It's the Most Wonderful Time...

... of the year. And it is the season for:

Making treats. Here, Simon uses spices heretofore untouched in our 9-year-old spice rack to whip up some "strawberry berry." Ingredients: LOTS of celery salt (i.e., "sand"), coriander, marjoram, and mustard seeds. He tasted it and insisted it was good and tasted like strawberries...despite a face that looked like he's just kissed a pig.














There is no neat way to make "strawberry berry."














It's also the season for tree selecting. Simon picked a nice one from a local tree farm in BG. "Get that one, Daddy. You cut it down and you carry it to the car."

Also the season of holiday 5ks. The Family Vance/Moore/Basham ran the Christmas Lights 5k in Glasgow bedecked in proper yuletide apparel.

Also the season for appreciating the great things in life...small children in PJ's in the glow of the tree. Not much better than that.

A late decorating addition: popcorn string. Needles and almost 3-yr olds...not a great idea. But, he was actually very careful and only one minor stick.

Hanging Orville Redenbacher on your tree isn't nearly as cruel or messy as it might sound.