Fattening

Yesterday, we baked.

We started the day by feeling like bonafide grown-ups because we had everything in the house already to whip up some sugar cookies and aggressively bright icing. Nothing says grown-up like a stocked pantry (unless it's the old lady mags that have replaced the glossies I read in my youth).

If you want someone who can roll dough a perfect 1/8 inch thick, Ben's your man

Ben's trying to act all like he's making fun of me, but he was genuinely proud of how efficiently he used his dough space here (as well he should have been)

I wanted to do the decorating myself, but Harry the Elf wanted to help REALLY! BAD!

He got bored after these 3 (and yes, that's a firetruck. We also made hands, fish, flags, and cowboy boots in addition to more seasonal shapes.)

Jack got totally bored about 3 and a half minutes in and went upstairs to play with Batman, Santa, Jesus, and his Little People dollhouse.

We made a quick run to the grocery store for more baking supplies and to library for books with which to while away our break, and after Ben made delicious tacos for dinner and the boys took baths, Harry and I baked some more when Jack went to bed. Not only did we make these chocolate cookies with white chips

but we also made brownies from scratch, which I have never done before. I have only baked brownies with a mix for 32 years-- talk about shameful. Next time, I am going to throw in some chocolate chips (because, duh), and I am going to take them out of the oven like 3 minutes sooner than I did this time. But I will be sure to make the same chocolate cream cheese frosting (because, again, duh).
Harry loved measuring the chocolate chips that we melted into frosting.

He also loved slapping on the frosting, telling me he had been doing it for years.

While I did the dishes, he and Ben played Old Maid, Harry's current favorite game in the world

Here he is rejoicing after he duped Ben into picking the Old Maid and losing the game