Annual Cookie Decorating

So, we've had an "off" couple of weeks. Ellison's been very sassy, grouchy, tired, and just not herself at all. I blamed her immunizations, but the more I talk to other moms, it sounds like it's an airborne thing that is running rampant throughout the Piedmont Triad. Don't know what it is, but apparently every Little Person is giving their parent gray hair and the need for a stiff drink on an hourly basis. We were seriously beginning to wonder if we needed to start researching child psychologists, she's been acting so off. Suddenly begging to stay home from school had me thrown. At any rate, Jonathan and I have really been trying to crack down on the discipline to nip at least the sassiness in the bud. So what did my genius self give as a form of disciplinary action during one heated moment? She wasn't allowed to watch any TV for the entire day. Please don't think my child sits in front of the TV 10 hours a day... it's really only about 9. Just kidding! Anyways, we had no plans for the day, and we're limited with both the weather and my pregnancy restrictions a little. I thought it would be good for us to spend a day at home just hanging out together and regrouping. I've been wondering if her little love tank feels empty (we think her "Love Language" is quality time) and that may be contributing to her personality change the last couple of weeks. It seems her days off from school we are just constantly on the go, whether it be to playdates, or to run our necessary errands. And if we're home, I can't just take a whole day to let everything go. But this day, this day I decided we were just going to enjoy each other. We did have to go to my OB appointment in the afternoon and quickly make a couple of stops, but the whole morning and early afternoon was ours. No TV at all, which she usually gets during "quiet time" so that she won't fall asleep. Our first order of the day was to snuggle in bed extra long, without me having to put an end to it with the, "It's time for me to get in the shower," spiel. Where we would normally watch a cartoon during our daily breakfast in bed, we instead took to coloring the picture on the back of her Advent calendar for a long while. After tapping into our creative sides, she asked if we could go ahead and decorate a Christmas cookie, at least one for her to eat. Though we were planning on doing our decorating that evening after Daddy got home from work, we decided we could decorate some of them, and leave the rest for evening.

We've got a little Ace of Cakes-type on our hands. She's so meticulous with things like this. Her tree came out better than mine!

Her "dolphin" and Teddy. Note: Don't tilt your head to the side to realize the "dolphin" is really an Easter bunny. I'd love to see what Ellison would say for those ink blot tests. I told her it was a bunny and she quickly informed me I was wrong.

We really ended up having a great day together, and I think it was just what we both needed.

Quick baby update from the OB appointment: dilated to 3cm.

After dinner the three of us finished whipping up our way-too-sugary treats. A perfect end to our day.

[December 14, 2010]