The Next Food Network Star

(Isaac loves the lights over our kitchen table and I had just flipped them on to take this picture--thus the look of wonder as he gazes above)

Friday I decided to start a new holiday tradition of baking Christmas cookies with Isaac. Understanding I was working with the attention span of a 16 month old, I made the dough beforehand. Then after morning naptime on Friday, I pulled out the dough, cookie cutters, rolling pins, and flour. Isaac sat at the table in his super-cool booster seat (looks like one of those camping chairs that collapse--too cool for school!), with snack close at hand, and we got to work. Isaac choose each cookie cutter that I used to cut out the cookies and did a great job of not repeating the same shape (although the poor angel went undetected the majority of the time because it somehow became hidden in Isaac's lap). He watched in awe as I cut the cookies. I then gave him his own dough in which he would roll it out (pat it with the roller) and then proceeded to smash a cookie cutter onto the dough. Adorable. I have great video of this first "cooking" experience. Isaac is at the stage where he can see either Tobe or me do something once and then makes a great attempt at repeating it. About half-way through this cooking extravaganza, Isaac realized that the dough could be eaten and was rather tasty. I let him eat it because it is the holidays and it was homemade so I knew what was in it (I know raw eggs are dangerous--we live on the wild side here at casa de phillips). I eventually had to cut him off because his little body isn't used to ingesting sugar and I was fearful a sugar-high would interfere with afternoon naptime. The cookies were a success (the frosting is another story) and I believe we have found us a new holiday tradition.

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In other news, Tobe and I walked into QuickTrip on Saturday night (where else would one go on a Saturday night???) only to see ol' St. Nick himself at the check-out counter. Hysterical. I suppose he had just gotten off work and was headed home to Mrs. Claus. Tobe said I should have hugged him. He must have been a Southlake Santa because he had the real hair and beard and wasn't sporting a set of fake hair. Wanna know what kind of car Santa drives....an old Honda Accord. Guess the sleigh was in the shop.