Spreading Christmas Cheer

One thing I really wanted to do this year with the kids, was make some treats for our sweet neighbors so the kids could deliver them.  We live in a condo association with lots of older people (and a few families like us) and I'm realizing that most of them are grandparents.  So even though we're always paranoid that our kids are being too loud or wild, our neighbors really love them and get a kick out of seeing them.  I wanted to give them each a little gift and I knew it would be a win-win for the kids to knock on their doors to deliver them. 

I asked Ava if she'd like to make some cookies with me and she said yes.  I love when she says yes. 

I decided to make a whole bunch of them at once, but I saved a few for Ava to decorate.  She was all about the sprinkles and did a good job of telling me exactly what colors she wanted for icing and for sprinkles.  When it comes to giving her opinion, my girl is not shy.  I wonder who she gets that from??

I think she was having a good time.  It's hard to tell though, she's pretty good at concealing her emotions :)

Sweet girl. 

She did such a great job!  Her cookies were beautiful and her biggest fans loved them.  I was one of them.

The pastry chef always gets the first bite, right??

We had a tough crowd, but Thing 2 gave us "mad props" for our hard work! 

And so did Thing 1??  Carter was a fan.  He enjoyed every single sprinkle on his cookie.

Every. Single. One.

And here are some of the cookies we ended up with...

Took these to Ava's Bible study teachers : )

And these to Carter's teachers.

And the neighbors got lots of traditional cookies. 

It was fun to do a night of baking and delivering with Ava and Carter.  They loved knocking on the doors and both tried to walk right in several people's homes on more than one occasion.  We might need to work on some boundary setting, ha ha!  I know that Buddy the Elf says the best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing carols for all to hear, but in our family we spread Christmas cheer through sugar!  Lots and lots of sugar :)  I nearly burned myself out with 80 some cookies that I decorated, but I suppose I'll be back in the mood by Valentine's Day!