Burnt

My nana sent us home with four, beautiful persimmons to enjoy at our leisure. I dehydrated the persimmons into tiny fruit leathers to be added as the dried fruit portion of homemade granola.

Step 1: Dehydrate Persimmons (check)
Step 2: Eat some (yum) and have kids help tear them into tiny pieces (check)
Step 3: Make granola concoction (check)
Step 4: Stick in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, mixing every so often (check)

Step 4 is where things went wrong. I had mixed the granola twice and it was looking golden and perfect. Then, the smoke happened. In seconds, the persimmon bits just turned to burnt crisps. They took the coconut with them. My golden orange bits looked like burnt cranberries:


I took the granola out of the oven and put it all back on my dehydrator trays in hopes of drying out the remaining oil and salvaging it. Even plain yogurt can't mask the taste of burnt:


I am so disappointed I have to throw four trays of granola out. Bum deal. It is one of those things that makes you extra upset because this was not on my holiday "to do" list. Had it worked out, I would have been proud of myself for squeezing something in for myself. That will teach me:

Mmmm...

Red Envelope was selling, they are out of stock now, mid-century gingerbread homes you could order with your family name on it. Silly, but cute:

We can't make a gingerbread house this year because our mid-century home swarms with ants the minute we leave something sticky or sugary on any counter or surface.

I got as far as putting our wreath on the front gate.

Breakfast With Santa

My mother bought the kids tickets to Breakfast with Santa at her country club. The event was top notch and the kids had a blast. There were elves all over to accommodate any and all of the children's needs. In addition to that, there was: a delicious spread of food plus all-you-can-eat pancakes, balloon animals, craft rooms, bubble machines making snow outside, Santa to talk with, a hot chocolate bar, and a fondue fountain for the kids to enjoy. Grammie knows how to give the kids a good time.

Pixie Stixs the balloon elf:


Blake checking out the balloon dog he requested for Reade:


Blake posing with Grammie and Auntie Amy with his balloon candy cane (notice meat carving elf in the background):


We were first in line to give Santa our Christmas lists (and for Blake to tell Santa how good he really is even though his mom threatens, on a daily basis, to tell Santa all the naughty behaviors that occur):

This is how the list came about. We were driving somewhere and Blake said:
Blake - "Mom, I think we should talk about what I want for Christmas now."
Me - "Okay, what do you want."
Blake - (in one breath) "I want a Bumblebee Transformers iPad, cell phone, and tablet."
Me - (somewhat mortified) "Hmm, we will have to tell Santa."

My three year old wants an iPad, cell phone, and tablet for Christmas. Is this a reflection of my parenting? Do I yearn for the newest electronics? No. Oh, that is his father. Yup, the blame is going straight to him.

(Oh, and Reade's list was completed by Blake. After writing his list I asked what Reade might want. His response, "A penis and some poop." I told him that Reade already had those things and he came up with the rest)

Blake meeting Santa:


Reade disliking Santa:


What a great morning that was:

Sacrifice

What I sacrifice for a few minutes to myself:

1st of December

I love advent calendars and have always dreamed of having a house like this with tiny, individually wrapped gifts for each day of December. Way too much work though:

Pottery Barn Kids (no longer available)

Or what about an advent calendar with a little birdie for each day:

Gardener's Supply Company

For now, I am going to stick with basic, chocolate advent calendars. They are cute to look at, fun to open, and the kids love the chocolate goodie at the end of the day:


Is the wind blowing at 30mph where you are? It is for us.

Dickens Fair

Aunt Shirley took these great photos at this year's Dickens Fair. We had a blast.

Jessica and David singing in the choir. This is during an act where some scallywags come in and add vigor to their show:


The bunch of us doing our best impersonations of Victorian peeps:


By the way, if you click on the pictures, Blogger now takes you into a photo previewing mode. To get back to the post you simply click the "x" in the top right corner. I kept hitting my back button and it would leave my post. Not the best upgrade if you ask me!

Thanks-we-gave

Thanksgiving the Burton way. My mom putting those marshmallows to use as she assembled the cranberry salad:


The table:


Tom and the turkey:


Full people:


The group minus my Nana, sister, and her boyfriend:


I wish I had pictures of the neighborhood boys playing together. It is fun to have a group of kids roughly the same age to play with. It was also a relief to hear how their boys behaved during Thanksgiving. I am not alone!