Cameron has recently taken an interest in cooking. Where he got this idea we have no idea. Craig can hardly cook at all, and while I can cook (and Craig says I cook very well), I don't really enjoy the task. I prefer baking, but even that is not very enjoyable for me. I don't like the clean-up:-)
But as Cameron grows older, I find we have fewer and fewer shared interests. He is every inch a boy, and well, I am not. But I think cooking is something we can do together. Even though it is not my favorite thing to do, I think it is much more enjoyable when I can do it with my little boy. Besides, I hope to turn him into a little chef, so that by the time he is in his teens, he can be the head chef of the family:-)
We decided to try our hands at some baking, and we chose one of my favorite Christmas cookies - M&M Chocolate Drop Cookies. Cameron did a lot of the work himself - he measured, poured, and mixed the ingredients (his favorite part is cracking open eggs!), and I helped him put the dough on the cookie sheets and put them in the oven. After they were done, I filled them with frosting, and he added all the little M&Ms. I have never seen a little boy so proud of his accomplishments than Cameron was:-) And I was a proud Mommy, too! And, in case you are wondering, they were delicious:-P
It took me a little longer than usual to get our Holiday decorations out. I usually like to get them out right after Thanksgiving, but too many other things have been going on. But, I finally got it all out, and I am thrilled to see my little home all decked out.
Christmas really is one of my favorite times of the year. I love all the glittery things, the colorful lights everywhere, and the way my home looks and feels so cozy in the glow from the Christmas tree. And I love that I have this great old piano to put things on:-)
As you can see from the photo, I have started collecting two things. The first is Santas. I LOVE Santa Claus. He was always a VERY big deal in our home, so collecting different Santas has been a lot of fun. The second thing I have started a collection of is Nativity scenes.
I received my first Nativity scene several years ago after my parents attended an estate sale. The figures are fairly small, but it was a full set - all the wiseman and their camels, all the shepherds and their sheep, the donkey, and even the angel. What it did NOT have was the BABY JESUS! I still set it all out every year, but it bothered me that it had no little Jesus. What is the point, really?
Well, I FINALLY found the little Jesus that goes with this set. There is a little ceramic shop near by, and they actually carried the pieces to this set, and were lucky enough to have a little Jesus (he is hard to find this time of year). So now my set is complete! My next goal is to paint it. I like the white, but I might add some sparkle by adding gold or silver highlights. Or maybe I will go full color. I haven't decided yet.
I have several other sets that I have acquired over the years. Right now a secret friend is leaving little Nativity pieces on our doorstep every night. We look forward to seeing what new piece we will get.
And finally, we come to the tree. My adorable little tree. Yes, it is quite small. I have had this tree since before I met Craig. For many years we lived in apartments, so it made sense to keep a small tree. But now we have our own home, and I told Craig it was high time we got something a little bigger. We are hoping to find a nice one during the after Christmas sale. This one will not gone forever, though! We are going to set it up in the basement to add a little cheer down there. And I can also use it for photo shoots with young children.
So, there is a little bit of Christmas for you. There is surely more to come later!
