Tis The Season!

Yay! It's almost Christmas! Plus, I feel like I've accomplished almost everything that was on my "To Do" list, which makes me feel pretty good. The only thing I didn't do was go back to Springfield. That can wait until after Christmas. I don't want to deal with the crowds!

The presents have all been purchased! That was a huge weight off my shoulders. Now, we just have to wrap everything. We're going to do that during Daniel's nap tomorrow. I decided that I'm not wrapping his big picnic table we got him or even hauling it upstairs. LOL! We were down there the other night so I showed him and said, "This is one of your presents! I'm not wrapping it because you'll never know the difference!" He smiled. I'll take that as an okay.

Yesterday was probably my most stressful day. Things were just not going my way! Car doors frozen shut, Daniel losing a shoe that I had to take him back out of his seat to go find, almost forgetting a mitten, twisted up car seat strap that required me to bring it inside and yell at it (well...the yelling wasn't required...but always helpful.), and a little boy who boycotted his lunch.

Once Daniel fell asleep in my arms, I felt better. I just snuggled with him for awhile. Then talked to Jacob as he drove home from work. He was excited because he got some scratch off tickets as gifts and won $7, so he was stopping to cash them in. Once he got home my day perked back up!

I told him I wanted to make cookies...except for the part where I didn't REALLY want to make them. I just wanted them so I could EAT them! He has made them the last 2 years, but I finally decided to make a batch. I haven't frosted them yet, but they're made. I swear his taste better. I think I made them too thin. Dang!

Daniel woke up in the middle of baking, so I brought him out to "help"! I really like to include him in things. He may not know what's going on, but I enjoy spending time with him.

He stole my star cookie cutter!



Playing with the dough.



And sampling a still warm cookie. He liked it!



Last night was great! I gave Little Man a bath and he things the squirty toys are HILARIOUS now. Especially when I squirt him with them! Then we all played in the living room and he was in the best mood ever. At one point he came up behind me and "pushed" me. He's never done this before so I went "Ahhh!!!" and pretended to fall over. That boy was in hysterics. We did it over and over and over again. What a silly boy!

I'm so excited to celebrate Christmas again this year. Last year was awesome to have our little bundle of joy lying next to us in his bouncy seat, but this year we'll have a wild child tearing off wrapping paper and of course playing with it more that his gifts.

I'm planning to start the Thatcher tradition and Daniel will get a gift on Christmas Eve to open! We're also going to start "The Night Before Christmas" tradition and Jacob will read it to Daniel. :)

I'm even going to make Christmas breakfast. Muffins and a breakfast casserole. Mmm!

Not sure on our Villa Grove plans quite yet, but hoping to figure it out soon! Then my parents will be here on Wednesday. Hooray!