Final Countdown…

We are ready for Christmas to come!  I just have a few items left to cook, 3 presents to wrap, and bring it on!  I can’t wait.  Madalynn is so into it this year (and her excitement is reflected in her behavior…. hee-hee).

My ‘to-do’ list… I love recipes you make the day before!!

While we’re not hosting Christmas Eve this year, we are having my parents, and aunt over Christmas morning… I set the table tonight with this centerpiece that cost me zero dollars… all things I had around the house… a white serving platter (my friend Robin told me years ago to buy white serveware, and it was brilliant as it goes with ANYTHING, and makes it so easy to change up the table setting seasonally), some spare ornaments in ivory, soft gold, and pink, and 3 staggered candlesticks.

Of course Madalynn just thought it was great she got to blow out the candles…

I also framed our Christmas cards in these inexpensive clip frames (I think $1 or $2 each @ Michael’s), and displayed them on the bookcase in our dining room.  I may have to come up with an alternate idea as the years pass, and the collection of Christmas cards increases, but it’s like a mini album showing how Madalynn has grown.

Our entry way… the framed print was my Christmas card several years ago before I was a Mom…

My new favorite ornament is a cinnamon star Madalynn made at pre-school…which I just think is precious… it’s a little hard to see in this picture it’s on a green ribbon, next to the glass/white ornament.

Last week we also got to go to Madalynn’s Christmas pageant at her pre-school… it was so sweet.  We were in a rush to leave so this is the best picture I got… as much as I love this look… the current state of her belly makes it difficult to pull off… the skirts always slip down… it was like this the WHOLE night.

 

This was her on stage waving to her cousins & aunty & uncle…

The best part was her teacher puts together a video ahead of time of them acting out the Christmas story, and then we watch it.  The kids were all seated up front, and as the movie played we kept hearing them yell out “Hey, that’s you”… it was so funny.

Last weekend we attempted “The Pioneer Woman’s” cinnamon rolls recipe here.  They came out okay… I need to do a little tweaking.  I didn’t care for her glaze, so I did an orange glaze instead which made a big difference.  It made 5 pans, and I overfilled them… I should have done fewer in more pans.

My helper…

The final product…

This is why she makes me laugh everyday… this is her the other day playing the Wii with the headress, and the macaroni necklace she made at pre-school for Thanksgiving… I guess they helped her swing in tennis.

 

As you can see… all the shopping, baking, decorating, and parties has worn out this little girl.  This was a couple weeks ago… she fell asleep in the car after we’d spent most of the morning shopping, and then I carried her in the house, and put her down on the couch, and she slept for quite awhile like this…

My stocking fell down for the upteenth time, and I was tired of putting back up (and no one fills it anyway), so I just left it.  Madalynn noticed it, and came over to me and said quite emphatically… “MOOOOMMY!!!  You need to hang up your sock-fing so Santa will bring me a Daddy”… if only that was all it took sweet girl!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!  NOTE to self; next year I hope the elf on the shelf doesn’t arrive at our house until the 20th!