Christmas Eve

This is how we spent our Christmas Eve. It was the second full day of baking and cooking for me with my Tiny Helper, we have accomplished all of my baking goals: we have two kinds of cookies, two batches of Sugar Plums and then Red Velvet Cupcakes. Now, if that doesn't sound like two days of work , remember, I had a "helper" and we had to pause for many meals, snacks, potty breaks and play time. It has been so much fun baking with Bean she really loves dumping the ingredients in and helping me with the mixer. We made the cookies first and then moved on to the cupcakes and this smarty pants said "hey Mama, we are using some same stuff to make cupcakes", I was so surprised that she noticed this, we then went on to talk about what things we were using in the cupcakes that were not in the cookies. During the actual baking, she stood guard right at the oven door, monitoring the cooking. I must say the cupcakes were quite a hit around here.
After baking, nap time and then the icing of the cupcakes, it was time for dinner. I was so sick of being in the kitchen that I just threw together a pu-pu platter (we have these in honor of my friend GeorgAnna who helped us discover the delight of thrown together snackage one year as we were heading home after the Iditarod in Alaska) and a Cheesy Dip - then we all had a pic-nic under the tree. Evelyn was so excited to eat dinner under the tree and then she noticed that I had a small bowl of potato chips out and she sky rocketed into glee (chips are just one of things that we are very careful about having around the house and Ev usually has to have them bootlegged to her by her Grandma).
After the picnic, Ev was allowed to open a gift. It was one that was sent to her by our good friend Sue all of the way form Alaska. She loved the cards, thanks so much Sue!!! It was a pck of the Brain Quest cards and I was quite surprised at how Ev answered some of the questions- these will be so fun for us to do.
Then it was off to bed for The Bean and sneaky-sneaky time for Mama and Papa....Now the house is ready, mostly and Bean is in bed and we are all fed, Les had quiet Christmas music playing as he is reading on the couch and All is right in our world.

I am so happy that I am about to burst. The joy and exhuberance of my little girl is just about to blow me away. I kow what the magic of Christmas is, it's that look of sheer excitement on your child's face as she chomps into a big cupcake or when she thinks about giving presents to her cousins or when she just looks at me with a thousand watt grin and says "Happy Christmas Mama!!!!"

Here is an example of how Bean does not really like Santa to her full capabilities yet.... We were in the back of the house, I was in the kitchen, at the stove (can you believe that?) , Les was washing dishes (terrific man) and Bean was in the dining room playing with Stella and Billy. I looked over at her and I said, "Evelyn aren't you so excited to have Santa come to your house tonight and bring you presents?", well, she stopped what she was doing and thought for a minute, then she got this real funny look on her face, got up, walked over to the back door and LOCKED IT!!!! HA!!! I nearly had a stroke trying not to laugh, then she very seriously asked her Papa if all of the other doors were locked. Funny kid.

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope that you are all at least as half as happy as I have been today.