Sanderse

 We enjoyed having Martin and Marlene in KC to visit. Allison is changing so fast and we really appreciate the effort put in by family coming to visit us. Allison has been teething all week and going through a needy phase so we didn't make any big plans to go out without her, but last night Nathan and I were able to sneak out after I put her to bed. We got fries at McDonald's and walked around Target. It was awesome! I've been picking up Christmas decorations all week and last night I found wreath savers- what a perfect idea! I got two for the wreaths I made this winter.

This morning before church we decided to try to take a family picture. Ideally we would have done it outside but the weather turned cold last night.

Allison wasn't in the mood to cooperate but we made it work since it was important to document the visit.

After a quick meal after church, Allison went to bed and Nathan's parent's hit the road for the 17 hour drive home.

Merry Christmas

Nathan's parents arrived at 7pm last night - just in time for Christmas!

Nathan and I have never bought Allison Christmas presents before but we were at Walmart last week and saw a Cozy Coupe Car and we decided it would be the perfect gift for Allison. The coupe is always the first toy she runs to when we go to the Matt Ross Community Center and she loves getting in and out of the car, over and over again.

Nathan and his Dad put the car together after we got Allison to bed.

In the morning, we let Allison wander out of her room. When she saw the car she stopped. Then smiled. Then walked right over to the car and hopped in like it had always been hers.

We had a big breakfast, then opened our stockings and exchanged gifts. Allison loved the pajamas that my parents and brother/sister-in-law bought her and wanted to try on each pair.

 

The weather was in double digits so Nathan, Marlene, Martin, Allison, and the coupe went for a short walk to the park to play while I cleaned the house and got things ready for our Christmas dinner.

Longest Night

Nathan has to work tonight so we weren't able to attend the annual Longest Night ceremony- a service put on by Wornall for the families of KCMO murder victims.

JM asked if anyone could make goodies for a coffee time after the service. Since I couldn't attend at night, I offered to make the treats.

I definitely went a little overboard but once I started baking, I couldn't stop. They were just little things - haystacks, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, sugar/cinnamon cookies, ginger cookies, brownies, and caramel apple bites.  By the time I was finished, I'd made about 12 dozen treats.


Allison loves to stand on a chair and watch me in the kitchen. She screams when I put her back on the floor. Today she was in heaven because I had so much baking to do that I let her stand beside me most of the day.

When I did finally put her down, she found a new way to get into trouble. She's been using her wooden box of climb and today she found my computer, pulled it to the edge and SOMEHOW started watching Sesame Street. She's such a smart cookie. If she ever manages to get her hands on my phone she immediately calls Nathan- no one else, just Nathan.

I was just proud of her for letting me get so much done today. I met April at the church at 5:30pm to bring all the snacks in and set up the room for after the service. I was able to leave by 6:30pm and get Allison home for dinner.

Christmas Carol

Nathan's was able to get 2 tickets to see A Christmas Carol tonight. He didn't feel like going but offered them to me and a friend. There is a bad flu going around KC and it took me 3 tries to find someone who could go! My friend Lisa was able to go, so once again, we ventured out into the theater world.

This theater is the companion theater to the one we went to a couple of weeks ago. It's on the university campus and it's much larger than the downtown theater. I looked up the tickets for the show and saw that they cost over $100 each! I couldn't believe how many people had young children there. I felt so lucky to be able to go, not just because I love the story, but because it's something so many people will never have access to.

We had great seats in the 8th row, and the show was amazing. Lisa had never heard the story before so I was really excited for her. I remember my parents taking me to A Christmas Carol at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario when I was a kid and how exciting it was. 

When we arrived, part of the cast was in the lobby in old-English clothing, singing carols. I definitely started to get in the Christmas spirit!

The show was fantastic. It had a large, talented cast, and although it wasn't an interactive play, there was a lot of movement of people up and down the aisles. When Marley's ghost was haunting Scrooge and the demons came to pull him back to hell, the "demons" inched up the aisles toward the stage. It was so scary and I was glad I gave Lisa the end seat. I don't know how the kids weren't more scared! I think I've been watching the Mickey Mouse version for too many years because I forgot how terrifying and sad the story is.

It was a great night and I've been so lucky to experience this new side of Kansas City in the last couple of months.

Tree Trimming

I can't seem to stop adding to our Christmas tree!

