Our Christmas decorating is a lot more exciting with 2 kids grabbing at the tree and wanting to "help" rearrange ornaments all the time. It's so entertaining to watch them debate over where certain ornaments should go and how often each goes and moves some without the other one's permission only to result in the other moving something else. With the lights on at night the tree doesn't look nearly so sparse.

Little battles all of the time over the beloved pink bulbs. (Thank you after Christmas sale to get indestructible ornaments for $1 for a pack of 8 of them!)

Ian's first ornament that my brother Sam picked out with my Mom when he was home this last Summer.

Because I love them there are a number of bird ornaments on our tree. Especially Cardinals because those bright red birds are a constant reminder to me of growing up in Michigan where they are everywhere and stand out so beautifully in the snow or against the green trees.

Cooking Frenzie

The more time we spend in the kitchen together cooking as Mom and Daughters the more their play is centered around cooking and working together. I'm going to go ahead and give myself a HUGE pat on the back for our time spent together being productive, educational, and meaningful.

As I prepare dinner, they prepare food at their "Restaurant" either for Ian or for Eryn's dog. Eryn takes the order, tells Brooke, she cooks it and Eryn helps put it on the plates or in a bowl, then Eryn delivers it to the table and yells back to Brooke if they like it or not.

The whole process is repeated several times and looks a little like this.

The "cooking" that they do together.

Delivering the food.

Today Ian was taking a nap, so they cooked for Eryn's dog Slush. He really liked it!

Homemade Corn Chips

Since chips and I aren't friends, I figured I'd try making my own so that I can continue to enjoy burning myself with my Mother-In-Law's very zippy salsa. (I complained last year that it was too bland. This year she made what I call "Revenge Salsa" that is so spicy I can't stop eating it for fear the heat catches up to me when I'm done!) That may sound like I'm picking on her, but I seriously LOVE this crazy hot batch!

Anyhow, onto homemade corn chips...

I bought the smallest pack of corn tortillas to try it out.

Cut them up into 1/4 and toss them around on a baking sheet. (Definitely use one with edges, so they don't fall off when you toss them around a little.)

Oven 350 and cook them for about 10 minutes.

From that point poke at them with something and watch them really close until they get crunchy or as done as you want them to be (It took mine about 15 minutes). They burn easy and taste super gross when they do. (Yes, lesson learned by experience.)

In the end I had these!

I only made a few at a time because not a ton fit in the pan, but I think they turned out rather well. They are baked, so no gross oils and extra fat and I only very lightly salted them. By having fewer chips I think it helped me to limit how much I was eating too.

Overall, it worked out really well and I'd recommend it to anyone!

Christmas Decor

Thanks to an idea inspired fuel of a website called http://pinterest.com/ I have been making more things lately and have been more adventurous in trying projects and new things.

This was an idea for a wreath that I saw on that site.

This is what I made.

(You can't see it very well because the light was so bright outside, but it is a little distressed and the frame does have some detail. I did neglect to take the hanger into account when making it, so it hangs a little crooked. That gives it "personality" right?)

Ian sitting in the Bumbo Chair! He also likes to lay under the tree as part of the decorations. I just couldn't post something without a picture of one of the kids!

Sleeping Habits

Ian is finally growing up a little and sleeping more at night and for a longer amount of time. I do put him on his back and tuck him into the blankets every time, but I don't always find him that way when I go to check on him.

Sometimes he likes to remove his pants to be more comfortable.

He's rolled over on his tummy and hiding under the blankets.

Mike went in to check on him once and pulled back the mound of blankets and couldn't find him! Ian had traveled around and snuggled up in the front corner (next to the cow) and when Mike looked into the bed he over looked that corner completely!

Finding Ian in his crib is like trying to find the camouflaged animal in its habitat at the zoo. It's always entertaining and he's usually in there!