Christmas Cookies

Move over Buddy Valastro!  There is a new pastry chef in town.  Allow him to show you how to make the perfect Christmas cookie.

First start by wearing something festive.

Next, warm up with some stretches.

Now, you're ready to roll your dough.

Concentrate hard while you're rolling.

Now, pick your cutters and cut out a cookie!

If you're forced to break your concentration for that perfect
"photo op", be sure to act totally put out.

Now, on to the decorating.

The more you lick your fingers while working, the more
savory the cookie turns out.

Wipe it on your shirt...

and repeat.

And just remember...you can never have
too many sprinkles!

Christmas {2012}-Part One

Since we have other family celebrations out of town later this week we celebrated our little family Christmas today.

Last night we laid out cookies and milk, but Paxton asked if
Santa would leave one for him to eat.  So we put it in our
note and left him a banana to accompany the cookies.
(Notice the banana had already been peeled and "taste
tested" by Paxton.)

The note asking if Santa would spare a
cookie for Paxton.

He came!  Wow wee!

Santa ate the banana, drank the milk and took one cookie
for the road.

He clarified that he left the smaller cookie for Paxton.

Checking out his big new car!  First
words out of his mouth: "That's too
big to fit in Santa's sleigh!"

Enjoying the cookie!

Opening his stocking full of all his
favorite things.  I'm pretty sure the
stocking would have been enough.  I
wish I would have gotten his
excitement and anticipation on
video.

He got his own Mickey choo choo after seing it at the
Disney store for a while.

Oooh!  A flashlight!

Shining it on Daddy

Using his new scissors to cut the ribbon off his present.

Playing with all the new toys!

Checking out the new car!

New Chuggington toys!  This boy is
crazy about Chuggington!

Testing out the new wheels!

Helping daddy with his new toy!

We pretended like it was really Christmas day and everything was closed, so we didn't get out at all until church this evening.  We are looking forward to more celebrations this week!

Elf on the Shelf {Week 4} 2012

Playing cars with some of our favorite characters

Whoa Buddy!  

iPad gamer

Watching movies with friends {from left: Dino, Elmo, Buddy, Buzz & puppy)

Buddy brought some new Superman pajamas just in time for pajama day!

And with that, Santa made a visit last night (21st), so Buddy's job is done for the season!

Elf on the Shelf {Week 3} 2012

Buddy finally got over that terrible flu...poor guy was down for a week!

Playing "choo choo's"

Riding the Polar Express!

Hanging out in the napkin holder

Elf on the Shelf {Week 2} 2012

Napping with Paxton's "lovie", in his chair

Giving the new drum set a try

Hanging out in the "barn with the animals" as Paxton calls it.

Head bus driver

On the 5th day of week 2, Buddy caught a terrible case of the swine flu and took several days off!  It's best he get it out of the way while his family is so young and not totally into eagerly searching for him yet.

Elf on the Shelf {Week 1} 2012

Buddy made his appearance the week after Thanksgiving at some point.  I went ahead and posed him here and there to see if Paxton would notice or care.  He notices, but he doesn't go searching for him.  We usually discover Buddy soon after we wake up, but definitely before we head out the door for the day.  I'm keeping things simple for now and saving the real work for when he's a little older.

He fell asleep reading a Charlie Brown Christmas

Driving the "choo choo" under the tree

Hanging out in Paxton's stocking

He brought some new Christmas pajamas 

Hanging out in the Christmas tree house

Hanging out in the actual Christmas tree

Best gift a 2 year old's elf could bring!
{The Polar Express}