Pinterest is so addictive and everytime I log on there is a new ornament to make. I saw one idea and loved it. You embroidery an outline of your child and add a piece of fabric from their wardrobe to the picture. I decided to use Allison's Halloween picture since I still had some of the fabric left over.

I printed the picture, traced it on tissue paper and embroidered through the tissue paper. When I was finished, I was able to (gently) pull the tissue paper away from the fabric/stitches. Then I added the small piece of fabric and I was finished. It's not perfect, but it was a fun afternoon project.

After I finished with this ornament, I looked at the tree and thought, "OK, I'm done for this year." But I knew something was still missing. Then I realized - my tree was naked! It needed a skirt! I'm a big tree skirt fan and I had plans to make one as a gift for the holiday part we go to each year but it was cancelled. I decided to use the pattern that I had already picked out and use it for our tree. I used scrap fabrics and did a simple quilt design to finish it off.

Ok...now I'm done.

Christmas Photo

I had plans to make a Christmas card to send out to family but the time got away from me. I know we did our elf Christmas photo but I wanted one that looked less kooky.

JM and Jill gave Allison this dress for a Christmas gift and we dressed to match her. I'm glad I put up the tree because it made a nice addition to our card.

 

That Repetski Kid

In 18 months, Allison has gone through phases where she looks like each one of her Repetski cousins (Ian and Heather's kids).

First she looked like Ben, then she really looked like Sydney, and now. SHE IS CALVIN. Well, like Calvin was when he was much younger. Her laugh is identical to Calvin's, and she's the ham that Calvin was (back when he was the only kid in the family). 

Their laugh is identical and it's so strange how much she's like him even though she's only met Calvin a few times.

This afternoon Nathan was feeding Allison and she was laughing (like her big cousin) and I took a few photos. The moment reminded me of this picture of Nathan feeding Calvin 4 years ago.

The Moment

I think every woman has a moment when they say or do something and they think, "Woah, I can hear/feel/see MY mother doing that."

I had that moment twice this week.

When I was a kid I was really shy. I still don't like confrontation but I can stand up for myself and say my opinion. Anyway, I remember being MORTIFIED (as a kid) when my mom would send back bad food or report bad service or something like that. She never yelled, was never mean or unreasonable but it always made me uncomfortable.

Well, this week, I was a crazy person. First, I told that 45 year old woman who walked in front of me at the gym (I was waiting in line to pay for our visit) and when she turned around to give me her best, "Ooops, sorry not sorry" smile, I told her "You have bad manners." I said it calmly but it just spilled out. The woman didn't flinch so I doubt this was new information and I felt a lot better.

Today at the grocery store, I was next to the checkout with about 12 people behind me (only one till open). The cashier called for help, and a man pulls his cart up to the next till (he was not in the 12 person line) and says, "I'll just wait until the cashier comes up." I did the turn my head, glance at the line with my best "is anyone gonna say something to this dude? look, but while everyone looked mad, everyone was silent.

"The line is back there sir." I said to the 60ish year old man.
"I just have a few things."
"Well, the line starts where the people stop."
"I'm in a hurry"

This is where I almost started yelling. Instead, I calmly told him I was next in line and he could argue for his spot with the woman behind me. I then pushed past him to the new cashier and put my items on the belt. I didn't need to look back.

I came home feeling exhilarated and confident. I think I laughed about it for an hour after the exchange. That's when I realized my mom was just standing up for herself. I can't believe I spent so much time wishing she would stop embarrassing me, or just "shut up!" I wanted a strong mom and I had one but I was too busy wanting her to be a mouse.

My moment of seeing my mom in myself  wasn't when I was putting those rude people in their place, it was on the car ride home, when I was flying high, feeling great about standing up for myself, especially in front of Allison.

O Christmas Tree

I decided to put up Christmas decorations today. I love Christmas and I love the deocrations (although I don't have an eye for it) but I worried about Allison trying to rip down the tree.

I house is tiny so one more thing makes the room really small but it's worth it. Allison enjoyed "helping" me decorate, and I was able to put up all the ornaments and snowflakes I worked on throughout the year. I didn't have any garland and the tree looked a little bare, so I pulled the burlap out of my white wreath and put a running stitch (yarn) through it, gathered it up and I think it works great as a garland.

 Allison loves to put things on her head - hats, headbands, bags, blankets, anything but what she's supposed to. She loved putting the plastic container for the bulb ornaments on her head. I though about saving it and making her an astronaut next Halloween.

