And that means Friday is just around the corner. Do you have any big plans for the weekend? Our family will be celebrating a birthday.
Happy birthday, Jonah Bear! You're five and I'm stunned.
Jonah (our grandson, if you’re a new reader) turns 5 next week. I can hardly believe it. I honestly remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. He scared the water out of us. We thought we’d have time to drive to Austin for the big day and be there to hold My Baby’s hand to see her through the birth of her first child. Instead, little Jonah Bear went into distress and an emergency c-section was performed. That drive from Houston to Austin was the longest 3 hours of my life. Don’t worry. The story has a happy ending. He ended up being fine and we got there just about the time our daughter was settled into a room. When we saw Jonah for the first time, he was pink and swollen and wearing a knit cap. He looked like a tiny boxer that lost a really long bout, and we immediately fell in love. Now he’s a healthy, happy, funny boy who absorbs every detail like a sponge. He has a heart as big as Texas and a smile that will melt your heart. He is one of our greatest joys in life (as is his spunky little sister, Lilly Bug).
Hang onto your hats! Lilly Bug is in da' house!
Be A Good Cookie Week benefiting Cookies for Kids Cancer continues! It started with Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic on Sunday night when she announced what our blogging circle of friends was up to via the Cookies for Kids Cancer: Best Bake Sale Cookbook. (Sidebar: For a great take on what we’re up to this week, click here). On Monday, she started the week with a walk on the savory side with Parmesan Cheese Bites laced with cayenne pepper. My mouth still waters just thinking about these little gems. They are on my holiday “to do” list for sure. My Toasted Coconut Shortbreads were up next (on Tuesday). I’m saving these for a cookie exchange playdate next week, and let me tell you – it has been a challenge not to dig into that tub-o-cookies in my fridge. Yesterday, Megan at Wanna Be A Country Cleaver knocked my socks off with German Chocolate Cookies. Coconut, nuts and German chocolate in a warm, gooey cookie? Yes, please! This morning, I awoke to Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Kat at Tenaciously Yours. Now THAT is a breakfast, my friend. And because oatmeal is involved, you can bet I would use that excuse to eat them at 7am. Or 8am. Or all day. Her 1-to-1 chocolate to cookie dough ratio rocks.
Still to come this week – Mads at Le Petite Pancake and Allison at Decadent Philistines Save the World. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what these ladies are baking. There’s a rumor going around that homemade gingersnaps may be in the works. GAH! Oh, and hey let’s not forget there are two giveaways going on for Be A Good Cookie Week! Click here to enter Kirsten’s giveaway and click here to enter mine. That’s two fabulous baking giveaways so you can bake your own holidays favorites and support Cookies for Kids Cancer at the same time. Better hurry – both giveaways end this weekend. You don’t want to miss your chance to win, or these fabulous recipes.
Parmesan Bites, Coconut Shortbreads, German Chocolate & Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
With all the decorating, shopping, baking and everything else that goes with the holidays, I’ve noticed that I’ve let a few things slide. For example, I really need to strip our beds and wash all the sheets. My pantry shelves are a mess and need to be emptied, cleaned and reorganized. Don’t even get me started on the closet in my sewing room. I’m afraid to even open that door. Most shocking, though, was what crawled out from under my sofa yesterday.
Hello, little dust bunny! If I weren't horrified, I'd think you're kinda cute.
Best thing about wood floors: they’re easy to care for.
Worst thing about wood floors: dust bunnies made of rug fuzz are highly visible.
Okay, kids. That’s all I’ve got. I’m off to strip beds, bake more cookies, and avoid closets at all cost. Hope you’re having a wonderful week, and that your weekend is even better.
PS – Did you hear about the reindeer that got loose on I-45 in Houston yesterday? Evidently, they busted out of their trailer and ran amok on one of the busiest freeways in town. Chaos ensued. Reindeer wranglers were called. No animals were harmed by their shenanigans, and all is well. I wish I’d seen it with my own eyes, though. Just the thought of it sleighs me.
And I’ll leave you with that golden nugget.
Inside NanaBread's Head 
“Just the thought of it sleighs me.”—-Oooooooo….sleighs! That’s punny!
I CAN”T WAIT FOR THIS WEEKEND. Looking forward to seeing Jonah Bear and the rest of the family. If they aren’t amped up enough on sugar from cake and ice cream, I am planning a Saturday night trip to Gourdoughs if everyone is game. http://www.google.com/images?q=gourdoughs&hl=en&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images&oi=image_result_group&sa=X
Oh, hells yes! Take me to the donut truck so I have can my way with it, honey! The kids are going to lose their ever-lovin’ minds. Wait… are they open at night, too?
On Saturdays they are open from 10am until 3am. Thats right 3am!
Then the answer to your question last night is YES! I will be taking my camera this weekend.
Can you ship Gourdoughs?? do they deliver all the way up here?
