baking tradition

We moved from Fort McMurray 10 years ago and since moving here I have done Christmas baking with my Grandma Hinko....that is 10 YEARS FOLKS!!!  When Alyson moved here she joined in, when Leslie lived in Edmonton she joined us, it is a treasured tradition. As the little women get older they are participating more and more, I love it!  We have a steady stream of Christmas music playing and the mixer barely has time to rest, the oven is going non stop.  This year we made up 8 different recipes which resulted in just under 3000 pieces of baking in 48 hours!  We went really hard.  My Grandma Hinko turns 75 years old in March but I dare say she has more stamina then me, that strong farming background is just no comparison to my city kid life style hahahaha.

The Rice Crispy Marshmellow Balls, they are scrumptious and messy but pretty darn fun to make. Chopsticks with baking, yes please said my girls.

 Jacey's bus driver dropped her off at my house and I just adore this woman. I missed her arrival by 5 min because I was driving car pool for Amelia but she was pretty pumped up to be over after school. The togetherness and the yummy baking are the two parts I adore.  I even love thinking about what we can have for lunch and dinner that will allow us to continue to use the stove and counters. It is just such a pleasure.

We have gotten our favourite recipes down to a pretty efficient system; our grocery list, amounts the recipe makes, tweeks to recipes and tins/bags/foils.  Typically we all chat making a list and then one of us shops, the list goes up in on the kitchen cupboard and we go to it. I love us all working side by side together in the kitchen.

 Seeing the final product always makes us smile, it feels like Christmas, it smells like Christmas and it totally tastes like Christmas.  My favourite picture from our baking days this year is the one from below...these hands working together <3 br="">

 

~ Mrs. P

{kinda not so cute} christmas sweater day at school

I love a good student council that chooses activities that gets everyone participating. Amelia's school has a some pretty great activities and 'ugly sweater day' peaked a lot of interest I am sure ;P

Amelia talked about it during the week so we brainstormed a few ideas and then I picked up a few tiny ornaments and we got creative so it was ready for today.  I had also saved a reindeer hairstyle on Pinterest to see if little miss would like to have her hair done up all festive too, a big YES!! She was so excited going off to school today and was eager to tell me about the different shirts other kiddos had. A junior high class came to help her class with a craft today and she always has a blast with her big 'buddies'. School is cool!

~ Mrs. P

Gingerbread Date

We have some great friends here. Momma's who I admire, who are real and who I can seek their insight on parenting 'stuff'.  Tina and Liane are gems!!!!  Liane has their house listed so I feel like any playdate I have with her is so precious.  Tina hosted and Liane brought a fun activity for the kids, gingerbread men.  The littles loved it and it is such a fun activity for the season.  Stella was so proud!

~ Mrs. P

Cookies & Milk with Santa

The local historical society runs a lovely program through early December, 

Cookies & Milk with Santa.

When we heard last year that Santa gets invited to the local museum I knew it would probably be pretty special and it was. This year our cousins, Jacey and Neely were able to join in so it was pretty special.  Graham sent me these pictures and seriously how lovely.

Love this time of year and all of the beautiful little things we can do with our children.

~ Mrs. P

Ward Christmas Party

The girls were able to have a super fun day, Cookies & Milk with Santa and then the Ward Christmas Party at the church....a day full of absolute delight for them!

The flu has hit our house and after the girls I was the next casualty sadly having to miss the days events. Sickness is just not cool, not cool at all.  Graham ended up being the solo parent. For the ward party my Young Women jumped right in and made sure the little ladies had a blast at the photo booth. I have some really great YW and feel blessed to serve them. The girls were able to have a visit Santa again.

We have lived in Fort Saskatchewan for 10 years now so the saying 'Ward Family' really feels quite true.  The people we see each Sunday (and Tuesday for me with YW) have become not just friends but folks who I know we could call on if we were in need.  Church provides such a great support system.  There are families there that we admire and strive to emulate their parenting ways and there are ladies there who I feel like I could go to with mom questions. We are blessed!

 

PHOTO BOOTH FUN

 Oh such little dears! hehehe

 

Each little lady received a gift bag from Santa and Amelia's contained a mustache, she insisted that her dad put it on haha!!

~ Mrs. P

toothless

 

This girl has been eagerly waiting for her teeth to get loose. She has been working away at the bottom little tooth for a while now. We knew that it was so very close to coming out, we both tried but really wanted to let her make it happen.  After school colouring at her little table, all of a sudden there was excited screaming and the tooth was out!!!!!!! We had two books that we read and an adorable pillow to leave out for the toothfairy ;)

More excited screaming in the morning when the discovery of the $ in the pillow! These are thrilling milestones I tell ya.

~ Momma P

'R' is for Riendeer

Our little Stella Bella has a great little Joy School group.  They are darling and so capable! I was a wee bit sad to only have one day in December (we rotate), I immediately knew what I would do when I checked the sheet and learned we would be focusing on the letter 'R'.....REINDEER!!!!

Snacks can't always coordinate BUT I had seen an idea on Instagram for the rice crispy squares and simply had to duplicate. They were sooooo cute. We had extra candies and chocolate so decided to make some of our ginger snaps Reindeer too!  

It ended up that the two other little ladies in our group were sick, so just Stella and Will became Reindeer and were my crafting/kitchen assistants.  They were just the cutest!

~ Mrs P