Advent

The first Sunday was "Waiting."  It was hard to wait to blow out the candle on the advent wreath.

This week we couldn't remember for sure what the candle was (although we know next week is Joy), so we said it was Hope.  As  in, "we hope we can get through church without anybody pooping out of their outfits, because it's very cold and these are the warmest things we own." 

We made it, by the way.

Miss Boo is still deciding whether she likes fruitcake.  This year I made a German version, with no neon fruit (which we don't like anyway).  It includes figs, raisins, dried tart cherries, candied orange peel, almonds, and walnuts.  (It called for hazelnuts but they are not to be had this year.)  I also made some crunchy nut/macaroon/cinnamon dealies called Zimtsterne.  They are very good too, but Miss Boo doesn't like them as well because they're hard to chew.  Later this week I'll make a batch of gingerbread boys (ours are gendered) and chocolate chip, and we'll be set for Christmas.  I may even get ambitious enough to make pulla or that candy-cane bread thing that Grammy makes.  Maybe.

("Can I please have some fruitcake, Mom?  I'm a poor starving orphan dog."

"No.  There's raisins in it."

"But I want fruitcake."

"Raisins will kill you dead.  They're bad for your liver."

"Can I have liver?"

"No."

"Then can I have some fruitcake?")

Brother is sooooo mobile since he learned to use his knees that he's been invading his sister's space.  You see him here playing with the bag of wooden train parts....

...and trying to get into her play oven.

Christmas is coming!

Cheers,

Breanna