Merry-Cookie-Mess!

This past weekend was spent baking ooodles--

and I mean OOOOOOOODDDDDDDLLLLLESSSS

of cookies!

Night One

(really this is night two because I made the cookie dough the night before)

Clara Rose Rolling out the Sugar Dough

Josie pressing out the cookie shapes

Ooooo-ing and Awe-ing at the shaped dough

Decorating a few cookies to sample for the night's Christmas feature.

  Day Two-- more cookie decorating.

Wow, surrounded by cookies! 

These cookies are the best! We press baby PB cups into the middle!

Capping off a hard weekend of baking by coloring 

Christmas pictures.

We hope all our family and friends are having a wonderful Season filled

with lots of Merry Cookie-Mess!

It's the Holiday Season!

Our local YMCA has a Santa Workshop Holiday party every year.

Attending this fun event is yet another fun tradition that

the girls enjoy!

Making a collage picture of toys to send to Santa.

Putting their collage toy picture in a big stocking for Santa.

Being silly in the craft room after

making a Rudolph hat.

Clara Rose is the never ending Miss. Funny Pants.

Can you tell that Josie is starting to get a little annoyed?

On to more serious events-- making a Christmas necklace.

Later in the evening we headed out with friends to a Park that hosts

a Winter Wonderland of fun!

Hundreds of trees are decorated throughout the park along with

little village style storefront displays.

There are usually a few different shows for entertainment.

The girls had a great time watching a magic show before we walked around the park. 

It is such a big deal for them to be out, at a park, at night,

surrounded by Christmas trees and all kinds of new things.

Clara Rose Loved this tree because . . .

of course . . .

Rudolph is at the top!

Each one wanted their 'own' picture with the Rudolph tree.

Don't forget the 75' talking Snowman!

The girls were able to talk to the snowman and he talked back to them.

We capped off the night with a ride on the carousel.

You Can't Catch Me . . .!

This past weekend we worked on what has become

part of our Christmas time tradiitons---

The making of Gingerbread Houses!

It is a bit of work and I am still figuring out the best way to get the houses to stick together.

The first year we resorted to using tacky glue.

We've come along ways in that now I can get the house to stay

together using the icing paste that comes in the kit!

The girls have a great time decorating their 'candy houses.'

And, did I mention we are under the very careful watch of

Mr. Jingle Elf.

We never know where our new friend is going to show up next!

Clara Rose with our candy house.

Josie and Jie Jie with their candy house.

A Royal Birthday Party

Earlier this month we celebrated yet another birthday with one of

our good friends.

It was a royal party with a very special guest!

It also posed somewhat of a dilemma for me as a parent which I will get to later.

The Birthday Girl

Cinderella arrived to much fan-fare and took some time for a few photo ops.

Cinderella led the party crowd in

few fun songs and dance routines.

Clara Rose was happy to join in- but Josie tended to hang off to the side as she often

does when presented with a new person who she does not know.

Soon it was time for cake!

While everyone enjoyed cake, Cinderella amzed the crowd with her

face/arm painting talents.

'Most' of the girls requested a princess to be painted on their arm.

I say most, because, two of the girls did not--

namely my two.

So what did Josie and Clara Rose request for their painting?

Josie, being very descriptive asked for

a monkey walking away from a castle.

Clara Rose was more than thrilled to have a

sparkling Penguin painted on her arm.

Next Cinderella showed off more of her

Princess skills by making balloon animals.

Still more-- a pinata filled with yummy treats!

Lastly, the girls were very happy to give the Birthday Girl her present from them.

My Dilemma-- my question . . .

Am I being negligent as a parent?

As most of my friends know, I am not all that 'into' the Princess thing. It isn't that I am anti-Princess (OK, maybe a little) I was a big fan of the Grimms version and was not too happy with the Disney interpretations.

I have been told by one co-worker that I am taking away their ability to

hope and dream by not doing more with the Princess thing.

I'm not quite buying into that either.

  As it has worked out-- Neither Josie or Clara Rose are all that into Princesses either.

Not that they aren't exposed to Princesses-- they go to Preschool and PreK.

They see the stuff that their friends at school have.

We've watched a couple Princess movies and Josie

tends to ask how much longer the movie will be.

So, at this party-- both of my girls had very little, if any, idea of who Cinderella is and why everyone was making such a fuss (at least until the fun stuff started).

I felt a little guilty that all of the other girls were sooo excited and mine were more like,

"Who? What?"

And, at this point with Clara Rose, I am kind of thinking that I would happily trade Dora for the Princesses!

Please Read This

Below is a link to a letter written by an Adoptee. It does a wonderful job of covering a lot of points, thoughts, feeling that our adopted children very well may have one day regarding being adopted.

 

I find this article to be quite insightful and I hope my friends and family who read my blog also find some value in the words written.

 

Below is just the preface, if you will, the link to the full article is at the end.

 

An open letter to APs, PAPs, 

and anyone who has even considered adoption

What you are about to read may shock you. It may challenge you. And, hopefully, it may inspire you to educate yourself further on the realities of adoption. Please read the following with an open mind, and try not to take anything said here personally. Because this is not meant to be an attack or a judgment; it is meant to be an honest and heartfelt expression of one adoptee's experience that would hopefully bring understanding and respect for the often ignored portion of the adoption equation.

http://iadoptee.blogspot.com/2011/12/please-read-this.html

Oh Christmas Tree

We are fast on track to welcome Santa and all the wonders of the

Chirstmas Season.

Gabrielle took charge of hanging the lights on the tree

and I think this was the least stressful light hanging

we have ever had!

Everyone was feeling the spirit!

Soon we began hanging ornaments on the tree.

The last touch--

Topping the tree with our Star-- by none other than  . . .

one of our little stars!

A few picutres in front of our

decorated masterpiece!

A quick appearance by the reclusive GeGe.

Some snacks and a little relaxation

enjoying the delights of

the season.