Feeling the Christmas Spirit- Mama.

We returned back home after our White house visit and I had intentions of sending Henry to school for the afternoon and insisting everyone else take a long nap so I could do the same.  

We returned home and I checked my computer to find that I was a few hours behind on the biggest news story of the year out of Connecticut.  Needless to say, we all remained home for the rest of the day.  

 I emerged from my room after a few minutes of scouring the internet to find my kids playing together in the golden afternoon sun and felt the familiar feeling that has become the theme in our house "It could certainly be a lot worse."  

 I swear these kids know just when the grown-ups are just about at the end of their ropes and need some reassurance why they had kids anyway.  This afternoon was certainly one of them.

Basking in our togetherness and the promise of Christmas, we did was any good midwesterner would do- start baking sweets.  

 Henry had to write a report about family traditions for school.  There's no better tradition that making poppyseed rolls as a family.  

I've been making poppyseed rolls with my grandma and mom as long as I can remember.  And for all that time, I always got frustrated when it came time to cut the butter in.  Usually, I use my pastry tool (or get really lazy and make the dough int he bread machine) to cut the bread in as I've never figured out how to use two knives to get the job done.  This year, Henry was the one trying to figure it out, while I finally mastered it.  I guess I'm finally a grown-up now.

While the dough sat overnight, June and I worked on a craft- snowflake ballerinas- perfect for a girl still high on the affects of the Nutcracker.

 Overnight is a long time to wait when you're in a baking mood, so we also made a big batch of buckeyes (my first batch of 4 this season), soda cracker toffee, and peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

Finally it was time.  We rolled out the dough and spread on the poppyseed filling.

 We rolled them up and even brushed on an egg wash.

 I don't want to brag, but these may have been my best batch yet.  Everyone else thought so too, as you can tell by the almost entirely devoured roll on the right.