my christmas cutie

Before having one of each, I often heard mothers with both sons and daughters say how girls' clothes were more fun to shop for, and so much more varied than boys' clothes.

In only nine months with a daughter of my own, I'd have to wholeheartedly agree.

Although I love shopping for both of my kids, when looking for Christmas outfits this year, I had so many options with Pearl ...

Racks and racks of cute little dresses, and skirts, and jumpers ...

Sweaters and cardigans ...

Tights and knee socks (in solids, stripes, or festive patterns) ...

And shoes ...

(Oh my gosh, don't even get me started on the adorable little shoes!)

It was hard to leave the store without purchasing the whole toddler girls' department first!

Long-sleeved onesie: Cherokee (thrifted for $0.50)

Corduroy jumper: Cherokee ($7.50)

Black leggings: Old Navy (gift)

Socks: Unknown brand (from the hospital)

Shoes: Genuine Kids (thrifted for $1.50)

I guess it is a good thing that our "Christmas" is a three-day long affair!

a different kind of christmas cookie

On the very first day of my Winter Break, Malcolm and I spent part of the afternoon whipping up a batch of Peanut Butter Dog Treats for my sister's dog (our furry nephew/cousin), Emmitt.  Not only was it an easy Christmas gift to put together, it was fun to work in the kitchen alongside my boy.

(It didn't hurt that, halfway through, he exclaimed "Mom is a good cook!")

Here is how you can make your own treats for the four-legged friends in your family ...

You will need:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats

To make the treats:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, blend the water, oil, eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla together until well combined, then set aside.  Whisk the flour, cornmeal, and oats together in a small bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a workable (it will still be quite soft) dough forms.

Roll the dough out (to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) on a floured surface and cut the treats in whatever shape you desire.  We used cookie cutters to make bones, dogs, and some letters ("M" for Malcolm and "E" for Emmitt).

Place on an parchment paper-lined, or (ungreased) nonstick cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes.  After the 20 minutes are up, turn the oven off and leave the treats inside as it cools (this will allow them to become nice and crisp).

Store in an airtight container once they are cooled ... We "fancied" our treats up by putting them in a glass container and adding ribbon and a festive tag (since they were a Christmas gift).

Although Malcolm was disappointed that he could not taste the finished product, he was so excited to give the gift to Emmitt ...

to those on my digital mailing list

Although some of the photos were already posted, here is this year's Christmas card.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!

pearl: nine months

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe, but Pearl's ninth month has come and gone!

(Admittedly, this post is a little late because I wanted to wait for her official height and weight measurements from yesterday's well check.) 

Maybe it is because she is baby #2, so all of our attention can't go to her, but Pearl seems to be a bit more mischievous than Malcolm was at the same age ...

(Go figure that our girl would be the handful!)

She loves to crawl (slow and steady like the tortoise from the familiar fable) and easily gets to wherever she chooses.

She always has to see what her brother is doing (or, probably more importantly, what he is playing with) ...  And while, there can be a bit of brother/sister conflict, a sweet little relationship is forming right before our eyes!  It is so fun to see Pearl smile when she sees her big brother, or when she goes to "play" with him.

Even if it is always on his terms.

Although she has a lot of spunk and (already!) has a bit of an independent streak going, she is also super snuggly and loves a good cuddle when she is feeling sleepy (and sometimes when she's not). 

She is definitely a gift to our family during this holiday season ...

And every single day of the year!

Stats:

Height: 28 inches

Weight: 14 pounds 11 ounces

*Check out Pearl's eight month post here.

the wild card

I never liked playing cards.

(I have only ever done so begrudgingly.)

But, with two kids, some of the terminology seems to fit.

For example, no matter what we are doing or where we are going, someone over here ends up being the "wild card" ...  The kid that does the opposite of what you expect and completely surprises you.

Think Pearl will be happy and well-rested for that Christmas party?

Wild card!

Think Malcolm will be uncooperative during a professional portrait session?

Wild card!

And that's where this post is headed ...

Last weekend, I took Malcolm and Pearl out to the local portrait studio to get some shots for Pearl's ninth month and, hopefully, some nice ones of the two of my children together.

While Pearl performed as I expected her to (for the most part), and Malcolm was a bit of a stinker throughout the entire session, I was completely blindsided by the adorable photos (of Malcolm!?) that I ended up taking home ...

Dress shirt: Cherokee ($10.00)

Clip-on tie: Cherokee ($4.00)

Pinstripe Vest: Unknown brand (thrifted for $1.00)

Jeans: Arizona Jean Co. (thrifted for $1.00)

Socks: Unknown brand (hand-me-down)

Shoes: Smart Fit (hand-me-down)

But, lest you be too impressed, there is photographic evidence of some less-than-cooperative behavior as well ...

Wild card, indeed.