Snow day

Last night I looked at the weather forecast, saw the phrases "Winter Storm Warning",  "4 to 8 inches of snow" and "15 to 20 mph winds" and decided to formally declare a snow day.  When you live in the country, you have the power to declare your own snow days, whether or not the school agrees with you.  The roads by our house are fairly low on the plowing priority list, and I really didn't want to brave the drifts and winds in my measly minivan.  (I drive them to school Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).  The district eventually came around to the same decision and closed the schools at 12:30 pm.  At home, by that time, we were already knee-deep in a Christmas party.

Benjimouse's preschool class was scheduled to have their Christmas party today, and I felt mildly guilty keeping him away.  So I decided that we would have our own Christmas party.  The kids played a few contentious (when is it not?) games of musical chairs while I prepped, and then we got down to business.

We made gingerbread cookies.  Each kid cut out their shapes and placed them on their tray.  When the first batch came out of the oven, the air filled with the warm spicy scent of cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

I whipped up some colored icing and pulled out the sprinkles and candy decorations.  I did manage to snag a few cookies before they were coated with sugar shellac.  I prefer my gingerbread men au natural.

We decided not to buy a tree this year.  Instead, we made our own.  A few dozen sheets of construction paper, scissors, cookie cutters to trace, markers, a glue stick and some glitter and voilà -- one homemade Christmas tree!

It is hung in our dining room (please ignore the peeling wallpaper in the corner), and tomorrow I'll dig out our tree skirt from the basement and lay it on the floor, underneath the tree.  The only things that are missing are the garland and lights, but those are currently strung around the living room, along with the stockings and our Christmas bells.

We'll have a leisurely morning tomorrow -- school begins two hours late, so we can have a slow breakfast together before the bus picks up the two eldest monkeys.  On Wednesday we head for the Cities for holiday festivities, Part One.  Part Two will be held over New Year's, at our house with hubby's family.

That reminds me, I must pick up some penicillin ...