It’s officially winter break! The kids had a good last week of school, Abigail lost another tooth, and we went on a lot of walks. 🙂 I also did some fun baking (which is always better than regular baking, haha). I went to book club and a Relief Society cookie exchange, Paul has been busy with work and whatnot, and we’re ready for Christmas (which is next week…crazy!
Fun baking means doughnuts. 🙂I got a new bag for when I go walking (so that I don’t have to carry my phone and keys in my hands). I kinda felt transported back to the 1980’s with my crazy leggings and my fanny pack. 😀One of the mornings we went walking, it was super foggy.It looked so pretty!Lost tooth!I told her the Tooth Fairy would leave her some quarters…to which she added (excitedly): “OR a toy!”. Luckily the Tooth Fairy was able to find an inexpensive dinosaur. 😀Playing with balloons and static.Joseph even got involved with the fun.Her new dinosaur (along with the one she got from her classroom prize box last Friday) had to come on our walk one day.This is such a perfect snapshot of her life: dinosaurs, collecting sticks, rocks, and leaves, and Buc-ee’s shirts. 😀I sure love my mini-me!I also love this view! It’s my favorite part of our walk.I found a frog while putting the hose away the other day (somehow I totally missed him when I was getting the hose out)!I also found a toad!Tomatoes! I have to pick them before the birds and bugs get them.December in San Antonio ain’t half bad.Gingerbread thumbprint cookies with dulce de leche filling. Yum!I also made meatloaf boats with mashed potatoes. 😀Abigail got her bangs trimmed. 😀They also styled her hair which made it until we got home…then she asked me to take it out and put her hair in a pony tail so that it wouldn’t get stuck on her chair at school (I think she’s talking about the bolts on her chair snagging her hair).I got more “snow” (quilt batting) and a new tree skirt.I love all the black and white!I also found this fun pillow. 🙂The Vice Principal at the kids’ school dressed up as an Elf on the Shelf and greeted the kids as they got to school. A friend of mine snapped this photo…what a fun thing to do!Abigail’s Santa hat that she made at school.More of Abigail’s crafts. 🙂I have this fun pan that makes……mini bundt cakes!I decided to drizzle them with mint chocolate.A pretty plate always makes them look extra fancy. 🙂 I put the ones that didn’t fit on a different small platter. 😉 I made a double batch so that Abigail could have some as a treat during her play date today (we had that instead of a full-out birthday party) and so that we could have some for our game night tonight. 🙂
We now officially have only one week left before Christmas break. It’s just crazy how quickly time has been going. The weather has been all over the place which has made it interesting trying to figure out what to wear every day. We didn’t really do anything out of the ordinary…it was a pretty typical week for us.
A friend of ours recently returned from a work trip that took him to Japan. He brought home some Pokemon plushies for both the kids. I think it’s safe to say that Abigail loves hers.Introducing her new one (which is on the cabinet) to her Pikachu.Playing with her Pikachu and her Alolan Vulpix (I was trying to Google it to see what it was called and wasn’t having much luck, but then Joseph came downstairs and told me right away what it was, haha).Joseph with his new Charizard (I knew that one, ha).Guess who came to church with us last Sunday? 😀All ready for church!Slightly mischievous eyes there…Greek yogurt goatee, haha.Abigail’s favorite decoration that is on a neighbor’s roof. She always has to look for the pirate Santa when we’re walking.I’ve wanted a Christmas sign for our entryway for a few years now, but never really came across one I liked…until now. I love it!Normally I put a Santa picture on this frame (we usually go to Bass Pro’s Shop and see Santa there), but methinks a Santa visit is probably not in the cards this year (so.many.people makes it hard to get an appointment that’ll work with our schedule), so I had a picture printed up from last year…just a snapshot I took of them when they were sitting together on the recliner while wearing their Christmas jammies. These are my babies! 😍She came home on Thursday just covered in chalk. I had about twenty minutes before my students were due to arrive, so I got her into the tub and cleaned up in record time, haha.She decorated her gingerbread man to look like her favorite book character, Skye (from Paw Patrol…which is a show, but luckily they also have books). I’m so grateful for a computer, printer, and husband who can quickly find a coloring page that has the perfect-sized head. 