It’s Christmas Eve, and I’m still not finished
As John Bender would say, “Not even close, bud.”
I haven’t wrapped a damn thing. But I’ve got a good reason.
My children – well, two of them anyway – have reached the age where presents cannot be wrapped and left under the tree in peace.
Everything must be picked up and shaken and used as building blocks and makeshift chairs. Gift tags are examined in great detail (by CJ, who can’t yet read) or eaten (by Oliver, who’d be better off trolling the kitchen floor). Bows are removed and used as hair adornments, or else they’re all relocated to a single package.
The tree ornaments receive their share of manhandling as well. I’m more tolerant of those transgressions though, because many of those ornaments are ones that I stealthily removed from the tree when I was a kid and admired up close: Raggedy Ann and Andy, a gingerbread boy and girl and house (all hand-sewn by my mother); a tiny mouse asleep in a basket; a reindeer asleep in a bed – Cupid, according to the name painted on the headboard).
The porcelain Peanuts characters are off-limits though; if one of those broke, my heart would break a little bit too.
So it’s only fitting that I made a few ornaments myself to hand down to my kids, including a gingerbread boy:
Not the gumdrop buttons!
And in a stunning show of domesticity, I made peppermint bark…
It’s gonna take at least a week of Super Hula Hoop to counteract the caloric damage.
I had help licking the bowl used for melting chocolate…
Notice the black eye. Little incident at preschool. You should see the other guy.
I also showed my f$%&ing cookie press who was boss…
Red hots that have been melted in the oven = pure deliciousness
I got a bit lazy at the end of the evening, and I shoved three different shades of dough into the press at once…
Rasta cookies! Minus the “secret ingredient”, of course.
Meanwhile, Kyle and Tacy decorated sugar cookies…
We got cookies, we got icing, we got sprinkles…who could ask for anything more?
Looks almost Rockwellian, doesn’t it? Think again…
Mob Boss bear and his evil Capo!
Obviously, I have a great deal of work left to do – presents to wrap, stockings to stuff, cookies to eat – so I’d better get cracking. I’ll be back when the wrapping paper has cleared and the sugar haze has lifted.
December 24th, 2008 at 4:43 am
colored dough?
now that is fancy.
motherhood uncensoreds last blog post..I don’t think I could have even staged this if I tried
December 24th, 2008 at 5:33 am
I wrapped two presents last night. TWO.
Tonight’s going to be a looooooooooong night…
December 24th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Love the sugar cookies! You’d probably make a killing selling those
Michelles last blog post..Secret Santa Spin: Happy Holidays!
December 24th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Well-My present came yesterday! THANK YOU again! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday over there. The peppermint bark looks super yummy.
Pandos last blog post..What I Did Today.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:14 am
That last picture made me laugh out loud. I’ve got some bad holiday mojo right now. I think I need to make some evil/grouchy holiday cookies.
Christine Kohs last blog post..Wanted: Holiday Mojo
December 24th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Those cookies look great. I think I need a cookie press whatever it is. So it does all the work right and I just get too eat them? Ok, I’m not that deluded, but a girl can hope.
Have a great Christmas.
December 24th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Tonight is going to be SUPER LONG. Wrap, curse, wrap. Wrap, curse, wrap.
December 24th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Those cookies are great! I finished wrapping this morning, but I was up until 2 a.m. last night (er, this morning) trying to finish making gifts.
Merry Christmas Julie!
December 24th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I’m just realizing that the dinner I planned to make tonight will take about 4 hours, so by the time we’re back home after church, we’ll be eating about 10pm. Hooray for us!
Have a lovely Christmas. I’ll think of you wrapping while I’m doing dinner dishes.
Fairly Odd Mothers last blog post..Sorry, Honey, it won’t be anything like this
December 24th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
We only have decoy presents under the tree until tonight, after the little dude goes to bed.
Love your Rasta cookies! Do you know what the “mystery flavor” DumDum lollipops are? They’re the ones the make while they’re changing flavor batches – basically, a mix of flavors. You have mystery cookies.
Lady Ms last blog post..You’re Getting a Goat for Christmas
December 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Hurry up! Atheist to atheist, wishing you and your family a joyous Christmas!
December 24th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Cough up the bark recipe and no one gets hurt.
Oh, and Merry Christmas, whatever that might mean to an athiest.
patoiss last blog post..Wordy Wednesday #42: The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything
December 24th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Red hots in the oven? PURE GENIUS.
Merry Christmas MGM, to you and your entire family.
December 26th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I love the “evil” bear cookies! Isn’t it funny how kids and/or husband’s decorate cookies? We have sugar cookies that have about 3 inches of frosting on them. You can’t even pick them up without them breaking!
December 27th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I love the look of concentration on Kyle’s face.
mayberrys last blog post..I played Santa today
December 27th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Those are the best cookies ever! My kids made evil Christmas cookies, too. Clearly, both our families have warped minds. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
LemonySarahs last blog post..A Very Lemony Christmas.
December 27th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I didn’t wrap anything until Christmas Eve, either. I refuse to feel guilty about anything except for the overeating.
apathy lounges last blog post..It was great, but I’m glad it’s over
December 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am
I was offline the last few days, so I wanted to stop by and wish you a belated Merry Christmas!