So how did your holidays go? I hope they were relaxing. Ours was extraordinarily stress free. I don't know what it was- there were last minute gifts to buy and make, mad dashes to the grocery, B had a decent-ish cold- but somehow we stayed calm and collected and found ourselves dancing around to Frosty the Snowman, smiling an awful lot, feeling grateful.
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If only for the sake of having something to visit about, here's a run down of the few gifts I made:
I think I've talked about this before. My kids ask Santa for one gift, we give them one toy, and I make them something. Between their cousins and grandparents they get plenty. Too much, really. So our three gift limit keeps things simpler for us.
For his mommy-made gift J asked again this year for warm jammies. I sewed up a quick pair of fleecey p.j. pants and bought a thermal shirt to go with it.
N asked Santa for an American Girl doll, so her mommy-made gift was a set of matching dresses. I used this pattern for her dress and I made the blouse from this pattern for the doll dress, shortened the bodice and added a skirt.
My nieces, who are also AG doll crazy, each got a little doll blouse (same pattern) and a little doll skirt (no pattern) and a pair of little doll shoes.
My good friend, Andrea, pinned these little toothpaste travel rolls, so I made her a couple.
And our sweet neighbor, who dotes on our kids and left a gift on our porch, got a last-minute batch of these nuts. (I used almonds.) They were SO good. In fact, I think I'll make some more today!
Oh, and worth mentioning. We ate this savory bread pudding on Christmas morning. Oh my lord- it is rich and delicious. Instant tradition.
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So that's it for Christmas. As soon as we enjoy two dinner parties this weekend, it's time for a fresh new year, a fresh start. Time to clean up and purge and get on with things, whatever this new year holds in store for us.
Although it may appear otherwise, there was no liquor in her kiddie-cocktail, I swear.
My sweetie took a vacation day yesterday. After we wrangled the kids off to school, I made him a bowl of steel cut oats with apples and cinnamon.
But this morning I ate pie for breakfast. It was Bumbleberry from here- a little pie shop in downtown Overland Park. Possible the best piece of pie I've ever eaten. (Sorry, Dad!) Go there today.
... here it comes.
Are you ready? I feel ready.
The kids in our extended family are growing up, and really, they just want money or a gift card to help them with that next big thing they're saving for. So there's just not much shopping to do. (Hallelujah.)
I've already started on some handmade gifts. I'll flickr them if you're at all interested.
Are you?
Is anyone even still reading here?
Hello?
I'll pretend that you're still there.
(Crickets.)
Anyway... where was I? Shopping's nearly done. Hot cocoa is at the ready. Our little advent socks are up, although #24 has mysteriously vanished. Some simple holiday activities are underway. We're getting our tree tomorrow too.
Tonight was cozy. It's rainy, and we discovered Words with Friends, and we all (my mom at her house, my sister and niece at theirs, Brian, J, and I- with N as my helper- here at home) played each other on our iPods and phones. This could be a problem. A big problem.
I'm really going to try to be here a little more this month. I don't know why- or what I'll write about even. But I miss it. Will you stop in and say 'hello' once in awhile?
(Crickets.)
Yawn. Okay then. Nighty night.
I know photos of pets are really cutest to the owners of said pets, but I can't help it. He's so handsome. This little guy is my good friend and co-worker. We go for a walk together most mornings- seeing me in my tennis shoes makes him really happy. No matter what I'm doing, he's at my feet. When I'm working in my studio or editing photos on the computer, he's sleeping under my desk. If I'm cooking in the kitchen, he stretches out on the rug in front of the sink. He chases the vacuum when I'm cleaning. He waits at the window if I leave. He can catch a tennis ball in the air. He feels it's his duty to keep our back yard squirrel-free.
Now, if only we could make him stop freaking out when he sees other dogs (dominant aggressive? protective? scared? who knows.), he'd be just about the perfect pooch...
I love him. Dogs are just so good. Do you know what I mean?
We relaxed this morning.
Then we raked leaves.
Had grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch.
Took a long hike-
Some of us walked and took lots of photographs.
Some of us rode mountain bikes.
One of us ran ahead off his leash.
They played catch in the yard.
We made homemade pizza for dinner.
Talked with a friend.
Then played some Uno.
November 12 was a perfect Fall day.
Big thanks go to Amy for the original pattern.
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