The Elf Chronicles

I really don't know when we have ever had as much fun as a family as we had this month with Cameron & Benji the Elves.  Seriously!  It has been so much fun to watch the kids race into the house literally knocking each other down as they run up the stairs to see if the elves moved around while we were out & about.  It was the first thing they asked about when I picked them up from school in the afternoons.  They would wake up extra early in the morning hoping to be the first one to see what mischief they got into during the night. 

The funniest things that they did were the things that made the biggest messes like when they rolled the Christmas tree, dumped out pasta all over the kitchen floor & when they put all the chairs up on the tables.  The last week they were here, they were especially mischievous (& messy)!  One morning early last week we woke up to find them making snow angels in flour on the kitchen counter...

Their last morning with us, we found them in the morning with my camera.  They had done all sorts of crazy stuff during the night...

and they took pictures...

to document all their fun...

the boys were most excited to see an elf wrapped like a mummy walking about!

On Christmas Eve afternoon, we returned home from Ryan's parents house to see they had made a zip line from the kitchen through the living room.


That night they left us, but not before leaving a gift & a little note to remind us that although we won't see them until next December, they always see us.  Hopefully my kiddos will remember that all throughout the year!

HaPpY HaPpY New Year to you all!

Not What I Dreamed Of.

I love the song White Christmas, however, I've never really dreamed of -or- wished for a white Christmas.  Christmas in the 60's sounds just perfect to me!  We went to bed Christmas Eve with the weather men talking of snow flurries.  Although we were up almost all night thanks to Santa's early arrival & my boys' inability to sleep for excitement (that's why my previous post titled Very Merry Eve included our what-should-have-been-Christmas-morning pictures), we were shocked when the sun started coming up & we looked outside! 

I will admit that it was beautiful! 

Snowball fights

& snow men

made for a memorable way to spend our Christmas. 

We've had little snows before & have built small snowmen, but this was the first time to build a "real" snowman! 

This white Christmas is definitely one that we'll always remember.  And I might actually dream of one for next year!

Very Merry Eve

It was a Very Merry Christmas Eve for our bunch!  It was wonderful spending the day with both of our families.  Hoping you were all were surrounded by the love of family this Christmas!

164 Hamburgers

Why are my kiddos ALWAYS sick the week of Christmas?  Always?  So frustrating!!!  Yesterday should've been my last "free day" although I'm not sure running all over town, making yummies for a family party & getting crafts & snacks ready for 2 school parties constitutes a "free day".  I still got it all accomplished, but with 2 sickies in tow :(

Definitely not the way I hoped to start the week!  God must've known that I needed a good laugh, because I was in search of something else & came across this buried in the deep dark depths of a drawer.

Ben's wonderful preschool made this recipe book for the kids to give their Mamas when he was in PreK.  I don't think I've looked at this since he first gave it to me, so I totally did not remember Ben's contribution to the book.  When I came across it, I busted out laughing. 

Hamburgers

First you have to have a glove.  You buy meat from the grocery.  I put cheese on the meat and then I put it all on the grill.  Really Daddy cooks because I would burn myself.  He cooks for 14 minutes.  I eat it on a bun with cheese.  I can eat 164 hamburgers.

God love him...

164 hamburgers!  I don't know that I've ever seen him eat 1 whole hamburger.

May your week be off to a funny start even if things are not going quite as planned!

The Smells of Christmas

Isn't it funny how certain smells just make you think of Christmas?  Many of those bring back lots of memories.  Today, as I was mixing up some cookie dough the smell of cloves made me think of this funny memory from way back when... 

If you grew up in church then I'm sure you did your Christmas duty a.k.a. Christmas caroling at the nursing home.  Each year, we made some kind of treat, usually a homemade ornament.  As we went from room to room, each of us were to find one resident to give our little trinket to.  One year we put cloves on an orange with a ribbon wrapped around so it could be hung on a tree or in their rooms just to smell good.  I remember being in one old man's room when a boy in our group gave him his orange.  The old man took the orange, looked over it real good, said a few cuss words & nailed that boy right in the face.  The singing stopped.  None of us knew whether to laugh or to cry.  I remember that boy's face looked like he had been through a briar patch afterwards.  I guess the cloves hit his face just right.  Poor kid!

This is the recipe that brought back this funny memory.  These are so yummy! They remind me of a gingerbread.  Just ask Cameron the elf...I found him this morning hiding in Meg's boots eating one.

Molasses-Sugar Cookies

1/4 c shortening                    1/2 tsp salt

       1 c sugar                      1 tsp ground ginger

      1/4 c molasses           1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg                       1/2 tsp cloves

2-1/4 c ap flour             1/4 c sugar

2 tsp baking soda                                   

     Melt shortening over low heat.  Remove & cool.  Stir in 1 c sugar, molasses & egg.

     Combine flour & next 5 ingredients.  Gradually add sugar mixture & beat until blended.  Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in 1/4 c sugar.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

     Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack. 

Finally, this picture has nothing to do with this post other than my story was about an old man pitching a Christmas fit & here is a little girl pitching a Christmas fit.  Who knew it was such a big deal to get your picture made with the Christmas tree?  She has 4 beautiful smocked Christmas dresses & wouldn't you think I could get a picture of her in just one of them?

Either - Or

What's your most favorite thing about this time of year?  Mine is definitely all the get-togethers & yummy treats!  This is one of my most favorite recipes for this time of year.  You can use this same recipe to make either a crescent cookie that's perfect for dessert or gift-giving...

or a biscuit that's perfect for a brunch!

I call them Apple Butter Yum-Yums
Here's what you need:
2/3 c butter
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 c all-purpose flour
1 c apple butter
sugar
cinnamon

Beat butter for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder & salt.  Beat until combined.  Beat in eggs & vanilla.  Beat in flour, 1 c at a time.  Divide dough in half & refrigerate for a few hours.

Spread half of the dough mixture onto a floured surface.  Cut into 3" squares.  Spread 1 tsp apple butter onto the center of each square. 

*If you make crescent cookies:  fold the square in half.  Cut 2-3 slits at the top & slightly bend to separate the slits.  Place on a baking sheet.
*If you make biscuits:  fold the square loosely.  Use a spoon to drop the dough onto the baking sheet.

Sprinkle tops (whether you make crescent cookies or biscuits) with sugar & cinnamon.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

enjoy!

Something to Smile About

The shopping is over.  The gifts have been bought.  Some have been delivered by big trucks.  They are all wrapped & tagged.  And they are all under my tree just waiting to be opened.  I sure hope they bring lots of smiles to all!

ps. I'm not sure if it makes me smile more to know that my shopping is done or that Meg finally looked {and even smiled} at the camera for a picture :)

Passing of the Star & the Mischevious Elves

After years of the boys trying to remember (& subsequent arguments over) who placed the star on the top of the Christmas tree the year before, they both decided to pass the star this year.  Meg was so tickled that she got to put the star on the top of the tree!

A couple of little mischievous elves have arrived at our house.  Cameron & Benji have been caught trying to escape out the back door, in the dirty clothes basket, hiding in the Christmas tree, sneaking snacks in the refrigerator, hanging from a chandelier, etc...  The kids have had more fun since those elves showed up at our house!  If you don't have elves, you really should get some!  They help your kids behave since the kids know that they sneak off at night to give Santa the daily naughty/nice report.  And it's seriously so much fun to see what those elves get into...just this morning Benji had Cameron in handcuffs.  Apparently elves have "brotherly love" too :)

Pride

It was with great pride that my boys wore their new shirts to school this week! 

WaR EaGLe!

And speaking of....
I've got my own little Heisman candidate.
And here SHE is...