Reindeer lose in Houston??? Did Santa loose his GPX?? I bet there is an elf in BIG trouble right now!!
1. Fried dough never ships well.
2. Bet they don’t. So sorry. I’ll have one for you.
3. You heard me! Reindeer. On the freeway. In Houston.
4. Santa shoulda’ got a Garmin.
5. I’m willing to bet a couple of elves got canned over this one!
We sweep and sweep and sweep and yet there always seems to be the world’s largest pile of brown dog hair right under our dining room table. Nice, right?
Happy birthday to the grandson! He’s a handsome guy, and I just love his name. :) The weekend cannot come soon enough!
We have a Boston Terrier who sheds some, but not nearly as much as our living room rug. After 2-3 days, the rug bunnies start crawling out from under the sofas. That’s my cue to vacuum. If we didn’t have that rug, I swear I could go for weeks without sweeping. Still, I love that rug and there’s no way the dog’s going anywhere, either. Thanks for the birthday wishes. We can’t wait to celebrate with him this weekend. Hope you have a great one, Meghan!
Sleighs me?
You slay me! I die! That was the best treat of the night. Though the tricked-out dust bunny comes in a close second. It’s hard to know sometimes.
And, Happy 5th Birthday, Jonah Bear! He is growing up so fast! It’s craziness, really.
Too fast, Kat. They’re both growing up way too fast, which also sleighs me.
Just a BTW – the Reindeer you had made the news in Seattle. I LOL’d at it a bit and thought of you. :)
There are a lot worse ways to be remembered, so I’ll take Dasher & Dancer on the freeway any day. At least it can be said that we know how to celebrate Christmas here in Houston with all the usual reindeer games.
OMG, #1 – I love that TCP writes comments and posts as TCP.
#2, your dust bunnies look remarkably similar to mine!! :)
You forget, Katie, that he gave himself that moniker and boy does he love to use it! Thanks for confirming the dust bunny sightings in your own home. I needed that. I was only 2 bunnies away from becoming a Dust Bunny rancher.
Happy Birthday to Jonah-Bear! I can’t wait to hear about your antics from the weekend. And as if I didn’t already think TCP lives up to the moniker enough, the man went and found a doughnut shop open until 3 a.m. That’s a keeper, right there.
P.S. Love the Be A Good Cookie Week collage!
Oh, good grief. TCP is going to love that comment. And I’m going to have to buy a bigger front door for Christmas now. :-P
WHAT FUN you are…I want to be like you when I’m a Grandma…Wait, maybe I should just try to be like you as a Mom! :)
Jonah is so so so cute! I hope his bday weekend is awesome–and all of you fun folks just go for it and live it up!
Aloha!
We’re really looking forward to celebrating with Jonah this weekend, and to Christmas soon after. The holidays are always more fun with kids around. Cherish every minute with your boys, Monica. Those years are gone so quickly. On the other hand, some day you’ll be enjoying your daughters-in-law and grandkids of your own. And playing with them is MUCH less stressful than raising them!
I am so smirking…It is a delight to visit here Jeanne! From a birthday boy to Cookies for Kids Cancer and dust bunnies, YOU are the complete package. Happy Birthday Jonah, you are a lucky young man to have so much love surrounding you!
Thank you, Brooks. That’s the sweetest comment ever.
Kind of makes me want to go find some dust bunnies under the couch…
You’re my kind of gal, Margie. There seem to be two types of responses to that photo – laughter or horror. That you want to go hunt dust bunnies puts you on my side of that imaginary line. :)
Oh, my gosh….your dust bunny cracked me up!!! SO funny! I blame all our furballs on the dog, but I may have to start adding eyeballs…and see what the kids think!
Hello, Liz! Who knew the dust bunny would be so popular? Now I wish I’d kept that little dust bunny. I should have put him in a jar and made a housekeeping snow globe or terrarium. I kind of miss him now. If you pull that one on your kids, you’ll have to let me know if they freaked out or laughed their butts off!
Happy belated birthday, Sir Jonah! Gotta love those big blue eyes and the biggest smile in the universe. You must be one proud grandmama.
I spent the weekend relaxing, playing Secret Santa, and watching the new Sherlock Holmes movie! It was wonderful.
Thanks, Mads. I’ll pass along your birthday wishes. He had a great time this weekend. Had friends over for a birthday party, and raised the roof. TCP and I had those kids whipped into a frenzy. MAN is it great to be a grandparent! :) Your weekend sounds lovely. Of course, any weekend not spent writing papers is a good one, am I right? I’m hoping to catch “The Descendants” while TCP is off for Christmas so we can relive our Hawaiian vacation. We rented a house on the street where filming was taking place, so we’re viewing it as a kind of vacation video. Can’t wait to see Hanalei Bay on film.
Gotta love a good pun! They “sleigh” me! LOL
Sometimes they’re just too good to resist. :)