Today I Made Christmas Cookies.

 (Christmas deliciousness)

We're starting off the holiday season a bit early over here.  Christmas music is being played regularly, the tree is up and decorated, my nativity sets are displayed all over the living room.  So, of course it was time to bake and decorate some Christmas sugar cookies to eat and give to friends!

 (ash's little apron)

First the girls decorated some little aprons I got for them with fabric markers.  I traced their hands on the aprons, wrote their names and four of their favorite things to eat, and the date.  

(britt's little apron)

Ash and Britt mixed all the dry ingredients themselves.  I was in charge of the wet ingredients.  Britt lost interest after that but Ash stuck it out to the end, decorating all the cookies and even making up a batch of chocolates!  A little Bakerella in the making!

(stirring, stirring, stirring)

Remember my Christmas Bucket List from last year?  I'm  gonna be making a nice new 2012 one, but it will probably include some from 2011.  Is it cheating to put, make Christmas cookies on the list just so I can check it off?  :P 

(rolling out the dough)

Today I Beheld Something I NEVER Thought I'd See!

Hello friends!  Long time no talk.  Part of that is because I kept telling myself I'd catch up.  Well, it just ain't gonna happen.  So, back to being present and in the "now." **deep breaths**

If a little bit of bathroom humor just isn't your thing, best stop reading here.  **grin*

Tony and I put up a little white tree with small glitter ornaments for the girls.  The deal is that they can't touch the big tree but they can touch the little tree all they want.  Elle hasn't stopped mauling that poor tiny tree since it was put out.  I realized quickly that the glittery ornaments were a bad idea.  I discovered that when I came upon Elle chewing one, and her chubby cheeks, mouth, and tongue were coated with glitter!

Sorry about the low quality pics.  She wasn't cooperating at all.

(total door knob shot)

(see?  not wanting to sit for a picture at all!)

(glam.  big forehead shot.)

Ok.  So that's not even the story.  The story is that the next day I went to change her diaper and her poop was golden and glittery!!!!!  I was pretty shocked.  I mean, I remember changing my brother David's diaper when he was a baby and it was rainbow colored due to all the crayons he'd ingested but I hadn't realized that Elle had swallowed so much glitter!  It was pretty brilliant.  And no, I didn't take any pictures.  You're welcome. 

So, our little tree is ornament-less.  Good thing my sister-in-law, Monica gave us one of those cool felt trees with felt ornaments to play with!  Ash and Britt love it and Elle hasn't tried to eat it.  Yet.