With Sprinkles on Top

I've been busily trying out recipes for the home-baked (hand-baked?) gifts I intend to give out this year. So far the cranberry-white-chocolate-oatmeal cookies were too bland and the first batch of mint brownies were a disaster (although the second recipe I tried shows much promise)...next up are the pumpkin pie bars, or maybe I'll just default to my old stand-by, cracker toffee, which never disappoints.

But, I've said too much. What I really wanted to share was this photo of this perfectly festive cupcake because it is, well, perfect and festive.
So if you happen to be in Seattle, heading back to Minneapolis, with time to stop at Cupcake Royale and you feel like bringing me one of these puppies, I'd be mighty grateful. Every baker needs a little inspiration. And every girl needs a cupcake. Just sayin'.

Goodbye Christmas

Collective exhale. The holidays are mostly over. All that's left are a few toasts and resolutions and then life can go back to trying to eat fruits and vegetables and save money. (Surely you'd all sum up your lives that way.)

Christmas was nice. Less really is more when it comes to Christmas. Less stuff, less obligations, less mess. Less, less, less. (And then more money left over to do fun things like pay bills!) 

Christmas Eve was spent seeing my dad's wife, who always makes a quick stop on her way to the bar up the street (coincidentally, we live less than a mile from the bar where my father's grade school buddies gather every Xmas Eve). Then onto the in-laws, where the boys treated us all to many squeals of delight, we got to see the teenager, who was pleasantish, and I was informed that even though it's on backorder, I am getting my coveted Wii Fit!!!!!!! I'm sure to get in shape with the help of Nintendo, I just know it. 

Then we ventured over to my stepsister's house for a Wii bowling tournament, which might be the perfect activity for a family gathering, save for the risk of losing your balance while bowling and tipping over into all of the presents...which happened once, but not to me. I have to say that I had sort of accepted that family gatherings were more tolerable than fun, but this one was fun. New tradition? Check.

Christmas morning was picture perfect. The boys were thrilled with their gifts -- all of which I already told you about except for the Price is Right game that we found on clearance at Target and turned out to be the big favorite of the day. 

My husband made the most of our $25 limit (yes, really) and gave me satin pajamas and Anthony Bourdain's book "The Nasty Bits," which, in my opinion, might be one of the best ways to spend $25. 

But one of the big highlights was finding out what the boys picked out for us on their shopping trips. Though Aidan had come very close to insisting on a bottle of Gingerbread flavored CoffeeMate Creamer for my husband, he settled on a back massager that he can strap to his office chair, which was surprisingly appropriate. Owen chose a blue travel mug. Simple and practical, that's my boy.

Apparently Owen had a theme going because he chose a coffee gift set for me, which included a travel mug and some fancy ground coffee. 

But possibly my most memorable Christmas moment came when I opened Aidan's gift...the one that my husband had informed me he was dead set on from the moment they entered the store...the one Aidan had bragged I would want to open first because it was the best...

Yes, I am now the proud owner of a Barry Manilow CD. And not just any Barry Manilow CD, no, this one includes him singing hits such as "Islands in the Stream" and "Careless Whisper." The best part is that because it was from Aidan, I have to actually listen to it. 

Thank you, Game Show Network, for alerting my child to the "fact" that Mr. Manilow is "one of the greatest recording artists of our time." Thank you.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Ladies and gentlemen, my Christmas shopping is complete. And not just the shopping, but also the wrapping (but that was mostly just because I didn't have anywhere to hide all the stuff).

All I've got left to do now is some baking (homemade gifts are totally recessiontastic, you know) and the annual trip to Target where I let the boys pick out a gift for dad. So I guess, technically, that means I've still got some shopping left to do, but really, they are the ones shopping, not me...so I still say I'm done. 

Letting the boys wander around Target and pick out whatever they want (within reason) for my husband just started last year, but it's something I picked up from a former boss of mine, whose husband used this tactic with their then-three-year-old. My boss wound up getting Scooby Doo floor mats for her car that year. (practical AND fun!)

The process goes against my control freak nature, but last year my boys did great. Aidan was drawn to the automatic tie rack, while Owen chose a Nerf dart gun. I kept asking, "Are you sure this is for daddy and not for you?" and Owen assured me it was for daddy. Turns out the kid is telepathic or something because my husband gleefully informed us on Christmas morning that he would be bringing the toy to work, where all of his co-workers already had their own dart guns. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what they choose this year, although I suspect they will attempt to capitalize on the fact that my husband likes our Wii almost as much as they do. Perhaps I could suggest that daddy would really like a foot massager or a stand-up mixer...

Rudy toot-toot and rummy tum-tums

Despite my fantasies about having a no-spend Christmas -- which, btw, are purely motivated by our less-than-stellar financial situation, not my attempt at making some anti-commercialization of Christmas statement -- we will still buy this Christmas. But mostly just for the kids, as it should be. 

We aren't going nuts this year, but we'll still be able to grant them the wishes they've asked for from Santa. Although I have to be honest...it's kind of unfair that Santa gets all the credit for delivering the things they want most.

So what did my kids ask Santa for this Christmas?

Wii Music, of course, which I'm hoping will give us a respite from Tetris Party and Super Monkeyball Banana Blitz while also maybe providing some sort of educational benefit. There has to be something educational about playing instruments with a remote control, right?

Yes, that's right, it's the Press Your Luck DVD game. Bet that's not on your kid's list! Owen really took a liking to this game...it's still unclear why, but who am I to deny an appreciation for the classics? (And no, Santa did not laugh when Owen asked for this, but I think that's only because he had no idea what he was talking about.)

