baking, crafting, eating, making, and train rides

I'm always terrible at updating during Christmas time, and I usually just never get back around to posting all the things we did. 

This year I'm trying to be better, so here is a "quick" post to record what we've been up to.

We've been doing lots of baking and Christmas crafts around here.

And taking cheesy pictures apparently: That's me eating my Mom's melt in your mouth ginger cookies.

Liv painting a gingerbread "ornament/light catcher"

 You know her creative juices are flowing when her tongue comes out. Its usually wiggling from side to side when she's drawing or painting.

Baking, baking, baking!

My mom and I have been baking all day. The list this year included peppermint merengues, fudge, coconut craisin bars, ginger snap cookies, and pecan pralines.

Wassel- This tastes like Christmas to me. My Mom always makes it!

We snacked on a few (okay way too many) treats and drank wassel while we watched "A Christmas Story"

A few nights earlier we made pumpkin spice lattes, snacked on chex mix (this is another treat that tastes like Christmas to me. One of those special things my Mom makes every year), hand cut snowflakes, and watched "Christmas Vacation"

We took Liv to the mall to see Santa and ride the train. I didn't mention this in the post about Santa, so I will here- Every time we would ask her what she wanted for Christmas she would always first say with a big smile, "Christmas!", then we would tell her "a dolly and a doggy". This might be the last year we get to tell her what she wants for Christmas :)

While we were in line she stayed busy by decorating a felt gingerbread girl I picked up at Michael's for $0.99. Best purchase ever. She plays with it every day. You could totally make something on your own like this too. Speaking of making, I made a little girl version of this headband for Liv. I think its pretty adorable on her.

She LOVED the train ride! I was slightly surprised because I thought when the train started pulling away  and getting further and further from us she might get nervous, but no way! Even that little boy in front of her started bawling and screaming on the 2nd time around. She was just kind of looking sympathetic at him, but would always smile and wave and blow kisses to us when she came around.

She loved it so much that we let her go around a second time. She was the only one on the train, haha!

Just loving all this time we get to spend together!!!