Easy Bake Oven

We have been stuck inside today because it is raining and only 40 degrees outside-- which I know is like summer weather for Minnesota folks-- but for us, it is very cold. Anyway, we decided to use Owen's Easy Bake Oven.
Truett is showing off his finished product. As you can tell, it is not quite as pretty as the picture on the package.
He wanted the yellow cake with "banilla" frosting. And Truett did mention that his cake was "dewishish".

Owen with his devil's food cake. Funny that the little devil picked that type of cake.


Notice the concentration while putting the frosting on the cake.

Owen wanted the pink frosting for his cake.

Owen asked for an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. Here he is baking with it. The concept of cooking with a light bulb I'm sure goes against anything "green" and energy conserving-- especially since it is a 100 watt bulb. But I suppose for the few minutes it takes to cook these mice sized cakes, his carbon footprint won't increase by too much. I'm glad we have evolved to bigger and better ways to cook.

Christmas Morning!

All the Legos put together and displayed by Owen.


Hutto's version of "white" Christmas.

Robert and Papa cooking Christmas breakfast. And I must brag... Robert did the dishes twice on Christmas because there were so many dirty dishes. Thanks BOB!

Christmas morning started early, around 6:30. In fact, Owen was up first, and couldn't wait to check it all out, so he woke Truett up. Truett seemed confused for about the first 10 minutes of looking through all his new toys and gifts. Papa and Carolyn came over--at the crack of dawn-- to celebrate the Santa gifts and eat a little breakfast.

Owen wished for a skateboard and legos, and Truett wished for a nerf gun and a new scooter. Everyone else is into the Wii or Xbox-- but I am trying to keep those out of the house until the boys just "have" to have one. I figure soon enough, video games will be all they ever want to do, so until then, it's games, legos, and anything else hands-on you can imagine.
Owen also got an Easy Bake oven from his friends Mazzy and Artie. Owen and Robert tried to bake the first cake with it, but forgot the nonstick spray. Needless to say, they were not able to get the cake out of the pan. All of it is funny to imagine anyway, since the little cakes are like mouse food, and with Robert--the gigantor-- practically cooking for mice, with a light bulb, it is all quite comical.
Oh well, there are more cake mixes, so they will have to try again.

Owen asked Santa for the Lego camper set, so he could "put it together with mom".


Truett got a head light in his stocking, and here he is after some M&M's, with a bit of a chocolate mustache. Or I guess I should say chocolate goatee?


Truett riding his new Hot Wheels scooter.


The boys digging in their stockings.

Our Christmas tree, before all the chaos...


Small bit of video from first thing Christmas morning.

Christmas Cookies and Lakehouse Fun

The kids enjoyed some painting craft before cookie decorating.

Truett playing in a puddle after swimming in the lake.

Only in Texas is it 70 degrees, clear, and sunny on Christmas Eve!

Here we are rolling out dough for sugar cookies. We took a bunch to the lakehouse for decorating, only the boys weren't too interested in doing the decorating. I think both of them decorated one a piece, and they were off to bigger and better things.

School Holiday Parties

Truett's class had pajama day for their holiday party. Here he is posing with his teacher Ms. Barb (and her boot from foot surgery). The kids could also bring in their favorite stuffed animal. Which Truett's is Ellie elephant, which is almost as big as he is.

Owen's first grade class had a holiday party today. The kids ate sandwiches, cupcakes, and cookies. All the kids got pencils, erasers, stamps, rings, and the book "Mooseletoe" for Christmas from Ms. Hendrix. Here Owen and Aaron are checking out their new rings.

The whole gang on plenty of sugar was hard to get a picture of...

All the kids have been ready for winter break. I'm sure the whole week has been nothing but goofiness going on for Miss Hendrix.

Owen posing with friend Mollie Brown.

Jackson sees Santa at the Elementary Christmas Carnival

A morning at Lowe's "build-it" days.

Here I am wearing both Christmas tree ornaments as earrings. Truett was taking pictures-- which was a distraction for him because he was taking his kiddie hammer and attempting to demolish the bags of concrete and sand.

Owen and friend Izzy Harris building the project at the Lowe's "build it" day. The project was Christmas ornaments.

The PTC had a Christmas mini-carnival at the school to raise money. The boys enjoyed face painting, games, and bounce house jumping at the carnival.

Jackson getting to see Santa for the first time, and he wasn't scared a bit.

Owen lost another tooth

Owen lost his 2nd tooth on December 10th, and the first thing he said was,"Good, now I can whistle". Anyway, he has a tooth pillow in the form of a bat, which he put the little tooth in the pocket on the back. He was up at 3:30 in the morning after he got a small LEGO Christmas tree from the tooth fairy. Robert had to tell him to go back to bed and he could build it after he slept for a while longer.

Santa Visits the Hoppin' Hippo

Santa Claus was at the Hoppin' Hippo- which is an indoor inflatable jump around place here in Hutto. The boys jumped right up on his lap-- no fear of a bearded fat man at all-- and told Santa their Christmas wishes. Owen said he wanted a black skate board and the camper Lego set. Truett said he wanted a nerf gun and a hot wheels scooter. When Santa asked Truett if he was planning on shooting his brother with that gun-- Truett of course yelled "YES". It was pretty fun, and after all the kids had talked with Santa, he walked around the place visiting with the kids. It was really cute. And when we were leaving, Truett yelled to Santa "Bye Santa!"

St. David's Holiday Party

Of course there was a nettie pot in the gift exchange.




















Truett spent more time decorating himself than his gingerbread cookie.




















Since we work weekend nights, our shift had a holiday party on Tuesday night. And it was kids included, so there was plenty of candy cane eating and cookie decorating. Which is one to put on the list-- "don't decorate cookies when you are drinking"-- the mess is HUGE. But we had a ton of food, and the white elephant gift exchange was fun. Owen picked for BOB and chose the gift which we had contributed, which was a marshmellow gun, so of course he was planning for me to steal it back if anyone else stole it from him. The firepit was going, and the marshmellows were burning, and it was a good time. Too bad it was a school night because I'm sure it could have gone on and on and on....















The Wright Family


















Larry chose the white elephant present which was obviously alcohol. Do we need an intervention Larry?

The firepit

Well, I have wanted a firepit for a long time, and we finally got one. Here are a few pictures of the 1st fire. I'm not sure how much warmth it will actually give us, but I sure like to look at it. And Owen is sure to tell you to "stay out of the smoke because it will kill you." I think he has been paying attention to the "don't smoke campaign" at his elementary. We are hosting my work party on Tuesday, so hopefully we can use it that night.