Repertory Theatre

At the women's luncheon on Sunday, my friend Lisa and I were catching up and she mentioned liking the theatre. I said I did too and we agreed to escape our girls for the night and head downtown to the Power and Light District to see a show at the Kansas city Repertory Theatre called The Santaland Diaries.

It was a beautiful theatre and a really funny show. It was just one man who told the story about working as an elf during the holiday's at Macy's in New York City. It's based on a novel, and at each story/chapter break, a woman would sing a christmas carol that matched with what he was talking about. For example, in one segment the elf spoke about people wanting a Santa of a specific race. At the end of his segment, the woman sang, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas."

It was simple and ran uninterruppted for an hour and a half. I laughed a lot and was thankful to get out of the house for a couple of hours.

After the play, the actors were in the lobby and we were able to take photos with them. Lisa hesitated but I assured her WE WERE GETTING A PHOTO.

So here it is.

Family Portrait: Part XII

Merry Christmas!

We've reached our final family portrait. Last year at this time is when I found that ridiculous jean jumper at a thrift store and Nathan joked that we should take an all-denim family photo. We had so much fun that we've kept it going every month since. It's been a lot of work to come up with the ideas (and make the costumes) but we've had a great time and I'm still so thankful that Nathan went along with all my wacky ideas.

These elf costumes were made out of two Christmas table clothes that I bought for $2 each. Allison's pants are leftover felt and velvet from a King's cape I made a few months ago.

Nathan's favorite photo was the denim photo (January), followed by the old fashioned photo (February). My favorites were the circus photo (July)  and the prairie photo (October)...but then I think about Gulliver and the soda shop, and I think how much I loved them all!

Our next step is to put all twelve pictures in a calendar for the 2015 year. I told Nathan that I wanted to make a second copy of the calendar for the year 2029/30 and give it to Allison on her 16th birthday so she can see the ridiculous that her parents put her through when she was a year old.

I won't we'll never do another portrait but for now our year long project is complete!

Cookie Swap

The pastor's wife, April, decided to hold a Ladies Lunch and Cookie Swap for all the women of Wornall.

We had different soups, breads, salads, and tons of desserts!

I love baking- especially cookies so I was really excited. I decided to move away from the traditional cookie route and instead I made No-Bake Haystacks. They are so tasty and have everything bad for you in them. They were my favourite as a kid, and as soon as I had one bite last week- I remembered why!

I felt great when they were all snapped up at the swap.

 

I have to share this story about cookies and my friend Katie. I love making cookies and at the start of each month (or whenever I need them) I tend to make huge batches of different cookie dough, portion them into individual cookies and freeze them so I can have freshly baked cookies anytime. Sometimes I give them as gifts or just little thank-you's. A few months back I gave my friend, Katie, a couple dozen of these frozen treats for her and her family (Katie is a doctor and involved in so much so I thought this would be a great treat).

Last week I went to visit Katie and brought some of my chocolate chips cookies (baked). She raved and asked me if these were the same ones I gave her. I said yes, and she hesitantly told me that the ones I had given her were awful! I was so embarrassed but had no idea why since the rest of the batch was fine!

I asked her if she followed my (overly detailed) instructions about cooking them slowly, turning them halfway through, then letting them cool on the sheet. She said that both she and her husband tried but they were flat and dense and gross. Then she said, "you know, I've never flipped cookies in the middle of baking them before." wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

YOU FLIPPED THE COOKIES OR ROTATED THE COOKIE SHEET?

She had flipped each cookie! We both laughed hyseterically and later when I told Nathan the story he confirmed that my instructions were confusing and that he may have done what Katie did.

I'll have to bring Katie a new batch to assure her I can make great chocolate chip cookies!

Christmas Mail

We've been getting a few packages lately because we have family visiting soon and they're taking advantage of the amazing United States Postal Service!

Allison loves watching the mailman loves when I let her (help me) open the packages. This week I got a package from Nathan's mom with 2 Canadian Living magazines, and although Allison cried when I wouldn't let her play with them, she was excited to see what was inside the envelop.

This is Allison riding on one of the packages that arrived for Nathan's Dad.

Today we got a special Christmas mail delivery from my brother's family. Shelley had asked what she could get Allison for Christmas but we already have so much! I suggested a short collection of Robert Munsch books (there are 4 parts to his full collection) and what does she do?!? She bought Allison the GRAND TREASURY of Robert Munsch books! There were also two wrapped gifts that I'm going to make Allison wait until Christmas to open, but I immediately settled in to read Thomas' Snowsuit.