Sleep. I Miss It.

The last time I checked, it is one week until Christmas. That means ALL OF THE CHAOS and such. Normally I have all of my Christmas shopping well before this point, but this year I missed my window. I try to have it all done before Christmas Crazy starts because I cannot multi-task my shopping and the organizing that goes on behind the scenes for the other. So, like, December 1st I need to be done with our family and such.

I hadn't started as of December 1st this year. Heck, I hadn't done much of anything as of December 15th this year.

PANIC.

Except, maybe not.

I know what Alexis is getting and it requires the universe to provide decent customer service. THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED. In fact, I just walked away from a store empty-handed because I can't even. I want to give a store money, but they don't want to take it. WHATEVER.

I'll figure it out before the weekend. Hopefully.

Mila, though. Mila is a whole other situation. I have a few things for her, but I'm beginning to think I should stop with those few things because that kid is clearly confused. I know she knows Santa is just around the corner, and yet. AND YET.

She hasn't been sleeping lately.

Last night was worse than the newborn days with her.

For the past few weeks, Miss Mila has been waking up over and over all night long and screaming. Just screaming. She doesn't want anything. Nothing hurts. She has no words to explain why she's screaming - she just wants to scream. And kick and flail and did I mention that I am required to be present for her shenanigans? That's the only thing she's clear about. She really definitely wants me to be close enough for her to kick and she'd rather if she could scream directly in my ear.

Needless to say, I have a favorite kid right now and she's the one who is, for the first time in her entire life, the one who is the better sleeper.

What are the odds that Santa will bring me a full night of sleep? Because that's all I really want.

(Alexis did not pick this photo for our Christmas cards this year and I completely do not understand why not. IT IS SO PERFECT.)

Chocolate Chip Holiday Mint Cookies

Okay, friends. It's go time. There is now basically a week between us and Christmas, so it's time to start getting the Real Work done. I've got a tree to decorate (the one that fell over is now repaired but not decorated), people to shop for, and cookies to bake.

Which, uh, I'm like a month behind.

TIME. TO. GO.

I woke up this morning with plans to make these cookies, but when I went to pull the candy canes down from the top shelf of the pantry, I discovered that there is a thief in our midst. A climbing thief. I think maybe her names rhymes with MILA, STOP CLIMBING THE SHELVES. (She appears to have had an accomplice. GRRRR.)

Thus, I finangled and made a variation of them that didn't include the candy canes. It just so happens that it worked out just fine.

PHEW.

A little too fine, actually. Mila snuck about a dozen of them over the course of the day. ::sigh::

Chocolate Chip Holiday Mint Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 bag Holiday Mint M&Ms

1. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the shortening, eggs, vanilla extract, and mint extract one at a time, mixing well in between each one.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the moist ones while mixing on medium speed. Once everything is well combined, stir in the chocolate chips and M&Ms, but make sure to hold onto about 1/2 cup of M&Ms. You'll need them in the next step.

5. Roll a rounded spoonful of dough into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet. Flatten it with the palm of your hand. Keep going until you have all of the cookie dough made into cookies. These spread just a little, so place them with about an inch between them on the cookie sheet. Then press a few of those M&Ms you held onto in step 4 into the top of each cookie. This helps with the prettification.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown.

7. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.

8. Try one dipped in milk. TRUST ME.

We're Going to Need More Snow