TGIF

Second snowfall! Am I going to blog every snow fall? Well maybe - it's a pretty exciting event around here...

In other news:

RILEY IS KILLING ME. 

      WITH KINDNESS.

Recall how I have been trying to teach Riley how to do chores? Its wildly out of control! I feel like Mickey on Fantasia, after he swipes the wizard's wand and casts a spell on the broom to make it do his chores and then it just keeps on going, well beyond the reason.

My magic broom now unloads the dishwasher for me whether it is clean or dirty. I get surprise piles of dirty silverware in the utensil drawer and bowls with oatmeal stuck on them shoved in the pan drawer. If I leave folded laundry where she can reach it, she "refolds" it and stacks it on the floor. If she finds paper on the floor, it goes in the trash. When I vacuum, she insists on helping me push and drag (she LOVES the vacuum. Literally. She bends down to kiss it about every 10 seconds.) And heaven forbid I leave my shoes lying around, because shoes are going to go on someone's feet, be it her own or Joe's or mine - if someone doesn't wear them she can reeeeally get cranky. Oh and if she notices Joe being stinky before I do, she WILL try to change his diaper. May she never succeed in actually removing it. Please oh please oh please.

Basically she is a doer. She wants to do EVERYTHING. She doesn't even want to play horsey with her Daddy anymore - she wants to BE the horse, which gets pretty tricky for us giant riders trying not to crush her.

I look forward to the day when she surprises me doing the laundry and it is actually a pleasant surprise. Until then, thanks for keeping it real, kiddo!

PS: We like cookies around here and I made these the other night and would have to say: they are the BEST THING YOU COULD EVER HAVE WITH HOT CHOCOLATE ON A SNOWY NIGHT! I couldn't let off the caps with that phrase there so we'll all just have to live with that.

Mom's Amish Almond Butter Cookies:

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond flavoring

4 1/2 cups flour

1  tsp. baking soda

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine sugar, butter, and oil.  Mix until combined well. Add eggs and vanilla and almond flavor and mix until combined.  Add dry ingredients.

Drop 1 1/2 inch pieces on a slightly greased cookie sheet.  Flatten cookie dough just a little with the bottom of a glass.  (Can dip glass in sugar)

Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Do not overbake. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes and then remove cookies to a cooling rack. Except for the 2 stuffed in your mouth - you keep those. Nom nom nom...