Snow!

Catching snow

Our front yard

As previously mentioned, it snowed here (at our house at least) on Wednesday.  The rain turned to snow and then back to rain again but it was pretty while it lasted, and it lasted a few hours.  We watched from the windows off and on throughout the morning.  It was so peaceful.  We went to the grocery store around noon and the rain had already melted most of it away but I am so glad we were home to enjoy it.

Ellen's Christmas Cake

We started with these and ended up with what Ellen described as "the best cake I have ever tasted."  I wouldn't quite go that far but I am pleased that she liked it. 

Let's get baking!: Christmas Cake

We're at it again.  Ellen wanted to make a "Christmas Cake" and surprisingly we had all of the ingredients on hand to make a yellow cake from scratch (thank you Betty Crocker cook book).  However, we will need to buy icing or the stuff to make our own.  Ellen was a great helper once again.  I will take pictures of the finished product once I find out exactly what this Christmas Cake is supposed to look like.

 We incorporated stirring although it wasn't really necessary

In other news, it is snowing at our house.  Ellen wanted to know if that meant it was Christmas.  I wish!

S-E-C-R-E-T-S

With Christmas fast approaching we have been doing quite a bit of spelling out words around our house and I think Ellen is onto us.  She sometimes asks "What does that spell?" and that is when I know I made the right choice.  Her listening ears are almost always on these days.

During one of our game nights Ellen had chocolate milk in a mug.  But not just any mug, one she picked out one day while we were out shopping (she picks out a lot of things but this was only $3 and had dogs on it so I gave in).  Now whenever we play games she must have chocolate milk in that mug.  She does not forget these kinds of things.

Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes (the white ones) are the candy corn of this holiday season for our family

Phillip started wearing Breathe Right strips a few nights ago and I think they make his snoring worse instead of better.  On a snore scale of 1 to 10 he is probably only a 3, maybe a 4 at times, but since he knows it wakes me up he wanted to give them a try (which I greatly appreciate).  His other motivation may have something to do with me beating him up in the night to get him to stop snoring.

My pants are constantly coming down in the front... and I am constantly pulling them up so I don't flash this belly to the world.  As Ellen and I were walking into daycare yesterday morning I mentioned that my pants were falling down and she immediately came to my rescue.  Of course she started pulling them up in the back, which isn't the problem area, but it was so sweet of her to help.  She takes good care of me.

Ellen has stellar negotiating skills

A fifth hook mysteriously appeared on our fireplace over the weekend.  I first asked Phillip if he had put it there but something told me Ellen was to blame.  Apparently she saw the pack of Command hooks in with our Christmas decorations and decided we needed another one on the fireplace.  Since we had another stocking I went ahead and let her hang it on the extra hook.  Now both George and Lucy have a stocking hung by the chimney with care.

We decorated Ellen's holiday tree with little ornaments.  She is very proud of it.

Phillip's Mom bought Ellen a subscription to Highlights High Five magazine and we got the first issue today.  She loves it.  It came with a 2012 hidden pictures calendar (and stickers!).  What a great gift.

Ellen has been interested in time lately.  She has a digital clock in her room and Phillip's alarm clock is also digital.  She likes to read off the numbers to us and we then tell her what time it is.  Ellen really wanted milk before going to bed tonight.  Much to her dismay we said no, offering her a glass of water instead.  She called out from her room "My clock says milk time".  Nice try.

My favorite team on Amazing Race, the snowboarders, were eliminated Sunday night.  Even though I like the other teams I kind of don't want to watch the finale now.  This happens to me almost every season but I always come back for more.

New dress from Nana and an afternoon with friends

 Phillip's Mom made Ellen this cute "cupcake" dress.  She loves it!  Nancy sent it back with Kendra and Laurie (they went to North Carolina for Thanksgiving).  We met Kendra for lunch yesterday to see her and get the dress.  Nancy and Russ also gave Ellen a white turtleneck and tights to go with the dress, two Christmas ornaments and a Christmas light necklace that blinks.  Ellen wanted to change in the restaurant but we made her wait until we got home to try everything on.  She was beyond excited.

Posing after church

 We went to Matt and Sara Jo's house this afternoon to hang out and help decorate their Christmas tree.  

Multiple Uses

 Fork, dinglehopper and pizza dough catapult

Santa Claus is coming to town

December.  Welcome!  I always look forward to the start of a new month, especially when that month includes Christmas and all Christmas related festivities.  We have been reading Christmas stories at bedtime and even though we read them all year long, same with Halloween books, it is different now that we are on the home stretch.

We are almost done with our Christmas shopping.  Just five more people to buy for, along with a few more stocking stuffers, and then let the wrapping begin!  I did wrap all of Ellen's presents over Thanksgiving, and a few more gifts we had on hand, but since then we have done more shopping and had several Amazon orders come in so the presents are piling up again.  Since we are not able to travel this year we will be sending presents back home with my sister, who is coming here to celebrate with us, and with Phillip's sisters, who will be in North Carolina for Christmas.  We are thankful for our little elves :)

Speaking of shopping, I asked Ellen what we should get Daddy for Christmas and she gave one of her patented answers... Legos (she almost always says Legos when I ask for gift ideas for Phillip).  He does like Legos, we all do, and she really enjoys watching him make things.  It is a win-win for the whole family.   

This will be our first time to spend Christmas in Tennessee, which I thought would never happen.  I am a little sad (maybe a lot sad) to miss out on our traditional activities but I know we will have fun with Andrea, Caleb, Ashling and Cade. 

We are planning to get a real tree this year (for the first time!) but went ahead and put up our little pre-lit fake tree on Sunday night.  Ellen was so excited.  We laid out the ornaments, saving certain ones for the big tree, and she immediately got to work decorating the tree.  She did a great job and it was fun to watch her in action.  This is going to be a great Christmas.

Still deciding exactly what to do about Santa gifts.  It is kind of a newer concept for me, simply because my family didn't do Santa gifts growing up, but Phillip's family did (along with most people, I have since learned) and I think it is a neat idea.  Two years ago we left out unwrapped presents that we said were from Santa but we also had big ticket items... kitchen, doll house and wooden Thomas train set.  Last year she had a few Santa gifts but nothing major.  She got a lot of little things so most everything was wrapped.  We are in the same boat again this year, she has mostly smaller gifts.  Decisions, decisions.   

Ellen's school pictures come in tomorrow.  We rarely buy them but I am always anxious to see how they turned out.  We chose the Christmas background option so we may buy a sheet or two this time if they are good (I am picky!)  Her Christmas party is on the 16th.  Santa comes and gives each child a wrapped present, provided by the parents, and it is always a lot of fun.  This will be her last Christmas party at The Children's Academy.  Wow.

We are going to attempt pictures with Santa next week.  Phillip thinks she will do it willingly but I have my doubts.  Ellen is very excited about Christmas and she likes Santa but she is still leary around "characters".  It is worth a try but I won't be too disappointed if it doesn't happen.

I just love this time of year!