Catching up with the kids

I regret (slightly) that I haven't been in the kitchen as much 

as I'd have liked this Christmas season. Potentially, there are 

so many fabulous things to do with the kids there - baking, 

especially. But we've been busy doing other things and 

some days it feels like we're just trying to make it to 

bedtime in one piece (or, as our neighbor says, 

"without losing any of the children"). 

We're one week from Christmas today, and most of the 

major errands (like Christmas shopping, grocery stock-up 

and meal planning) are done, so the kids and I did some 

catching-up. This means actually and deliberately planning 

fun things with them, rather than letting them aimlessly drift 

from one pointless activity to another as they get caught 

in a descending spiral of boredom and 

I run after them trying to clean up.

For lunch, we did a muffin tin lunch. Or, more specifically, 

a Christmas-shaped silicone muffin-pan meal

After lunch we sat and read a couple of 

Christmas books before naptime. 

For tea, we made graham cracker (not going to attempt 

gingerbread this year) and cream cheese frosting houses

which, when combined with the 

miscellaneous candy in our house

and little fingers

made for a rather interesting afternoon 

and a tasty dessert after supper!