Family Favorite Cut-Out Cookies

It's getting closer and closer to Christmas, and that means baking! Cut - out cookies are a lot of fun to make and very easy so we made some recently! Here is the recipe;
                                    Family Cut-Out Cookies                                        
1 C. butter, softened                                                1 egg
1 (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened                             1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. sugar                                                             3 C. flour
Mix all cookie ingredients except the flour. Beat at a medium speed 3-4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour. Mix well. Place dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 in. thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 6-7 minutes. Makes 8 dozen cookies.
    

More Snow!

It has snowed a lot recently, and now we have piles of snow everywhere! These pictures are from yesterday, when we were getting ready to hop in the car and drive to a piano recital.

Fun in Chicago

Every year in December, we make a girl trip to Chicago. This trip involves shopping, laughing, good food, and (occasionally) round about ways of getting places. Here are some pictures from our recent trip (we got back this past Saturday night).

Anthony's 5 Year Old Sibling

As I have previously mentioned, Mom frequently visits Half Price Books. One afternoon, she picked up a copy of A Child's Garden of Verses. Inside this book was a handwritten note by a young child. It is too adorable, so I just have to post it (complete with spelling and grammatical errors!).

My brother Anthony can read book now, but he won't read any to me. He plays checkers with Bruce from school. But when I want to play he says Go away or I'll clobber you. I let wear my Snoopy sweat shirt, but he won't let me borrow his sword. Mother say deep down in his heart Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep down in his heart he thinks I stink. Mother says deep deep down in his heart, where he dosn't even no it, Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep deep down in his heart he still thinks I stink. When I'm six I'll fix Anthony. When I'm six a dog will follow me home, and she'll beg for me and roll over and lich my face. If Anthony tries to pet her, she'll give him a bite. When I'm six Anthony will have the German measles, and my father will take me to a baseball game. Then Anthony will have the mumps, and my mother will take me to the flower show. Then Anthony will have a virus, and my grandfather will take me to the movies. I won't have to save popcorn for Anthony unless I want to. When I'm six we'll have a skipping contest and I'll skip faster. Then we'll have a jumping contest and I'll jump higher. Then we'll do eeny meeny miney-mo and Anthony will be o-u-t. He'll be very m-a-d. When I'm six I'll read The new york Times. Anthony will still be reading ABC Who are you voting for Anthony? I'll ask him.

The First Snow of the Season

It's officially December. I can tell because it snowed for the first time all day today (not counting a few slight flurries). This made everyone in our family very happy! Joshua was outside at 8:00 this morning, tramping around in the snow. I couldn't blame him, for if I was 8, that would be the very first thing I did when I woke up too! I like lists (I'm guessing you've already figured this out), so here is a list of today's happenings;

• A trip to Ohio to pick up a pedal harp for Moxie
• Playing in the snow
• Putting up Christmas decorations
• Eating breakfast in the snow (Qixi did, at least)
• Lounging around at home
• Playing Christmas songs on various musical instruments
• Thinking about the upcoming school week 
• Excitedly preparing for our trip to Chicago

Have a very merry day!

A Conversation with Havalah

The week has flown by! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our family in Missouri! A couple days ago, I asked Havalah some Thanksgiving - related questions. Her answers were interesting, so I thought I'd write them down.
Me: Who were the Pilgrims?
Havalah: They lived where the Indians lived, in the woods, and they were hiding from the Indians 'cause they were scared of them. The Pilgrims told all Squanto's friends that they were nice, and then they trapped the Indians and took them to where the Pilgrims lived.
Me: *thinking* they trapped the Indians?
Havalah: (continuing to speak) Squanto went to his Mom and Dad, but he wasn't human anymore, he was an Indian.
Me: What's an Indian like?
Havalah: They wear a feather, and they sing when people come to visit them. People think Indians are nice, but they aren't. They hide in trees. The Pilgrims got them food, but it didn't taste good.

This conversation lasted much longer, but I'm not going to write it all down. Havalah kind of rambles when she talks, and it's hard to keep track of. Besides, I can't really read all the notes I made while she was talking to me. They just look like a bunch of scribbles. :D