Holiday merry-making

Goodness, we've been busy! Last week the girls and I went to Disneyland with grandma. The weather was spectacular and Disneyland was exceptionally beautiful all decorated for the holidays.

Saturday, Amelia had her school Christmas pageant. After getting back from Anaheim around ten on Friday night, I found myself ironing rhinestones to Amelia's brown "deer costume" at the last possible minute Saturday morning. Amelia was terrific, performing "The Little St. Nick" along with her class of preschoolers. And Amelia knows she's good - in fact, as soon as her performance was over, and she met her dad near the stage, she blurted out to him, "I did a great job!"

Sunday was a day of rest and rain - both things that we could use more of this time of year. Today, the girls learned how to make gingerbread cookies. Daddy recently bought some gingerbread mix at Trader Joe's, and though I've never been a fan, I thought the girls might have fun making cookies with mom.

The girls loved rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutters to make snowmen, Christmas trees, candy canes and stars. Once we got down to the last little wad of dough, I let Amelia try making a cookie by herself. She rolled the dough, cut out the gingerbread man, and carefully handed the cookie to mom for placement on the cookie sheet. Amelia was very pleased with the work she had done and told her sister, "I'm a big girl, so I can make cookies by myself!" She then sympathized with her sister, who needed a little assistance making cookies by saying, "I know it isn't easy being two."

It sure is funny hearing my words coming out of Amelia's mouth.

Amelia was very excited to tell daddy all about how she made a cookie without any help from mom. And though I don't normally like gingerbread much, I have to admit that Trader Joe's gingerbread (like most things they make) is pretty darn good.

Lisa