Christmas at the Dekkers!

So, I'm sure all of you have been waiting with baited breath to see the pictures of our final, decorated, Christmas tree. So, here it is!

I have also thrown in a bonus one that didn't make it into the Christmas card!

Christmas Cookies

So we made some cookies this Christmas. Sugar cookies. Now, everyone in my family knows that the perfect Sugar Cookie has been my Holy Grail for a number of years now. I have tried a different recipie each year for the past five years, all with varying degrees of success. But they all fell short of the texture, taste, and decoratability that I had in my head. Until Becky and Jason Hedden blessed us with their recipie. Now, THIS was a Sugar Cookie. Creamy, flaky, not too sweet, and so easy to cut into shapes and decorate. Of course, leave it to my family to take decorating to the next, disturbing, level.

The cookie on the left is Winnie the Pooh, clearly recognizable by his jovial, yet curious, grin, and crimson top. The one on the left is my father's interpretation of what Pooh would look like were he on fire. Please note the toothpick splint where Pooh lost his leg in the blaze and my father (yes, a doctor) retrieved and re-attached the severed limb.

Now this cookie may look like a simple rabid Polar Bear, but those of you who are Lost fans will note the difference. What is it? The bleeding bullet wound where Sawyer shot the approaching beast in Lost: Season 1, thus saving the hunting group. My question is why didn't they have bear steaks that night...but we may never know.

8-year-olds: A Scene

Setting: A climbing wall.

(Both climbers are racing up the wall. GIRL is farther than BOY.)

GIRL
I'm beating you! I'm almost there!

BOY
It's not over 'til someone gets injured! So, get out the Band-Aids, Michelle!

THE END

HAAPY BITHDAE!

So, one of the events that we host here at Life Time Fitness is children's birthday parties. They are great fun to chaperone, especially when you get really active kids. I chaperoned two of these 3-hour parties yesterday, and learned a lot more than I thought I would.

Things I Learned from a 7-year-old's Birthday Party

1. Life is really just a game of freeze tag- just try to be the ones who un-freeze, and stay away from those who freeze.

2. Pizza is the best thing ever!...Wait!!! YOU HAVE CAKE?!?!

3. Gifts are great- whether they are given in pretty bags stuffed with tissue paper and ribbons, or in a brown paper lunch bag with "HAAPY BITHDAE!" scribbled on the side.

4. Small potato chip bags make great carpet-skis.

5. It's OK to be the one that bounces around the soccer field doing nothing in particular...until the big kid smashes into you.

6. Inhaling seven pieces of pizza, 2 cans Coke, 2 bags of corn chips and 3 pieces of cake makes people laugh...but you sick.

7. Kickball is a very important game, and needs to be taken very seriously. This is life or death stuff here. And don't get us started on T-Ball!

8. Dad is the best basketball player in the world.

9. Little sisters are SO stupid...but you touch her and I'll kick your butt.

10. The gym closet that Miss Beth accidentally left open a crack is a wonderland full of magical toys, flying machines, glittering balls, and untapped merriment beyond our wildest imagination.

Christmas Trees!

I've long not fully grasped the idea of Christmas Trees, but have always embraced it. So, we decided to make the trek outside of Columbus to rural Grove City, OH, to find and cut down our first Christmas Tree. Of course, Maeby had to come along as well!

We found the tree farm, grabbed a saw, and trotted into the field of little green triangles. Maeby thought it was fun to bite the saw. Once.

There were these holes interspersed throughout the field, where people had dug up trees. We thought it was great fun to throw a treat into the hole and see if she would get stuck...man, we're awful people.

So we found our tree! And, after a brief family portrait, Nick and Maeby, armed with a saw and razor-like teeth (I'll let you guess who had the saw) set about cutting it down.

A tractor came and dragged it back to the barn, where they bagged it, and tied it to our car. Stay tuned for the completed product!!!