4 Days Until Christmas

Wow is all I can say!  Unfortunately, I've been dealing with a chest cold these past couple of days that have made me feel yucky!  Ugghhhhh - I am hoping w/ a little help from meds (I've got a doctor's appt. today), I'll have it knocked out by this weekend!  You can't be sick on Christmas!! 

I don't know about you, but this Christmas really did sneak up on me.  In years passed, I've always been the first one to drag the tree out, listen to Christmas music by the first of November and Christmas shopping by mid October.  I think in some ways by doing that, I make the Chirstmas season last a little longer.  I just love Christmas! 

This year is no exception!  As Christmas is almost upon us, I've had such fun watching Lottie wonder and explore these new found "things" or presents should I say that she can play with, throw and pull bows off of.  She absolutely adores the bows!  Every night I find her sitting under the tree trying to figure out which bows to pull off first.  Thankfully, there has been no paper rippage yet!  It is so cute! 

Last night, I baked 4 batches of cookies for Lottie's day care teachers.  She was previously in the infant room with all the other babies until she reached 9 months old.  Since then she is in what they call a "step up room" where the babies go from pulling up and crawling to walking.  With that said, I made two tins of cookies - one for each room with a note telling them how much I appreciate them looking after my baby this year.  Lottie is so loved there.  I don't think we could have picked a better place for her to be while we work. 

Powdered Sugar Butter Cookies

These cookies are to DIE for, I mean DIE for!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This recipe comes from Cindy Cross! 

1 Box of Butter Cake Mix

1 stick of butter (softened)

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese (softened)

1 tbsp vanilla

Powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together except for powdered sugar.  The mixture will form a large dough ball.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour before handling.  Pour powdered sugar all over a platter/plate for rolling your dough balls.  Take a tsp. amount of dough and form into a ball.  Roll the ball in the powdered sugar until covered.  Place the ball on a cookie sheet that has been covered with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the oven.  This batch should yield anywhere from 40 to 50 small fluffy cookies.

When I was making my cookies, I would stick one batch in the oven and quickly roll another batch of cookies to go into the oven when the first batch came out.  I rotated 3 pans in and out of the oven.  Thankfully the aluminum foil on the pans helped with the clean up!

I didn't take a picture of the finished product (SORRY!) partly because I was so tired and sick trying to get these finished up.  But they turned out great.  I couldn't be happier.  Hope the ladies at day care love them.  I purchased the two tins at Walmart for $3.00 and bought the bow and tag from CVS.  I also attached Lottie's Christmas photos for them to have. 

1.5 more days of work!  I can't wait to have 5.5. days off to spend w/ Steve and Lottie!