Stephen's Day

Ah the day after Christmas... A time to relax and sit around in my bathrobe for hours and hours on end.

On Christmas Eve we had husband's family over for some food and fun. This year has been very special as Cupcake's Spanish cousins are visiting over the holiday season. The cousins are nearly 4 and 2 years respectively. This was the first time that Cupcake found herself well and truly fascinated by her 2 year old counterpart. We are, however, still learning to share we have heard many screams of 'mine mine' or 'no me me'.

Christmas was spent down at Nana's house with a food marathon and several games of Scattegories and Boggle. Cupcake was delighted with her new trike and magna-doodle from Ho ho (I am referring to Santa not some crazy present giving prostitute or the hostess baked good). We skyped my family in California when they had managed to rouse themselves after what sounds like a fun night of partying at their blow-out Christmas Eve party where even my Dad was helping himself to shots of Hot Damn. Dad was apparently on a roll, especially after my brother posted pictures of him wearing a metallic shirt that had him looking like a 'Guido' off of Jersey Shore. While I was disappointing not to have been there to celebrate with my family I have promised myself that next Christmas we will be heading over.

Today we went back over to Nana's house to meet up with the extended family. It was nice, although not a surprise to see that the two girls were verbally advanced in comparison to the same age boy cousins. Although I don't necessarily think this relates to gender as I think it really is about how much you read to your children and work with them to learn different words. Cupcake has a huge fascination with books and is constantly reminding us that she requires them all times. A couple nights ago she refused to go to sleep without a book by her side. I think it is cute that she is so demanding (!) but occasionally do get a fright when I hear something fall out of her bed in the middle of the night until I realise it is just a book and not my girl!

The Holiday Season

Well the holiday season is upon us. It seemed to come faster than usual this year, although I am not really sure why since I have spent the last 9 weeks house-bound! Right now I am laying in bed, staring out at a gloomy rainy afternoon and all I can think about are these delicious biscotti that my grandmother used to make. That is how I really knew it was Christmas, these delicious twice-baked cookies would make their appearance once a year in our cupboard next to this lethal fruit cake she also would whip up. Incidentally my Dad swears her fruit cake kept him and his fellow sailors warm and happy while stationed in Adak, Alaska during Vietnam as apparently she put enough alcohol in it to keep the US Navy afloat. Strange, all of a sudden this memory of her biscotti has pierced my consciousness and I miss her so incredibly much.

On a holiday note, I was just browsing on food network, my food bible website for interesting holiday goodies. If there is one thing I love about the holidays it is baking. Every year my Mom would put together these fantastic plates of treats to give to all of our family friends. It was a great activity to be involved in over the Christmas holidays as Mom always needed her special kitchen helper (i.e. moi). It is a tradition I've said I'd like to continue with my aptly named 'Cupcake' as I thought it was a great way to spend time together. There is something about the sentiment attached to giving food, something you had spent the days pouring your love and good thoughts into, that puts me in the 'real' Christmas spirit.

When it comes down to it, Christmas for me isn't a time for going crazy and breaking the bank, rather it is a time for giving things to people that I've actually put effort into making. That being said it has been extremely difficult not to go hog wild buying things for my niece and nephew, especially when I keep seeing cool things I think they would LOVE. So I have made it my goal to try to make one thing for them this year - which involves embroidering as it is the only thing I can accomplish in a minimal amount of time and still feel it looks good. My niece will be receiving a little tote bag with her name and some ice cream cones on it while my nephew will have a personalised 'space' bandana. I just love looking back at all the cool things people made for me as a kid - my desk, a mini rocking chair, a sandbox, a handmade jumper with my name on it - and remembering all the love that went into those things.