Christmas Cookie Baking FLOP!

This year will go down in our memory banks as the year of the crummy Christmas cookies! Talk about horrible! They were awful tasting and to coin one of my own phrases, they were gag-awful. I wanted to do a lot of different things with the girls this December and cookie baking was on the list. So while grocery shopping at Aldi's, the other day I spied some pre-made Christmas cookie dough on sale. I thought what the hay, most things I buy at Aldi's is good, so we'll try these. I bought two cans of the cookie dough mind you.  I figured I would save time by buying pre-made Christmas cookie dough.

A few days passed and yesterday I told the girls we would make cookies in the afternoon if they got the kitchen cleaned up. Once the kitchen was all tidy, or as tidy as it could be gotten by the two girls living here, we got out the cans of pre-made Christmas cookie dough. Oh we were going to have fun and make memories. Well we made memories all right!

We sliced the cookies and put them on cookie sheets and slid the cookie sheets into the oven, then we waited. In no time we had cookies! Everyone couldn't wait to taste them and I was thinking to myself, Way to go self! I had checked off from my list another item I wanted to do with the girls this year. It was so easy and simple. I was almost ready to give myself a big pat on the back........then I tried one of those cookies. I thought I would gag. They were awful. I even said to the girls These are awful! My thirteen year old burst out laughing and said, I KNOW! My five year old only ate a cookie and I'm not sure she finished it. The redemption of these awful Christmas cookies was only in the fact that the dogs loved them! They must taste like something dogs like or maybe it's just that dogs will eat almost anything, but these dogs finished off the plate of cookies with an eagerness that was a sight to behold. Put your fears to rest lest you think the dogs might have been harmed. They are fine and healthy and robust as ever this morning.

The thirteen year old thought it would be funny to put some cookies  in the cookie jar for when their dad got home and watch for his reaction when he bit into one. Ha Ha Ha, I didn't allow them to do that, but I did sort of snicker at the thought. Wicked sense of humor I guess and these girls have inherited it. Oh and if you think the fun stopped after we baked and then sampled these awful cookies then think again. Apparently something had ran over in the oven from a few days before and the oven smoked so bad you'd have thought we were on fire here! We were gagging and even as frigid as the weather is outside we had the doors open and fans on full blast to try and clear the smoke.

Oh yes, we made memories. Just not the warm memories I had envisioned in my head of baking Christmas cookies. I've learned my lesson and I won't be so quick to take shortcuts or pat myself on the back from here on out. Take it from me and save yourself some money and the horror of baking cookies like these, and make your Christmas cookies from scratch!

The worst Christmas cookies ever! lol

Space Rockets In Flight And Found Treasure!

Have you ever had one of those crazy, exciting experiences that leaves you wide eyed amazed? Well I had one yesterday.     My daughter-in-law and I took the girls to the park to launch a rocket I had bought. Just a simple rocket launched using two large rubberbands. The girls were so, so excited! You might say over the moon. Pun intended. When we arrived at the park my granddaughter Breanna said I might not want to park where I did because there was a bee's nest. I was thinking a bee's nest more along the lines of a wasp nest. I pulled a little more forward and put the truck in park and we all piled out.                                                                                                                                                                  

 We found a surprise at the park!

                                                                                                      

               THIS is what we saw buzzing about. Honey bees!

Gracie, another granddaughter, was scared and afraid we were all going to be stung. Actually I think she thought the bees were going to attack and carry us off because she started running and yelling, "They're going to sting us!" Once she realized the bees were calm and weren't excited she calmed down. I'm pretty sure she thought I and her mother had lost our ever loving minds though because we ventured close.......closer............and closer still. We wanted to get a good look. A REALLY good look. And look we did. We looked at those bees until we were practically ogle-eyed. 

 This picture was taken approximately five feet from where the bees were flying in and out of a large crack in this elm tree. The girls had quickly lost interest in the bees and had run off to play soon after we arrived. Except for Gracie. She stayed close by. Not because she wanted to see the bees, but I think because she thought she might have to rescue me and her mom. Hee Hee! Just call my daughter-in-law and I the bee charmers! Those bees certainly seemed to be charmed by us and never appeared threatened anyway. Finally we had our fill of watching the bees and resorted to doing what we had come to the park to do. Make memories and have fun with the girls.

                                                  10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 ,2, 1 BLAST OFF!

                                                                 Space rocket in flight!

 

This is going to be a good launch. Look at that form.

 

Aim it over there. Keep clear. Don't shoot yourself in the eye!

 

Stretch it tight and Let R fly!

Rocket in flight!

 

Getting ready to launch.

Let's see, I think we hook it here.

We accomplished so much more in this afternoon than the story these pictures tell. We created memories. A timeless treasure these girls can carry with them throughout the years. Special times and bonding. Time spent together is never regretted or wasted. My hope is that one day they will look back and remember times like these and emulate them for their own precious children. I hope they will take these lessons to heart and repeat them in their own families one day and they will be heard to say, "I remember when," and then tell the next generation a timeless story of love.

 A story about them and their story and their family history. Of a day that grandma, mom, aunts, and nieces spent the afternoon together in the park flying rockets. An afternoon making memories because today doesn't last forever and because we love them and want them to have the legacy of a close, bonded family.  The dollar fifty I spent on that rocket was worth it's weight in gold for the treasure it contained in memory making and an afternoon full of fun.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.Psalm 127:3-5