Asher – 5.5 years
Chancery – 3 years
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Asher: “Mum said we could choose our best gift from yesterday to show you.”
Chancery: “I love my Snuggie!”
Chancery: “It’s so warm & cuddly!”
Asher: “It was either my Snuggie, or my new DS.”
Chancery: “And today we get to celebrate Jesus’ birthday!”
Asher: “Yahoo!”
I’m not usually a big fan of gingerbread, but these cookies are the exception. They are very soft & tasty! I definitely recommend them!
1 1/2 C Dark Molasses
1 C Dark Brown Sugar
2/3 C Cold Water
1/3 C Butter
Mix together, then add:
6 C Flour
1 t Allspice
1 t Cloves
2 t Ginger
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Salt
-Mix, cover, & refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
-Roll out 1/4" thick & cut into shapes
-Place on ungreased cookie sheet, & bake @ 350° for 10 min
-Let rest on pan 2-3 min, then transfer to rack.
Frosting:
1/2 C Butter
1/4 t Salt
1/2 t Vanilla
1 can Condensed Milk
Icing Sugar
-Mix Butter, Salt & Vanilla.
-Add Icing Sugar & Milk to desired consistency
-Ice when cookies are cooled.
If you have extra frosting, just keep it in the fridge & it will stay good.
Chancery was lying in our bed this morning, & I could tell she was thinking some deep thoughts. After a few minutes’ contemplation, she declared:
“Some people don’t even need hair. Because they are bald!”
This statement wasn’t as out of the blue as you may think. Just last Sunday whilst sitting in church, Asher announced quite loudly during a quiet part of the service:
“That man has no hair at all!”
The man in question was sitting directly in front of Asher, so there was no doubt he had missed what was said…
but I guess he doesn’t really need hair anyway.
Asher – 5 years
Chancery – 3 years
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Asher: “Christmas day is almost here, Chancery!”
Chancery: “I know that, Asher.”
Asher: “I’m going to have no school for awhile, so we’ll have lots of time to play together!”
Chancery: “I know that too, Asher.”
Asher: “Should we do some very excited smiles for Mummy today?”
Chancery: “Sure!”
Asher: “Merry!”
Chancery: “Christmastime!”
Chancery & I were at the store to buy a birthday card for her friend Corbin’s birthday party. While in line, Chancery noticed all the candy bars displayed below the counter…
Me: “Please don’t touch the candy, Chancery.”
Chancery: “Are these for my friend, Corbin?”
Me: “No, he doesn’t need any.”
Chancery: “Are these for me?”
Me: “No, they are for other people to buy.”
Chancery: “For other people to buy for me?”
Me: “Nice try, no.”
The lady behind us started laughing midway through this little exchange, & jumped into the conversation:
“Oh, now she definitely should get one! She’s so clever!”
Really? Now I have to explain to the random lady that my kid doesn’t need a chocolate bar, when I just finished explaining it to my 3-year old? What would I be teaching her if I bought her a candy bar now?
The lady turns to Chancery: “Santa will bring you a candy bar.”
I couldn’t believe it! Now she’s making promises to my kid about what she’s getting for Christmas! I loved Chancery’s response…
Chancery: “Santa isn’t real.”
Lady: “Oh my Gawd!!! At her age?”
Chancery: “It’s not nice to say ‘Oh my God’.”
Lady: “Who told her Santa isn’t real?”
Me: “I did.”
Lady: “Why would you do such a thing, at her age?”
Me: “That’s not what Christmas is about. It’s about Jesus!”
At this the cashier joined in too: “Amen!”
Lady: “But you can let her have a little fun! Santa’s just something fun to do!”
Me: “And at what age do you tell your kids that you’ve been lying to them all along? They’re going to start wondering what else you’ve been lying to them about.”
Cashier: “That’s right!”
Chancery: “Mummy, can I have this kind of candy bar?”
I participated in a Christmas baking exchange today. It was a great opportunity to try some new treats & get some new recipes as well. We ended up getting 12 different kinds of treats in packages of six. A perfectly manageable amount to make, & eat! I should be set ‘til the end of the month… or the end of the week at least!
I made Peppermint Meringues, they are fairly easy to make, & they hold up remarkably well, though they probably wouldn’t freeze well. In our house they tend not to last long enough to warrant needing freezing!
You’ll need:
4 Egg Whites
1C Sugar (I use castor or super-fine)
1/4 t Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 C Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
2 Candy Canes –Crushed
What you do:
Preheat oven to 225°
Beat Egg ‘til soft peaks form.
Add Sugar gradually ‘til Eggs are very stiff.
Fold in Chocolate Chips.
Drop by teaspoon onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
Sprinkle with Candy Canes.
Bake 1 1/2 hour. Tap the bottom to check that they are done. They should sound hollow.
Turn off oven & open door for 1 hour.
Remove from pan & pack into airtight containers.
Asher – 5 years
Chancery – 3 years
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Asher: “I have 2 transformer balls.”
Chancery: “And I have an ox!”
Asher: “See, now they are closed.”
Chancery: “Still an ox!”
Asher: “Now they are opened again!”
Chancery: “Those are pretty cool, Asher!”
Asher: “Yes, they are! And I am so glad to have them!”
Chancery: “Mummy, thank you for taking us to McDonald’s so Asher could get his transformer balls. He loves them!”
I always like to see creative music videos. This one blends some school supplies & a catchy song!
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
Asher’s school Christmas concert was yesterday afternoon. PChad & I were intrigued to see what songs would be performed at a public school, since both he & I went to Christian schools.
