These big, fluffy, homemade cinnamon rolls have been a part of our Christmas morning for years and years.

The dough is made in your bread machine, which makes it super easy!

There are just a couple more days until Christmas! This morning, as I sit by the light of the Christmas tree, with presents wrapped (ahead of time, which NEVER happens) I can’t help but feel so grateful for all of the blessings in my life. Our family is healthy, our friends are plenty, and life is just really, really good right now.

I love Christmas, for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because it is a season full of traditions. I love all of the traditions we have developed around Christmas within my own family, like these homemade cinnamon rolls. The traditions have become so important to my kids as well. Like Nick and I, they look forward to the traditions we’ve created as much as we do. It really warms my heart so much….

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I am the youngest of 5 kids, which I thought until recently made me a little more sensitive to Leah’s plight as the baby of the family. Let’s face it…we all know that many times the family baby is the one treated a tad more special and given a little more leniency.

I’m here to tell you that it’s because by the time the baby of the family comes around, the parents are simply tired and worn out. So yes, I say yes to Leah way more often than I may have Jacob because it’s just easier. I would have freaked out if Jacob didn’t have 3 healthy square meals a day… and may or may not turn a blind eye when Leah grabs a bag of chips out of the pantry for breakfast. Sometimes it’s just easier.

The hard part about being the baby of the family is that often times, traditions, celebrations, and more are way less than they were for the first or even subsequent children. For example, we went every single year to breakfast with Santa when Jacob was younger. Leah, in her precious 5 years, has had breakfast with Santa one time. All together now…”poor baby of the family”….

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Hi Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful week recuperating from all the pie and turkey eating last week.

We had an amazing Thanksgiving with my brother and his family…but I ate way too much pie. And turkey. And broccoli cheese casserole. Good stuff!

We played lots of games (Monopoly and Chicken Foot!), and my sister-in-law helped me sew my Kindness Elf. I think she turned out to be such a cutie, don’t you? Of course, now I have the sewing felt stuffed things bug and came home and bought about 10 more patterns from this adorable Etsy store! Apparently my plan is to sew the month away. Sounds good to me!

Shall we talk about what else is making me happy lately?

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I’m excited to share this, oh sooo adorable, video with you! When my friends at Milk asked me to interview my kids about what they leave out for Santa, I knew we’d come up with some pretty cute stuff. Combined with several other bloggers participating, above is the video compilation that you’ll love to watch.

Sure to get you in the Christmas spirit, I hope you’ll take a couple minutes to watch “Cookies for Santa“.

Enjoy!

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This time of year is always overwhelming. I haven’t figured out a way for it not to be, yet. Don’t get me wrong though…I LOVE the holiday season! It’s the time of year where my mind starts racing and I think of tons of things I really want to do with the kids before it slips by.

I decided, much like my 2012 Summer Bucket List, I’d make a similar list for the Christmas / New Years season and then I thought I’d share it with you!

So, without further adieu, here are some of the things I’d like to do with my family this holiday season.

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We have been getting voicemails from Santa every day. It’s amazing how if Santa Clause says “I hear you haven’t been listening to your Mom and Dad very well” Jacob will get off the phone and turn into Golden Child. He’ll listen the first time, go around helping out with extra chores around the house, etc. He has been a dream helper around the house this week, just because I will remind him that “Santa Clause is watching.”

This week we even received letters in the mail directly from Santa at the North Pole. Included in the letters were Christmas ornaments for our tree, made especially for the kids by the Elves in Santa’s workshop. This really got Jacob’s attention and now the countdown to Christmas Day has officially begun for him. He’s beside himself with excitement. My countdown to the end of using Santa Clause as a bribe has officially begun to. I wonder if I could stretch out using Santa Clause is watching as a behavior modification program throughout next year. Think it would work?

Anyway, the real reason for my posting today is that I wanted to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. May the magic of the holiday season stay with you through the year and may you have peace and happiness in each and every day. God Bless!

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Kelly, our three year old, is not a fan of Santa. You can try to explain to her that he’s going to bring her presents, that he is giving out candy if you sit on his lap, that he lives with reindeer and other cute furry animals but she isn’t buying it. The second she sees Santa, her day is ruined. She wants nothing to do with whatever we’re involved in if Santa is involved. She would just as soon give up Christmas all together if Santa has anything to do with it.

Needless to say, after waiting in line for nearly an hour, Kelly was not pleased that Santa was the end result. She cried, she wailed, she clung to her daddy’s chest begging for him to to protect her from having to sit with her brother and sister on his lap. Nick finally had to go sit with Santa too, just so we could get the picture as proof that they actually saw Santa this year.

Later in the day, I had this conversation with Kelly.

Me – “Kelly, why don’t you like Santa Claus?”

Kelly – “Because I don’t like the white stuff on his face, I don’t like his glasses, and he wears his clothes backwards.”

Me – “He wears his clothes backwards?”

Kelly – “His clothes are always backwards and I don’t like that. Santa is stinky too, and I don’t like him because he’s stinky. He does have nice boots though.”

Oh my… my shoe loving fetish daughter would of course point out that Santa has nice shoes. Maybe if I told her that Santa made shoes in his workshop in the North Pole, she’d like him better. Then again, maybe not. That is the joy of a 3 year old. She defenitly has her own very defined opinions on things and it takes a lot to persuade her differently.

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