allowed a very tear stained eyed girl to finally drift off to sleep. As for the little stinker... I think (hope) he learned his lesson.