😁Yesterday when we left to drop Joseph off for school, it was 68°. It eventually got up to 83°. Crazy weather…She had a rather hard end to her school week last week and it kind of continued into the beginning of her week this week (so.many.rules and let’s be honest…sharing is HARD, y’all…especially when you’re four and your brother is ten and you haven’t really had to share because you have completely different toys, but now all of a sudden there are new toys at school and other people your age who are also interested in those new toys…). She was able to work really hard and got happy faces in her folder for Wednesday, Thursday, and yesterday…so yesterday afternoon, I told her she earned some ice cream…she asked if she could have chocolate syrup and whipped cream on top and I readily complied. She earned it!I don’t know it is, but this sight makes me happy…maybe it’s the warm lights, maybe it’s the Christmas lights, or maybe it’s just the overall warmth of the space…I love where we live!This is the dinosaur she picked from the prize box yesterday at school. I was chilling on the couch when I heard her say, “You woke us up from our nap! We’re going to get you now!” I looked down in time to see her making her Barrel O’ Monkeys monkeys attack the dinosaur. Never a dull moment, y’all…I’m telling you.Today has been chilly, so long pants and a sweatshirt were required in order to play outside.She loves to swing…as long as someone is constantly doing underdogs, that is. I had just done an underdog and snapped this picture…right as she asked me for another one, haha.
This past week the kids went back to school after a week-long break (Monday was a bit tough for everybody, I think). We kind of just pushed through the week. Last night we went to see the Christmas lights at the zoo. I think Abigail had the most fun. This is the first year that I think Joseph didn’t have as much fun as before, but he is ten now. He might be getting too old for it. As for Paul and me, we were both run a little ragged trying to keep up with Abigail, haha. I think it was still a good family outing, though.
Playing with her Little People nativity.I love the view that I have while walking every day!I really liked this view…there’s something kind of cool about the old fence and the prickly pear cactus.I found some really neat balloons for the kids.She was pretty happy when Paul blew it up.I love this sight! You can also see Joseph’s balloon. I blew that one up and just about passed out, haha. It was hard getting the air to go down past each bump.I used my hand-pie maker to make pizza hand-pies. I had some leftover dough after I made one for each of our family members, so I flattened it out, piled a bunch of toppings on, topped it with more cheese, and baked it along with the rest.Look! Fall leaves!A mix of green and fall leaves.This one is completely decked out!I love big, poofy clouds…especially when they block the sun while I’m out walking. 😉It was crazy sweater day for school. I found one for Joseph, but couldn’t find one for Abigail (luckily she was happy with the Minnie Mouse one that had been in her closet, waiting for her to grow into).Sporting her Minnie Mouse sweatshirt.He was so happy I found a video game one!My wood nativity is a music box (you wind up the star) that plays “Silent Night”. Abigail brought her little Baby Jesus from her Little People nativity set over, set him down, and asked me to wind up the music so that her Baby Jesus could hear the music. Hoo-boy. Yes, sweet girl, I will totally do that (and probably ugly-cry a bit while thinking of that sweet baby boy who was the Savior of the world).I was stopped at a stop light and did a double-take when I saw……this guy tied to the truck’s handle.Family selfie at the Zoo Lights!The challenge of trying to take a picture of two kids…at least they’re both facing the camera.On the carousel.I almost cropped this picture, but decided to keep it…it’s real life, haha.There was a Santa at the zoo. Luckily they were fine with us taking a picture with our phones because the “photo package” was $44. Uh, no thanks!In Santa’s sleigh…I love these two!Climbing on the hippos.She kept saying “Cheese!” but also kept looking away from the camera. 😀Still working on continuously looking at the camera, haha.This was in a cool light-up tunnel…that happened to not be lit up right as I snapped the picture, haha. Oh well…at least the kids and the snowman are cute. 😉She really liked this tree.I really liked that they wrapped the live oaks with lights…and the light-up jaguar was cool, too.I spent this morning baking for two reasons: a) we have friends coming over tonight and b) I had pie crust dough, pie filling, and bananas that needed to have something done with them, so I made blueberry hand pies and some mini banana bread loaves.
