Christmas is Coming to James Street

I have been seriously lax in the blog posting department. Trying to get all the Christmas stuff done as well as getting ready for Charlie to be born. I figure if everything is done, this kid will come when it is suppose to, January 4th or so. If not, it will come 4 days before Christmas while I am still shopping, baking and wrapping.

I thought I was all organized. Making lists, checking them twice. I still have stuff to accomplish. Tonight, I am baking an Ultimate Streusel Cake for our annual James Street Ladies Brunch tomorrow. God willing, it turns out. I haven't made one for a long time. Today, I worked on my Christmas cards and then we picked up a couple more things at our little outdoor mall.

I admit, this afternoon, I am a bit stressed about accomplishing everything I need to do versus the stuff I want to do, like make fudge and peanut brittle. I hate wrapping presents - it takes me forever. I want each package to be cool, so I have been hand stamping the paper and making gift tags. Mike is sick of the inordinate amount of glitter everywhere. I guess that part I like. The actual wrapping part no. Anything else? Yes, a quick story.

B and I were at Movable (our lunch place) and she started talking with a lady and her baby. B was asking the babies name. The lady then asked B, "what is your name?" B replied, "T-rex." I said to B, what do I call you. And she said, "T-rex Eliza." Eliza is B's middle name. I cracked up. My daughter the dinosaur. What is a mom to do?

One of our traditions, cutting down a tree

for Mike and one for B. My tree comes from a tree

lot a block away. We walk to pick it up, in the freezing

cold, while it is snowing and blowing madly.

(Yes, we are nuts, we put up three trees. But,

my sister may be worse, she puts up more than that.)

B's first ornament on her tree. A robot from

the Paper Source.

For me, this is the start of the Christmas Season,

making the first batch of Moose Munch.

That is caramel corn, with macadamias, almonds

and cashews.

B is my official kitchen helper. Here she is also

grooving to Feliz Navidad, her favorite

Christmas song.

This is just a cute tag I made for B's classmate's birthday.

I am also facing issues trying to take photos of B. I have to surprise her with the picture or she holds up her hand or makes a face and says no, No, NO. I will have more pictures of my wrapping and tags. Some turned out pretty good, some not so much.