All things Christmas.

December is a very busy and equally exciting month for Nidhi. She has been wishing for snow this Christmas but as of today it looks clear and sunny(the way I like it) much to her disappointment. So far we have had only a few bone chilling days or maybe it is just that I am used to Indiana winters now after 5 years. The first thing we did to kick off our Christmas-to-do-stuff was to make handmade holiday cards for family back in India. I traced out a Christmas tree on a piece of cardstock. Nidhi colored the tree, stuck a few paper ornaments (I punched on textured cardstock using a single hole punch) and glued a big star on each tree. She worked on the three cards very patiently and wanted to mail them right away and even informed her Ajji and Ammachi back in India to expect something from her soon.

This year I promised her that we will bake sugar cookies and she will get to decorate them and give them as presents to her friends. We shopped for a few basic supplies like cookie icing, sugar cookie mix, cookie cutters and holiday sprinkles. She just loved to ice and decorate each cookie. I wrapped each cookie and tied a green ribbon for that festive look.

Nidhi happily sat on two Santas this year much to our surprise but didn't speak a word or ask for a gift (no complaints there..LOL)!! I got her Pip-Squeak markers and a Santa Brooch and gift wrapped them per her wish and it is placed under the tree for now.

Walmart Santa

This year we both baked a Date -Walnut loaf cake for Christmas and it came out fantastic as per the recipe. Nidhi loves baking and I am so happy for that..she just loves to add, measure and mix the ingredients and wants to watch them bake through the oven window. While the cake took almost an hour to bake she pretended to bake cakes for Biju and me from my Cake book and offered us many varities from her kitchen such as Strawberry,raspberry and vanilla cakes. At the moment she loves to take orders like a waitress (be it a bakery, restaurant or an ice cream store). She loves to pretend that she is a flight ticketing rep with our wireless keyboard (which has been of no use) and books flights and rental cars. According to her Switzerland is in Colorado and it takes 6 days for me to fly to Dallas and 10 days to India!!

The last thing on our Christmas-to-do list was to build and decorate a Gingerbread Cookie house. I love the concept of gingerbread houses for Christmas here in the US. Last year Nidhi made her own mini GBC house at school and another one this year.

                       

I bought a pre baked Ginger bread cookie house kit from Walmart for $8. Nidhi added her own little touch to the house by decorating the tree,kid and the doors and windows. I completed the kit by following the instructions and to my surprise it stood without falling. I was 100% certain that it would fall the next day..but it DID NOT!! It looks easy to build but it is not so once you start decorating and putting the pieces together (esp the roof). Glad that I did not need extra icing and used my cookie icing too as it was easier to pipe tight spots. Nidhi will get to devour the house on Christmas day as a snack.