Merry Christmas!

Christmas Party

Monday I awoke and decided to take a break from all the Christmas "to dos."  "Why not have a Christmas party?" I thought to myself.  Matt and Grace wouldn't be able to attend, so we'd have to do without them.  Nevertheless, I decided we should have a party.  I told the kids my plan.

"If you get a few chores done while I'm gone at Walmart, we'll have a Christmas party when I get home," I said.  Needless to say, several chores were completed before I was able to finish writing my grocery list and head out the door.

Before I left Walmart, I stopped by the in-store Subway to pick up a couple of salads for Liz and me. A few weeks ago, sister-in-law told me that Subway now makes salads.  Or maybe they've been doing that for awhile and Jessica and I are just slow to catch on, which is likely the case.  Anyway, Liz and I highly recommend the Spicy Italian chopped salad with oil and vinegar--extra pepperonis, please.

On the way home, I stopped at McDonald's to pick up lunch for the other kids.  We rarely eat at McDonald's, but our dear friend generously gifted each of the kids with gift cards this year, so cheeseburgers and fries for our Christmas party it was.

As I drove home, I mentally thought through the party agenda.  I knew the kids had used all of our the balloons in our party box, so that wasn't an option.  Confetti . . . umm . . .  negatory--too messy.  I didn't get much further in my thinking than that before I got home.  I decided to wing it.  It's all in the sell, right?

I walked through the door and yelled, "Christmas party!  Time for the Christmas party!  We need Christmas music!"  Paul put Bing Crosby's Christmas album in the CD player.  I handed out the food. The kids thoroughly enjoyed their lunches.  "Thank, you, Mom!" they kept saying.  After we ate, I broke out one of the cans of Dark Chocolate Peppermint Rocha that I'd gotten on Black Friday.  So far so good.  The kids thought the party was going great.

I then printed out nativity scenes by Joel.  I gave each of the kids a new box of colored pencils from my stash and they set to work.  I read Little House on the Prairie (this is now our third time through the series) while the kids colored.  The timing could not have been more perfect as we read the chapter entitled, "Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus." Isaac colored his entire nativity scene in his favorite color, green.  He was very proud of himself.

We then all settled down for a long winter's nap (well, maybe not the long part) so that we could wake up with renewed energy to tackle our Christmas "to do" list.  I'd deem our Christmas party a success and just what the doctor ordered.

Serving Up Cheer

We had a crummy time of it last week, so I woke up on Friday morning determined to bring a better mood to the house.  I whipped up a batch of America's Test Kitchen pancakes and put them on the griddle in the shape of snowmen.  For eyes and buttons, I used the blueberries that Matt so painstakingly picked in July.  The same blueberries that I so painstakingly picked through, washed and froze for winter use (there were a lotta weeds in those buggers).

The kids were tickled.  I got the "Mom of the Year Award."  Since I could only fit two snowmen on the griddle at one time, folks had to wait their turn to taste the culinary delights.  Jude claimed his snowman as it baked on the griddle.  He had one critique of his chosen creation, "Mom, his eye looks funny."  One blueberry was decidedly bigger than the other, giving the snowman a rather deranged appearance.  I swapped the snowman's eye for a button that was more proportionately pleasing and Jude was happy.

As I baked the snowman pancakes on one griddle, I had protein pancakes for Matt, the big girls and me going on our other griddle.  I scurried between the two griddles, ladling and flipping.  Joel said, "Wow Mom, you've got quite the operation going here."  Yep, the story of my life, son.  The story of my life.