Cookies, Contests, & Puzzles: A Hodgepodge

The kiddos are out of school until after the first of the year.  I am so glad.  No, really I am. I know the craziness of having multiples would seem to dictate just the opposite, and while that may have been true at other points in our lives, right now I am enjoying being with them.  It is easy to just BE with them and not have to entertain, supervise, dictate, schedule and referee.
Well maybe a little refereeing is involved from time to time, but for the most part the squabbles are solved with minimal intervention from me.  It's nice to have big kids :)

It hasn't always been this way.  There have been many many days in recent years I was so glad to be at work.  I hate admitting that. Work was calm and predictable and I felt appreciated.  I don't do well with chaos and adversity and having to walk carefully so as to not upset the cart.  And that cart was so easily upset.  It makes me enjoy the place we are currently at in our family life.  I constantly pray it is a new normal and not the calm before another storm appears on our family horizon.
Since we've been home, we've had plenty to keep us occupied.  The kids youth group had a party earlier this week.  They are slowly getting into the group, but still missing their old friends.  Speaking of such, my girl got the gift of her dreams from a friend.  A 5lb Hershey bar!

The party came complete with a cookie competition and an ugly outfit contest.

Cookies, while creating wonderful family memories, do not come cheap. My boy decided HE was going to win this, since he knew his brother was a shoo in for the ugly contest.

To get the full effect, you need to see the whole get up. Oh, and the tie plays Jingle Bells - classy.

I am sad to report he came in 2nd place.  He did however, score a Cold Stone gift card which he is giving his Secret Angel for Christmas.  I hope I am his Angel. Every year on Thanksgiving we draw names for Secret Angels.  You don't tell who you got. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you secretly do kind deeds for your Angel, such as do one of their chores, or make their bed, or perhaps bring them a fresh hot cinnamon roll. Then you purchase a small gift for that person and when we exchange gifts, you try to guess who your secret angel is.  In theory it works that way.  In practice it is still a work in progress.

My other boy decided he was not comfortable working an ugly outfit, so I WE made melting snowman cookies.

My trusty mixer is on it's last leg.  I LOVE my mixer.  It was my mother's and has made many a fruit cake, birthday cakes and Christmas cookies. It is probably at least 40 years old.  It makes me feel a little closer to her to use it - silly, huh

Speaking of old things, trendy to call them vintage - I also LOVE my rolling pin.  It belonged to my grandmother. She and my grandfather married in 1925 and her uncle carved it for her as a wedding gift.

She was 14 and he was 17.  Can you imagine.  They were married 54 years so I guess it worked out.

Making fanciful cookies is not an inexpensive endeavor. I had to go to three different stores to get the colors and types of ingredients I needed.  If someone makes you cookies, you should appreciate it!

Voila'!  (he didn't win) ..... but it was fun.

Also, a word of advice, do not buy a used jigsaw, even if you are repeatedly assured that "Yes, all the pieces are there! ".  I truly despise and yet love, jigsaw puzzles. The epitome of a love-hate relationship. I think they are a tremendous waste of valuable time.  So for some insane reason I decided in all my motherly Christmas tradition glory, it would be a wonderful idea for us to do a holiday puzzle as a family.

I told the kids we had to finish the puzzles in order for Santa to come (insert huge eye rolls here).

We finally finished it last night - less 3 missing pieces.

Since that was so much fun, I picked up another puzzle while I was out today. I don't know why I do these things - mom insanity I guess. This one is a new one so all the pieces SHOULD be there.

As we count down to the big day, the day we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, I am making a serious effort to slow down and enjoy these moments of family togetherness.  This is the first year in memory I am ahead of the game, having gifts purchased and wrapped 3 whole days before Christmas.  I am missing my 2 big boys, even though I am not supposed to mention them on my blog. Sigh.

But my younger three are doing well, looking forward to Christmas, glad to have time off school, and as for me, I am taking it one day at a time. The days often drag, but the years fly by.