Stress and baking

I have been so busy lately! I think that December is the most stressful month of the year. I finished my microbiology class this week. Hopefully I did well, I am just glad it is over. It was the hardest class I have taken so far.



A couple of weeks ago I took Collin in for the developmental evaluation we have been waiting for all year. I was very surprised at how badly he did on the tests. He didn't want to do them and didn't focus. The next week I went back to the psychologist and she gave me the diagnosis. Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PPD-NOS) . It is on the autism spectrum, kind of an autism light. It encompasses the attention problems, the sensory problems, the communication problems and the social problems. It was where we thought he would fit but we are still not sure if it is due to the hearing loss he experienced or if there is more too it. Peter had a hearing test a few days ago and he failed it (he passed six months ago)! I am glad we caught it early so that he can get tubes right away rather than waiting like we did with Collin.



While I was taking my final Wednesday night Des took the boys to the mall. Apparently they were coming out of the elevator in Sears when Collin decided he didn't like the lady who was in the elevator with them and tried to race her out of the elevator and ran strait into a metal bar. He cut and scraped his face around his eye and was so upset he refused to let the paramedics look at him. We spent the evening in the emergency room. They glued his cuts closed and his eye is going to be fine, just a nasty shiner for the Christmas pictures!



I have been doing a little baking. I made a few different kinds of cookies earlier in the month and my biscotti turned out really well. So I decided to make lots more for my friends. It is really easy. Just mix the dough and make it into a log and cook it.


Then cut the log into slices and put it back in the oven to toast on each side.



Then I dipped them in chocolate and sprinkled with nuts. I like to dip them in my hot cocoa.



I got almost all of my biscotti delivered tonight. Now all I have to do is pack for our trip to my parents house tomorrow morning!!

Trees and Quilts

I had a busy weekend. I put up the Christmas tree and did a little decorating. We have a fake tree that Des bought in the after Christmas sales the year before last. He says we have to use it for two years to make it worthwhile. I hate fake trees because they are a pain to put together, they shed plastic needles and they don't smell like Christmas. Last year I got some fresh branches to put around the house to smell piney but it didn't work. They dried out in a few days. This year I am going to buy a really nice expensive candle to produce that Christmas smell (I am a little passive-aggressive). I am looking forward to next year's tree.






I also finished that baby quilt I was working on. It is a good thing too because Jennifer's baby will be here any day! She preferred the green and I thing it turned out really beautifully. I quilted leaves onto the green squares and I like the way it turned out. The green is actually a bit lighter in person. Now that this is done I can get started on my Christmas quilts!!

After we got back from our trip I had to do a lot of laundry. Collin and Peter kept themselves occupied with the baskets for a few short minutes.

I forgot to write about my trip to the dentist. Peter was happy to sit in the lobby and watch TV for most of my appointment but Collin was not. He preferred to sit on my belly throughout the entire visit. While Peter did really well but I don't think I would bring my kids again if I didn't have to.

More Thanksgiving

Here are some Thanksgiving leftovers. This is a video of Peter, Collin and Grandmama building sand castles. The boys get really, really excited each time a new tower is added. There is also a picture of the three littlest kids: Trevor Lizzie and Peter. That bucket of animals was a lifesaver. They played with it all day every day.

See how generous Peter is with his animals. He has gotten really possessive of his things lately. Especially his elephant. That he would not share.