Merry Christmas!!

I hope that your holidays are filled with family, friends, peace, and happiness.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Gingerbread houses

I have posted our favorite recipe for gingerbread houses before here, but I had to share the photos from this years master creations.  The boys spent the afternoon baking (and nibbling), building (and nibbling), designing (and nibbling), decorating (and nibbling)...you get the idea.  I was with-it enough this year to fill them up with a healthy lunch before we started, but who am I kidding?  There was significantly more candy and icing that went into the boys than onto the house.  Here are the final products:

First Snow

Today was the first 'real' snow of the winter.  I am pretty sure it won't last, but we enjoyed playing it in it while we could.  Lessons put aside, the boys and I went for a walk in the white (which was made even  more special by seeing the boys both reach for their mama-made hats to keep their heads warm).

Happy winter!

Christmas Craft Sale

Our homeschool group has put on a wonderful craft sale for the past few years, giving the kids a chance to sell their wares to earn some cash, do a bit of their holiday shopping in a place where they can be free to go shop without a mommy or a daddy looking over their shoulder, and to trade with their friends for the goodies that they most like.

We have gone to do some shopping in the past, but this year William and Charlie wanted to take part.  Together we made soap, beaded bracelets, chocolate snowflakes, Christmas ornaments, and candy cane brownies.  They had such a great time making everything, strategizing what would sell the most, designing the display, and then being shop keepers on the actual night.  They took turns heading off with their earnings in hand, and coming back to the table with little holidays surprises hidden in their pockets. 

Even more fun than the actual sale was watching them scurry around when we got home, insisting on wrapping up their gifts for the people they love before the surprise could be spoiled.