FD Cookie Exchange

On Sunday we went to a Cookie Exchange at the Fire Station. There was lots of sugar...although Steven managed to eat a salad while the rest of us enjoyed cookies. I think he did have one bite. ;) 

Fancy hot chocolate 

Cookies...and a salad

Raelynn in her adorable hat

Ginormous gingerbread house

Raelynn did some coloring, and she liked her bracelet with the bells

Emma colored, too.

Emma worked on the gingerbread house.

It was fun...she may have sneaked a little candy during her decorating

I stole this one off of FB. I helped Emma with the icing.

So this is from the mall when I took Emma shopping...in Roseville...at Christmas time. We were taking a break and they gave her coloring pages. She is very into coloring right now. 

This was from her homework this morning. She was supposed to tell a story about her holiday. When I asked her why we celebrate Christmas, she said, "because Santa brings us presents." What?! For those that don't know, we have not done the Santa thing...Emma has always just called him 'the Christmas Guy,' on her own, but I think she may have picked this up at school. I did try to explain who he was a few days ago, about who Saint Nicholas was, but I don't think she quite got it...she started singing a song that Santa died. (I don't dislike Santa, for the record. I just think Jesus is way better than Santa.) Anyways, her story is about how a raccoon are Jesus's birthday cake.

Back in the swing of things

We are all getting back in the swing of things after Thanksgiving break. Emma only has one more week of school until Christmas break, which is 3 weeks long here. Here is what we have been up to:

Pretending to be a dead princess

My Christmas  Moose is getting g lots of love from Emma.

She had to make a musical instrument for her homework. Daddy found a new way to play it.

We went to Winterfest on base...a small thing the Commanders put on in their neighborhood. However, it was cold, and the good was expensive. This was definitely Emma's favorite part.

My Pfeffernusse buddy

We do one pan's worth of cookies each day until they are done. Every year she gets better and it's more fun!

She may also enjoy the treat of eggnog we share while making them...she calls it a milkshake.

We finally broke down and got her a coat. 

She actually rode her bike to school  today...sort of. Walking would have been faster, though. 

Goodbye

We had a good time with Papa Mike and Grandma Connie. We she woke up this morning, I told Emma that they were going home today and she cried, "I don't want them to go back to Kansas!" It's hard to be so far away, but we definitely try to make the most out of the time we have with them. And of course, there's always Skype. 

Pepper really wanted in, she was sad too...no more walks with Papa Mike. She must like you guys because she doesn't like having her picture taken.

Going to the zoo...or not

While they were we also went bowling, to the fire station, Awana, and they got to help me pick her up from preschool....but I forgot to take pictures of those. Oops. And we were going to go to the zoo, but the GPS froze and I don't realize it wasn't working until we were on the other side of Sacramento...so instead we went to the Sunrise Mall to check out a fun game/puzzle/toy store, and went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. 

Ride'emCowboy! 

Cutting her roll...this girl is not afraid of a knife...although everyone else should be.

Trying to keep her busy while we waited for our food. 

She did a good job getting us peanuts.

Soup buddies! 

This was homework for one day, to draw what she is thankful for. Grandma Joy, this is you and Emma in the picture, can't you tell?

Shopping

So since Black Friday didn't look so intimidating, we decided to go back out and go shopping. So while Steven and Mike worked out, we girls went shopping. We had to get a snack first, though.

Cookies for lunch when grandma is in town! (No wonder she didn't want you to leave.)

Shopping with a 4 year old can be a challenge, but we still went to a several stores. We somehow did enough shopping while they were here that I'm pretty much finished with my Christmas shopping. Yay!

Unfortunately I came down with Emma's cold, so went had some lazy days, just playing and hanging out...and watching lots of cooking shows. 

But we did eventually get our tree decorated! 

Christmas tree

The morning after Thanksgiving, Steve, Emma and I went to pick out our Christmas tree. We stopped at Chick-fil-a for breakfast, which was surprisingly not busy. Actually Roseville wasn't very busy...odd on Black Friday. But we got our tree, and headed home.

Yummy breakfast!

Pardon her tongue, this was the best picture I got. She picked out the first one she saw, and it looked great so we got it. 

Heading home. 

Thanksgiving:Early Christmas

So...we have been enjoying having Grandma Connie and Papa Mike here for the last 10 days or so, so I have a lot of updating to do. On Thanksgiving we ate a yummy dinner, and then started Christmas early. They brought Emma her present early. ;)

Emma was sleepy after dinner.

(She was excited to see Daddy because when she woke up he wasn't 'home,' we told her they would be back soon. They were in the garage putting the dollhouse together.)

Daddy and Papa Mike put this together during her impromptu nap. 

Dolls!

The potty even flushes.

Putting on doll clothes.

Grandma Connie made them more clothes.

Emma loved it.

Even PapaMike got in on the fun. :)