All the kids were wearing Santa hats & singing Santa songs. This is the one semi-good picture I got of Asher.
The kids did a pretty good job, Asher sang a total of 4 songs, 2 being in French, & since it was just a Kindergarten concert it was done in under an hour!
He was more interested in the xylophones that were sitting on the stage behind him…
At least his hair isn’t all messed up…
Asher – 5 years
Chancery – 3 years
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Chancery: “We helped Mummy & Daddy put the Christmas decorations up.”
Asher: “Yes we did, but now we have to remember not to touch the ornaments.”
Chancery: “That is difficult since the ornaments look so fun!”
Asher: “I know, but Mummy said that they are not strong enough to play with.”
Chancery: “So if we do play with them, we might break them?”
Asher: “Yes, you’ve got it!”
Asher & Chancery were commenting on how dark it was outside around 4 pm the other day…
Chancery: “It’s dark outside.”
Asher: “Yes it is, Chancery.”
Chancery: “We need to have a flashlight so we can see if we go out there.”
Asher: “Not if we are candle people.”
Me: “Wouldn’t a candle person get burned?”
Asher: “No, they only have fire on their heads, & it doesn’t burn them because it’s the Holy Spirit!”
Me: “Oh, you mean like when the tongues of fire came down at Pentecost?”
Asher: “Yes! I want to be like that so I can see in the dark!”
Me: “Well, I’m not sure that it helped them see in the dark.”
Chancery: “But it was fire on their heads, so they could see!”
I guess we’ll just have to add that to the list of things we need to ask God about someday…
Asher – 5 years
Chancery – 3 years
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Chancery: “I’m all alone this morning since Asher is sick.”
Chancery: “It’s not all bad, being by myself…”
Chancery: “I can have more of the attention on me!”
Chancery: “Asher wanted to show you something he worked on yesterday…”
Asher: “See? *cough* I made *cough* this!”
Chancery: “Wasn’t that great? I hope when I’m older that I can colour as well as Asher can!”
As I was loading Chancery into the truck yesterday, she told me, “I know what a forklift is, Mummy!”
“Oh? What is it then?” I asked.
Chancery: “It’s a lifter… with two forks on it, of course!”
Asher – 5 years
Chancery - 3 years
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Asher: “Sorry, it’ll be just a minute…”
Asher: “I’m trying to fit my car in my slipper.”
Chancery: “Have you tried putting your foot in instead?”
Asher: “Yes, but that’s boring…I thought the snake might like to snuggle in it.”
Chancery: “But then when you put your foot in, the snake will bite it!”
Asher: “Good point, Chancery!”
I don’t know how they do it, but it makes me wonder how long they had to practice to get it just right, & how many times they bonked into each other…
I’d never be able to do it!
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!
On the way to school this morning, Asher said, “I wish I could go to where you teach math today, Mum.”
Me: “You get to go to school instead, & you will have fun there!”
Asher: “I don’t have fun all the time at school though.”
Me: “You get to play with your friends, & learn things, & play outside. Those are all fun things.”
Asher: “I don’t like to play in the courtyard though.”
Admittedly, the courtyard is no fun. Asher’s school currently has 2 different school together on one campus. The Kindergartens have recess in the inner courtyard which has a sheltered picnic table, dirt, small patches of grass, & little else.
Chancery: “You don’t have fun because you hit the kids there?”
(Asher’s been having a bit of trouble keeping his hands to himself.)
Asher: “That’s not the real reason. Guess again, Chancery.”
Chancery: “Because you want to play on the playground instead?”
Asher: “Yes! That is why I don’t have fun at school.”
As we pulled into the driveway the other day, I noticed a box sitting on our front steps. Yumi had been waiting for a package from her Mum for a few weeks, so I knew she’d be glad it had finally arrived.
“Oh, Yumi’s package finally came in the mail today!” I said.
Asher: “I want to open it for her!”
Me: “No, you can’t do that. It’s not nice to open someone else’s mail.”
Asher: “But I want to!”
Me: “Then I’m going to open all of your birthday presents.”
Asher: “I won’t invite you to my party then!”
Last night, I put the kids to bed a bit early since they had missed their naps. We usually read a book in Asher’s room, & Chancery was trying to climb up into his bed, while Asher was pushing her away.
I told Asher that he had lost the privilege of having a book, so I prayed with him & then left the room. After reading to Chancery & getting her settled in, I heard Asher asking for his sheets to be tucked in. I went & tucked them in, but told him that if I heard him talking again, I was going to take his buddy away.
A little while later & heard Asher saying, “Please, Mummy, can you read me a book? I didn’t even get to read one book today at all. Please can you read to me? I promise I’ll be good! I just want one little book, because I didn’t read any books today at all!”
I felt bad.
He went through a whole day without having a single book read to him…
How can I expect him to have a love of books if he didn’t even read one today?
So, I went up, & told Asher that I would read him a little book, but he had to promise to go right to sleep afterward, & to behave properly in the future.
He promised, I read, he went to sleep…
I told PChad later that night about the long process of putting Asher to bed. When I told him about the book, he was quite surprised that I got suckered into it. I think Asher may have found my weakness…
Asher – 5 years
Chancery – 3 years
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Chancery: “I’m still getting ready, so you talk to them, Asher.”
Asher: “Well, I’ve got a lantern, & a toy…”
Chancery: “OK, I’m ready! What do you think is in this tube?”
Asher: “Is it a banana?”
Asher: “That was fun! Let’s do it again!”
