Dippity Do Da Don't

This week at school, every grade level was responsible for bringing in a dish to share on a specified day to celebrate the holidays. Being that my day was Thursday, you can imagine that we'd already seen every kind of dip known to man. If you could put it on a chip or cracker, it'd so been done. