Justin's 3rd birthday

Justin's birthday being on Christmas eve makes it tricky for us to celebrate it. You feel guilty that it doesn't get enough attention and you wind up overdoing it, or it becomes kind of a mix of everything.

People from our "flock" came over after church to cut and share his birthday cake, the weekend before the 24th. Unfortunately, I did not reserve the cake in advance and so we wound up with a cake with snowmen and other Christmas toppings. I don't think he noticed :)

Celebrating at school is also tricky. On the last day of school, we also brought cupcakes from Kara's cupcakes (the mini cupcakes) for his class. Actually, the last week of school they didn't have many children so they combined 4 classes (Robins, Quails, Owls & Eagles) together.

Still, it was fun and Justin and the other kids enjoyed the cupcakes during snack time. He even cooperated enough to pose for a shot with Ms Jenny.

Christmas cookies

This Christmas we did a lot of baking. It's been awhile since I've had the time to, plus, Justin's preschool class read "The Gingerbread Man" during circle time and he wanted to bake some himself. And of course, there's the lure of new cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma that let's you make your own messages (See "From Justin" on the snowflakes).

Armed with the new cookie cutters, colored icing, pearls and sprinkles, everyone got involved in decorating gingerbread men and snowflakes, and passed them out as gifts to friends.