Reddiker Woodes

Christmas Cookies

Wow, it's another year gone by.  I started last years "blog" with us making Christmas cookies for Santa and ending this years the same way.  Little Man was much more interested and involved this year.  He did pretty much everything except put the cookies in and out of the oven himself.

We used Pillsbury ready made sugar cookies this year. We have been so busy and this was much easier than making from scratch, plus Little Man was able to help with all of it.

He specifically wanted to use green and red sprinkles.

Santas official plate and mug.

He stood and watched them bake the enter 12  minutes.

He did the icing and put sprinkles on all by himself.

I'm still not sure why he went "gansta" on the cookies, but I guess he had his reasons.

Little Man wanted to make sure that Santa knew these were for him, so he put his name on them.

After dinner, making cookies, got a bath, then found this years, "Christmas jammies". I found the cutest pair of skull and candy cane cross bone PJ's for him.  Now he's in bed and anticipating the morning.

We Tracked Santa

We watched Santa most of Christmas Eve night on the computer via NORAD.  It was great. Got to see video of him and when he landed in Canada Little Man had to go to bed.

It's only the fourth of the month and it's been a busy year to start out with. A week of posts will be coming up.  Many renovations to the house and with the dolls.

We had a wonderful Christmas and even better New Year.  I'm done with my 365 Project pictures, and will be putting the last one up in a few days.  But had to get Little Man's Christmas pictures off my camera and where they belong.  It doesn't look like a lot, but he will be learning a lot. Santa brought tons of Leap Frog Tag System books, cards and displays for the coming year. Candy Land and Memory have been played much.  He's even sporting his Christmas jammies on Christmas morning.  How does that happen? We have a talented Elf in the house.

    

   
 
 
 
 

Merry Christmas

Presents opened and enjoyed, lasagna in the oven and cookies have been made and eaten by Santa, and I had an elf in the kitchen to help with the first batch of a "Year in Food". It's so great he can help out now and be apart of the holiday this way. Also found a great story about "12 Days of Christmas" from a FaceBook buddy.  Enjoy.

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas, Broken down.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

 

Merry Christmas Everyone

2009 Christmas Letter

365 Project

Yahoo.  Only about a week or so late, but our 2009 Christmas letters/cards are actually stamped, addressed, written and mailed as of Tuesday. I'm still trying to figure out how we know so many people.  Now Christmas preparations are finally OVER.

 

A Christmas Story Box

365 Project

We've loved A Christmas Story since it came out, oh so many years ago.  We already own the DVD, but even when it comes on we still watch it at least a couple of times while it's on television.  We were at Best Buy over the weekend and checking out the videos and found this great collector tin with all kinds of goodies packed inside.  I can't wait for the time for Little Man to sit down and watch it and appreciate it the way millions of others have.  It would've been great for a miniature lamp inside also, but the apron and cookbook alone are worth the price.

    

 
 
  

First Letter to Santa

YAHOO, the first letter ever written to Santa from Little Man got dropped off at the Macy's department store red mail box over the weekend.  It was a such a great thing to finally get done.  He had so much fun not only writing it, but wanting to deliver it.  The paper can be downloaded from the Macy's site.  Tons of paper and activities pages for little ones to do.

 

   
 
 

Wiiiiiiiii

YAHOOOOO, along with getting my membership to the Spa Renewed, I also got a Wii Sports system.  I can't wait to hook this up.  I received a Jillian Michael's work out disk, Animal Crossing City Folk (my poor Nintendo DS has so much dust on it) and Star Wars Legos games.  This comes already loaded with five sports games already.  I'm pretty sure the bowling will be a blast.  If I hook this up right, we might not need the DVD player, and just use this.  There are even programs I can get that will help Little Man for school.  So exciting. I know what I'll be asking Santa for, for next year.  MORE GAMES.

This will be a system that all of us can use.  

Late But Early Christmas Pictures

The past two weeks have just flown by, and I wanted to get these up on Christmas Eve but the goddess just wasn't in my corner that night, (she was too busy eating Godiva chocolate and drinking Berringer wine)  Christmas Eve day, Little man got a brand new table for the living room. It's one that's more his height and easier to maneuver around.  Took me most of the Friday before Christmas to find it online and with an expected delivery date of Christmas Eve, I was overjoyed that it came the Monday before Christmas.  YAHOO FOR FEDEX SHIPPING.  We had intended to give him the table before Christmas anyway, just so he would be so overwhelmed.  The table is 24x24 square with two chairs.  He should be able to stay with it till he's at least six years old or so, depending on how tall he gets. I wanted to make sure that this new table would not only go well with the living room, but when he's outgrown it, I can refurbish it for my dolls. (always thinking)  

Little Man has surpassed playing with Duplos, and has gone right to Daddy's big Star Wars Legos and the like.  I was a little afraid of him using the little blocks because I didn't want him to think that he could swallow them, but he's been really good about not eating them. So with that in mind, the new table had to be retro-fitted for Legos to be played in the living room.  We had gotten four 10x10 green flat square, and glued them to a 24x24 square piece of pegboard, then under that I glued non-skid matting, so the board would stay on the table while he's building the penthouse of tomorrow.  There is one huge plastic bucket, under the table that he knows to clean up with, when finished with playing.  When we aren't playing "Lego's", we can take the board off, and use the table for school work, eating, drawing, cutting and various other pre-K works.  Iron Man waited with anticipation for Little Man to come and Play.

     

Hopefully by the time this post goes up, he will have opened the rest of his presents from Santa.

Christmas morning brought Little Man the gift he's been asking Santa for, for weeks.  A Parking Garage.  Well, he not only got a Parking Garage, but Car Wash, and Gas Station thanks to the family.  He's such a boy.  All of his cars and trucks and trains, now have a proper home.  It even has an elevator.

    

Then off to grandparents house for a few hours and all the craziness that comes with that. Here he is in front of the mounds of presents.  10:00AM in the morning, and onto his second Christmas Cookie.

Then off to give out kisses and hugs.

   

Getting into a stocking that isn't his.

   

And finally the big reveal back at our house later Christmas night.  I don't think that we will need to buy him a car, truck, train or plane for the next year.

Just Call Me Blix

So, after decades of waiting for Little Man to be here, and for the last three years for him to understand Christmas, I got to bring out our Elf On the Shelf. I've been carrying this little guy and his story around for so long, I thought he'd never get a chance to get out.  So far Little Man has only talked to him, and looked feverishly for him every morning.  If you don't know about Elf on the Shelf, go and check it out and make it a new tradition.  Every morning now Little Man asks, "Where's Blix?".  Blix is the name that daddy and I came up with and he's been registered also.  It's fun to see where "Blix" winds up everyday.

No matter where "Blix" is sitting in the house, Little Man will take up pages of toys to him and tells him what he wants.  Now to see if Santa listens.

Tiny Elves for Christmas

I actually thought I was going to sell these little guys, only for the simple fact, I haven't had a chance to get their stories up, but thank god for Spampy Stuff and her wonderful sewing. Harmony and Doyle have matching outfits for Christmas and have come down from the Tea Posey Theater to act as Santa's Elves for the season.  I even got their little "magic boots" painted.