yowsers.

So the perfection didn't really last yesterday. Somewhere around the time the chicken and rice went into the oven, I got a wicked headache/backache combo. And you know how that goes...how physically feeling bad can just ruin your whole mood. After dinner, we were on the couch and my head completely filled with congestion and that was all she wrote. M graciously sent me to bed about 645, and I stayed there until this morning (minus the preggo potty breaks). I'm amazingly well today, which may have something to do with M being out of town for the week and my not having the option to be sick. I prefer to think I'm actually well, though. I was well enough to go to the gym this morning, so that's something, right? Anyway, tough night. We're righting this train now, though. Let the holiday cheer commence.

This afternoon, S and I will be making Mr. P's favorite cookies: the infamous gumdrop cookies. This is one of those tasks that you do only because you truly love someone. Making these cookies is a chore. I worry that involving a three-year-old will make it worse, but then I remembered that I don't know if the process could get worse. Seriously, have you ever cut fruit slices (because we've never successfully found gumdrops and fruit slices are the closest substitute) into tiny little pieces? It is not fun. They stick to everything. The knife. The cutting board. Me. I've tried greasing the knife. I've tried using flour. I've tried using the Cuisinart. Nothing works. You just have to stick it out and cut those little twerps by hand. Luckily, M's dad is always really happy to have those cookies. Because I'd scrap those from my repertoire in a heartbeat. Wow. What happened to that holiday cheer I mentioned?

I'm also going to make salt dough this afternoon. Tomorrow's advent activity is to make salt dough ornaments, which we did a couple of years ago. From our previous experience and some quick internet research, I've discovered that the mixing/rolling/cutting/baking is probably too tedious for S, so I'm going to do that ahead of time. That way, she can just paint and glitter to her little heart's content tomorrow. I think that'll make the activity more enjoyable for both of us. And the whole point of this calendar of advent activities is to allow us to ENJOY things together.

Beyond that, we're just trying to stay warm. It's in the 20s here, people. The 20s. That doesn't even compute for me. I had to get out gloves and hats this morning. What is the world coming to??

Until next time...