Red Velvet Cookies

I am going to attempt and bake these! Maybe tonight :) I am excited!

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 (18 ounce) box red velvet cake mix (any brand will do)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 cup stick margarine or butter (softened)
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Mix all the cookie ingredients together. This will make a cookie dough.
2. Roll into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten down slightly (depending on the thickness you desire).
3. Bake at 375° until the tops crackle (about 8-10 minutes) or until desired doneness.
4. Cool and then frost (they're also good without the frosting).
5. For the frosting, beat cream cheese, margarine, milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth.
6. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frosts one 13 × 9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts one 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake. Refrigerate any remaining frosting.

I am going to do things a little differently - I hope. Instead of ball cookies, I will put the mix in a ziplock bag and try to pipe them into either a spiral or maybe a lady-finger like line. I haven't decided. I am still trying to decide to use the icing they suggested or use a glaze. I love my mom's kitchen, so I have the itch to bake something :D

Visit with Santa

The other day my mom and I took Landon to visit Santa. We went to a classy mall about forty minutes away. The set up they had was great! It was all about the Polar Express. I love that movie! While we were waiting, they had a room set up like front of the train with the break and wheels and of course the horn. Landon was tired, but he was playing with the make believe fire and got his hands all dirty. We walk through that part and into the next part that was similar to a living snow globe. Fake snow was falling, it was really cool. Finally we made it to Santa. The woman asked if Landon had ever seen Santa before, and I said no. She suggested that I put him in his lap and move away as fast as possible so they can snap a picture. I placed Landon in his lap, and he is just staring at him. Santa didn't say a word! I was surprised! I guess he didn't want to scare him anymore. I jolt away and Landon screamed. He was so upset. I think he thought I was leaving him with Santa. My mom tried to say he was a doggy and maybe Landon would have liked him...but no luck. Here is the picture from our trip :) Maybe next year we will have smiles and not tears.

Headache...

Poor Landon is cutting teeth. I can feel his upper one just beginning to come out, but I think another may pop in the next few days. I have such a headache from him being so fussy. I know he has to be hurting :(

I am also getting a headache thinking about transitioning from bottle to sippy cup with milk. I don't think this will be an easy transition at all. Many times whenever he is super sleepy he cries and cries until he gets a bottle and zonks out. I don't know how he will react whenever we just have sippys with milk. It wouldn't be such a big deal if we were at home all the time, but he has to move to the toddlers room at the Church Daycare once he turns one and there are no bottles allowed. I think we have a rough transition ahead of us!

Landon and I are headed to Raleigh this weekend to meet up with my parents and then head to Virginia on Sunday. I hope Shane put in his leave so he will be able to go to Virginia with us as well. My parents begged Landon and I to come up early because I know they have missed him so much. I am contemplating whether or not to decorate the Christmas tree since we will only be here for a few more days and whenever we come back I will just have to take things down again. Maybe Shane can put the lights on and then I'll be in the mood to decorate. We have so many ornaments and such a tiny tree!

I really, REALLY want out of this house. I am so sick of it. I am thankful we have a place to stay and it is close to Shane's work. I just want a house to call our own and room for Landon to run around! Hopefully Uncle Mark gets funded soon so we can buy our lot and finally build our house...maybe sometime in the New Year!

Well, I am off to clean some more - and put up some Christmas decorations :D

Totally forgot...

I totally forgot about this blog and hoping to keep it updated regularly. I guess I can blame part of my empty mindedness on Thanksgiving spent in Raleigh, and the end of the fall semester wrapping up. The family is good, but we all are sick :( Landon was sick on Thursday and Friday, and then I caught it Saturday and poor Shane caught it today (Sunday). As you can see it is technically Monday, but I have insomnia and cannot sleep. I'll post some new pictures of the little man very soon!