While we were on vacation Ani got a cookie decorating kit and made pretty cookies with some of the kids.
Cookie Decorating
Monthly Archives: December 2022
So much cereal
My little kids love cereal. They’d eat it every day if we let them. They can demolish a smaller box of cereal in one sitting. So it was pretty great when Jamie discovered a cart with 27 retro Halloween boxes of cereal on clearance.
As it turns out you get some weird looks when you buy 27 boxes of cereal at once, but they were only 99 cents a box! That is not the kind of deal we can pass up. The kids were so excited when he got home with all this cereal and, of course, wanted to eat some right away (even though they had just had breakfast not long before).
December Book of the Month
I chose The Circus Train by Amita Parikh for my December Book of the Month.
December was my twelfth box so I leveled up to BFF. That means (among other things) I got this tote bag with a built-in book pocket. It’s WAY better quality than I was expecting!
Swimming in the Gulf on the First Day of Winter
Four years ago we went swimming in the Gulf of Mexico on the first day of winter. Adrian wanted to repeat that this year with his little siblings.
And so we did. I didn’t think the kids would actually get in the water (it was 52* on Solstice this year) so I didn’t pack bathing suits for them, just shorts.
I was wrong. They went in the water and played for thirty minutes. They all ended up soaking wet and covered in sand. They had the best time ever.
Afterwards we went back to our AirBnB so everyone could get a shower. I can’t imagine they were very comfortable for that thirty minute drive.
Texas sand is kind of a fine powder and it sticks to absolutely everything. We definitely need to vacuum out our rental beast because otherwise it will be forever sandy.
There were a few other people on the beach, mostly riding up and down the beach in gulf carts. Swimming in the Gulf in December isn’t the most common activity.
One guy gave the kids a little boogie board that was slightly broken but my kids didn’t care. That led to a lot more falling in the water and getting even wetter and sandier.
There was one old guy living on the beach in an Airstream attached to a pickup truck. He was very nice and enjoyed watching the kids playing and having fun.
When we tried to leave we discovered we were a little bit stuck in the sand (you park on the beach). So the guy in the Airstream towed us out ending our adventure with a little extra adventure.
Final Days of Rider
On the nineteenth day Rider got into some bubble gum and blew a giant bubble. We noticed that his Elf Pox were a little better that day, too.
On the twentieth day he brought a matching game called The Boss is Watching. The kids had fun playing with it while we were on vacation.
On the twenty-first he went with us on vacation where the floor was lava. The kids were impressed that he stayed off the floor. They also noticed his Elf Pox were almost all the way better.
On the twenty-second day Rider got a little naughty. He was caught drinking syrup right out of the container and had gotten himself all covered with powdered sugar.
On the twenty-third day he presided over some car races. That red one always seemed to go just a little faster than its competitor. We were very happy to see that his Elf Pox were completely resolved.
On the twenty-fourth day we said good-bye and see you next December to Rider. He had his suitcase all packed and his plane ticket ready to go back to the North Pole.
December Owlcrate
Honestly every month Owlcrate seems to get even better. The books and dust jackets are just amazing and the stuff included in the box are such high quality and useful things. I just love Owlcrate.
This month we got this hanging thing with three pouches to put stuff in. I kept that because I really like anything I can put other things in.
These paper these bookmarks were made of just felt really nice. Ani took them home because I have about a bazillion bookmarks already.
Of course I kept the luggage tag pin. I love my luggage tag pin collection. I also kept the metal straws because Ani and Haley already have bazillion metal straws. They are heart shaped which makes them extra fun.
Ani took home these salt and pepper shakers. They are getting a lot of use. Salt and pepper shakers are one of those things you don’t realize just how much you need them until you haven’t had them and get them.
This crescent moon shaped tea bag holder and tea bag for putting in loose tea is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. Haley claimed that. She drinks a lot of tea so it’s perfect for her.
The book this month is The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford. As always it sounds really good. Check out the cover of the book. How gorgeous is that?
The inside of the dust jacket is absolutely gorgeous, too. (You’d think Nicky is looking at the dust jacket, but he’s actually looking at Haley who is by far his favorite sibling.)
Merry Christmas!
Sometimes they all get along really well
Putting the Angel on the Tree
Zeke really wanted to put the angel on the tree this year, but even with a step ladder he’s a little too short. So Fritz put him up on his shoulders and Jamie stabilized him so he could lean forward and the angel was put in place.
Costume Pajamas
It’s always nice when dance costumes are actually useful. Mayci, Anthony, and Nicholas were in a dance together and these pajamas were their costume and Zeke needed Christmas pajamas for his musical theater and acting parts.
Smaller on the Outside 