Fun with Christmas toys

Daddy and girls in playhouse

Building towers with our new blocks

 

Side note:::::

Torturing our dog Annie

Evening with Grandma and Papa O

My parents took the girls and I to McCormick Steal railroad park. The girls had a wonderful time on the train and carousal.

There were a couple different characters for the children to meet. Tessa wanted to meet all of them and Mallory didn’t want to be too close to any of them.

Our 1st trip to the SNOW

 

Building the Snowman!

Tessa eating snow

 

The girls could have sled all day.

Mallory having a snack in the snow

The girls about 10 minutes after leaving the snow!

It was a quick but super fun day trip one that we will try and do next year!

Christmas 2013

We had a Christmas party with my dad’s family at my house. It

was lots of fun! Hopefully, next year Mark will be able to attend (he had to work) and more people will be able to come.

We had our annual Beckstead Christmas dinner. The kids did the Nativity. Mallory was an angel and so was Tessa but at the last minute Tessa backed out.

  It took us two trips before we got to see Santa. The first time was sooo busy we didn’t stay. Mallory would have nothing to do with sitting on his lap but she liked the candy cane.

Christmas Fun

I saw this cute idea on Pinterest where a basket is filled with 24 same gifts/activities. I decided to do that with our girls.  

Day 1

Christmas PJs

They are pink with Santas, Trees, Snowman, and Deer all over them.

Day 2

Mallory only asked for a Daisy Duck. Tessa however asked for half a page worth of stuff. We will see what Santa brings!

Day 3

My grandma Peggy lives in a care facility. We decorated her room and had brownies with her for family night. We also sang some Christmas songs.

Day4

Some how my notes got in the wrong envelope or I doubled up but today we are making a treat not cookies. We will be baking Self-Frosting Nutella cupcakes. I can’t wait to try them.

Day 5

The girls unwrapped Madagascar Christmas, the movie, as their gift today. They watched it instead of cartoons this morning.

Day 6

Make a snowman! Using our pumpkins from Halloween.

Day 7

The girls unwrapped 3 Christmas books. They were most interested in Arthurs’s Christmas.

Day 8

Tessa was most excited about this treat but neither girl finished all of their drink.

Day 9

Go see Temple Lights

Day 10

Go buy gifts for cousins and friends—Tessa understood the purpose was to give to someone else but Mallory sat on the floor looking at all the princess stuff.

Day11

Tessa picked 10 friends to deliver cupcakes to.

Day 12

Christmas coloring books

Day 13

Christmas books

Day 14

 

Day 15

Frosty the Snowman Movie

Day 16

Make sugar cookies and decorate

It was messing but lots of Fun!

 

Day 17

Sort through old toys and donate

Day18

Have Hot Chocolate before bed

Day 19

Paint a Snowflake…Tessa had fun with this but Mallory didn’t want to do it.

Day 20

Make Reindeer Food

Day 21

Wrap gifts for Grandparents and Cousins…it was more me than the girls

Day 22

Make Nativity…this was a form set but complicated to put together, instead of a project for Tessa it became a project for me

Day23

Look at Christmas lights around town

Day 24

Go to Temple Visitor Center …saw the Nativities from different places and watched the Luke 2 video

The fun things you find on Pinterest!

I saw this really cute idea for a wreath on Pinterest. It was a strand of Christmas lights and then ribbon had been tied to it. I loved the idea but tweaked it.

  

 

 

 

I think it turned out SUPER cute.

 

Tessa had fun helping me.

Night Before Thanksgiving Nightmare

We were able to enjoy 2 Thanksgiving dinners this year. I was super excited that we could make it to both without feeling rushed. However, the food preparation for Thanksgiving was anything but smooth and easy.

1. First, i had to make a Pretzel Jell-O salad –super yummy if you haven’t had it before. I mixed the crushed pretzels with the sugar only to realize that i had added 1 cup too much. I didn’t have enough pretzels to try again so i had to go to the store on Thanksgiving Eve…not where i should have been given my mood.
2. Next, i made a chocolate crème pie for my girls because they don’t like fruit pies. I was on a roll and then as i was pouring the pudding into the crust i realized that it was missing the milk…aka why the pudding was too thick. so i proceed to scrap out the pudding , add the milk, remix and put into the crust again.
3. Third, i made a pumpkin Bundt cake. Everything was going well until i went to take the cake out of the oven and realized that the oven wasn’t on. It had sat in the oven for 50 mins without baking…it was at this time that i stabbed the bell pepper i was cutting up and wanting to cry.

On top of all this i was making dinner…note to self PIZZA on Thanksgiving Eve. Luckily, Mark came to the recue and helped me…he took that girls and got the heck out of the kitchen. He also peeled and cooked the 20 lbs of potatoes i had to make on Thanksgiving. In the end it was a wonderful Thanksgiving and the food was delicious. Until next Year!