Santa

We did it!  We saw Santa with no crying!  Every year we have taken our kids to see Santa, they have cried.  Well, Seth didn't his first year, but he was only 3 months old, so that doesn't really count.  They even told him what they wanted for Christmas.  Hannah said she wanted a doll house and a Dairy Queen.  Seth said he wanted a toy.  Then we went to Chick-fil-A and the kids got their own kid's meals.  Hannah smiled excitedly in the picture, and Seth "smiled" tolerantly.  See?

Seriously, I think this is one of the greatest Santa's I've ever seen.  Of course, I know that the real Santa is in the Dekalb County Mall in Dekalb County, Georgia...or at least, that's what I've been told.

Dusty is now off work for a few days.  His bosses are wonderful, and on the day before a holiday they usually allow their workers to go home at lunch.  It is so nice.  He got to meet us at the mall, and then come home with us!  YEA!  We've had a very festive day.  In addition to the Santa activities, we went to the library and I got some Christmas books for Hannah.  They went to story time and heard some Christmas stories, and then got to decorate cookies.  I think we may decorate a gingerbread house tonight.

Yesterday was a very busy day for me.  I made peppermint patties before lunch.  (Mary, if you read this, it's a recipe you gave me almost eight years ago at my wedding shower.  Tricia, if she doesn't read this, then please let her know. :) )  Then during naps I made cinnamon roasted almonds, and started some peanut brittle.  I finished the peanut brittle after naps, and toasted some pecans for another candy.  After my piano lesson, and a left over supper, I made some caramel to put on those pecans.  While that was hardening we bathed and bedded the kids.  After bed for them, I melted some chocolate and put that on top of the caramel.  They resemble the spiders I made for Dusty's birthday, only not as extensive because of the lack of legs (thank GOODNESS!!!).  I also made dough for bread in the morning, and put them in loaf pans yesterday evening.  It was a busy day.  It was worth it though.  Most of it went to people at Dusty's work, mainly his boss.  We love that man and appreciate him greatly.  He doesn't read this, so I'm not trying to suck up.

Dusty just showed me a video of a scanner playing Spring from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi.  Someone (not anyone we know) programmed a scanner to play it with its moving back and forth.  Dusty said that's what you get when you cross a computer geek with a music nerd.  This will be our kids one day.

OK, apparently it's almost supper time because my kids are chomping at the bit.  Um, not literally.  Just getting a little edgy.  Better go heat up some food.  Left overs again!  WOO!

So I posted this, and then went back to reread it, and Hannah read it with me, I guess. She burst out with "a gingerbread house!" I guess it's not really an option now of whether or not we make one. :)