Christmas Cookies

This morning I had a vision. It was of the kids and I in the kitchen happily making cookies and listening to Christmas music. The kids listened to everything I said, we laughed and ate cookie dough and everything was perfect.

Then reality hit. You would think with a three year old and a two year old I would be past my delusional day-dreaming...

The success of the cookie-making project depends on who you ask. I burned a batch of sugar cookies, my no-bake cookies refuse to set, issued time-out several times, half of the cookies have bite marks on them and the other half of holes the size of little fingers, my kitchen is a mess the size of Texas and the table has been dyed red and green.

I think I could safely say it was a failure.

But according to Samuel and Lillian's frosting covered faces and hands, their inability to keep their hands off the cookies, and their self-satisfying giggles, it was a huge success. Besides, I think there is some unspoken rule among toddlers that the size of the mess is directly related to the amount of fun had.

If this is so, then we had a blast.

I Am a Child of God

The kids watched this video three times yesterday. They just loved it.

I loved it too. I felt a quiet peace come upon our household and for a few short minutes I saw my children sit quietly and reverently.

It's not about Christmas exactly, but what I felt was the Spirit of Christ and isn't that what we are truly seeking this time of year?

Note to self:

One should not make cookies when hungry.

Especially when one is addicted to cookie dough.

I blame it on my brother and his Christmas package. Thanks a lot Dallin!

So Much Beauty

There are days when I just don't feel like doing it anymore. There are days when spilled Mac & Cheese is just too much, when my frustration turns into tears, when I get tired of hearing the word "no" and when I want to be selfish and pretend no one else exists.

Maybe that's why I needed Macy Gray's "Beauty in the World" stuck in my head today.

"When you don't know what to do
Don't know if you'll make it through,
Remember that He's given you, beauty in the world

'Cause there is beauty in the world
So much beauty in the world
Always beauty in the world
There is beauty in the world."

My moments of Beauty:
Samuel giving me hugs.
Lillian's giggles and beautiful smile.
Laughing over a game of Yahtzee with Carlin.
Finding our camera we thought we lost at the zoo.
Reading books with my kids and feeling their love and joy.

When I think of all I've been given, I realize all the beauty in my life and suddenly spilled Mac & Cheese is just another part of that beauty.

Because the video makes me happy:

Oklahoma...

Oklahoma is many things.

It's tornadoes, 62 days of 100 degree heat, blizzards, ice storms, fires, flooding, bugs galore, droughts, hailstorms, and thunderstorms that can put the fear of God in ya.

What is it not?

Earthquakes.

So, why in the world have we had three earthquakes in about as many days? (Say what you will about pre-schocks and after-shocks, the fact is the earth moved my house and that's not normal people, at least not out here).

And may I mention the same night we had an after-shock of 4.7, we also had extreme weather which caused tornadoes and flooding.

http://www.koco.com/news/29723878/detail.html
Needless to say, the crazy year here in Oklahoma has left me pondering my eternal salvation...

Happy Halloween

My kids went as minions from Despicable Me - because they are minions.


Now all I need is a freeze-ray.

Catch Phrase

I have a little-blond-headed sound recording that follows me around all day absorbing the things I say and then repeating them back to his sister, friends, and stuffed animals.

I have come to realize a few things about myself, like how I say "oh my goodness" drawing the "oo" out and inflecting my voice up at the end, how many times I send my kids to time-out, and how I often yell "What?!"

But what I really can't figure out is where he has picked-up his newest phrase.

Me: "Samuel, you want to eat dinner?"
Samuel: "Why not?"

Me: "Samuel, let's clean up your toys."
Samuel: "Okay, why not?"

Me: "Hey, should we bake some cookies?"
Samuel: "Why not?"

He also uses it when he wants to suggest something. "Mommy, why not take a bath?" "Mommy, why not play trains?"

So I close this ramble with one simple question - Why not?