This is the Nerf N-Strike Longshot. Where Aidan heard about it, I have no idea, but I figure it's better than the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle...I don't think you can shoot your eye out with a styrofoam dart, but I guess we'll find out.  

Ah, board games. Ok, so this one apparently requires you to hurl things around, but it should still make for some family fun...or at least, it should keep the boys occupied while I leisurely enjoy my US Weekly subscription that I just know Santa will finally bring me this year...I mean, how else will I track Britney's comeback?

So those are the biggies for my kids this year. What's at the top of your kids' lists this Christmas?

'Tis the Season of Giving

Today we're delivering our adopt-a-family gifts to Simpson Housing Services. I know I said yesterday that I don't enjoy buying gifts for kids I don't know, but this is the exception. Every year, we sign up to "adopt" a family who is either homeless or relying on housing assistance so that we can help makes a few of their Christmas wishes come true. 

For the past 3 years, we've been assigned the same family: a mother with twin girls. It's not a coincidence, I once applied for a job at Simpson Housing and the woman who assigns families remembered that I also had twins. This family used to be homeless -- a young mother with two then-toddlers -- but thanks to Simpson Housing is now living in an apartment. This single mom can barely make rent, let alone shower her kids with Christmas gifts. 

We started participating in the Adopt-a-Family Program back when I was working full-time and it felt like we had some money to spare. This year, it doesn't feel like we have much to spare and yet I wouldn't think of not doing the program. 

You should see the wish lists we get from this family each year. Whereas my kids are asking for a Nintendo DS (which they are not getting) and an assortment of toys, this family's list is all essentials: winter coats and boots, hats and mitten, jeans and sweaters...the past two years, I've gone back to our liaison at Simpson to ask if there was any way to find out what kinds of toys the girls liked. Because of course we always provide the essentials (the idea of waiting until the end of December in Minnesota for a winter coat and boots is heart-breaking) but we also want the kids to have something extra Christmas morning. 

This year we might actually have spent more on our adopt-a-family than we'll spend on our own family for Christmas - and that's okay. Our kids won't be left wanting for anything. They already have more than enough. 

There are similar programs everywhere. If you're wondering how you can help a family this Christmas, simply Google "adopt-a-family" and your city, or contact your local homeless shelter. No child should go without this Christmas - we all have enough to help someone else.  

Princess Mania and Recovering from It

The boys got their first classmate birthday party invite of the year! As much as I don't really enjoy the uncertainties of buying gifts for kids I don't know and then having to go through the whole "Do I have to stay? Or can I go enjoy 2 hours alone?" aspect of classmate birthday parties, I don't take those invites for granted. I worry that as they get older, those invites might not always come. Or worse, that they might come for one and not the other. 

It's really hard to say which of them will have a harder time socially. Obviously, Owen is expected to be socially awkward -- that's pretty much the definition of high-functioning autism -- but on the flip side, one of the gifts of autism is that even if he doesn't make a lot of friends, he probably won't care all that much. My little Aidan, on the other hand, wants to be everyone's friend but doesn't realize that he alienates people (yes, already at age 5) with his extraordinary intelligence and inability to stop talking. I often find myself worrying more for him just because he takes everything so hard.  

So maybe the best scenario is that the invites just stop coming for both of them...okay, so I'm over simplifying, but it would make it a little easier if they were equally as socially awkward, wouldn't it?  Maybe they'll actually feel less awkward because they're both so awkward. And I know a parent's unconditional love only means so much to kids at a certain age, but at least they can always count on us to embrace their weirdness. 

But I digress...back to the birthday party. This party is for a girl, which at least meant I got to shop for girly toys! And yes, we always buy two gifts (one from each kid) because we try not to treat them as a single entity in hopes that no one else will treat them as such when their birthdays roll around. 

I know it's considered gauche or whatever to assume that people will give your kid gifts, but I've never been to a birthday party where gifts were not expected, so I wish we, as parents, could all agree to simply provide a little direction on the invite. Like, "Billy is obsessed with trucks but is terrified of Bob the Builder." Or, "Sally is totally into painting and she hates Barbie." Or even, "We don't allow guns in our house and yes, that includes squirt guns." You know, something. 

But no, I was left to fend for myself. The boys, of course, could provide zero insight on what this girl likes, but I managed to find out that they think she has a Disney Princesses backpack, which is something at least...I mean, if it's even true.

So anyway, I went to Target ready to buy some princessy things, but the aisle of pink boxes paralyzed me. And there I stood, thinking: How much does this girl really like princesses? Does she want to be one? (but, really, who doesn't?) Would she like to dress up in a gown and carry a wand? Or is that too obvious and she already has enough gowns and wands? (I imagine that if I had a daughter, she would be fully stocked on dresses and wands.) Does she want to play with tiny Cinderella figurines? Do little girls even know who Cinderella is these days or is it all about Ariel and Belle? Should I get her the princess make-up kit or will her mother recoil in horror at the thought of her 6-year-old being given make-up, even it's made by Disney? Will she balk at the little fairy playset because she already has the super-giant fairyland mansion? 

Then I stopped and reminded myself that these gifts were to be from my boys. Even if they weren't actually picking them out (because I've learned that no good can come of that), they should still be things that my boys would realistically be excited to give their little friend.  So I grabbed the fairy lantern that my boys have been eyeing since last Christmas and then I went to the board game aisle and picked out Scrabble, Jr., the Dora the Explorer version. 

And now I feel slightly less crazy, because even if the kid hates her gifts, at least they're purchases we can stand behind.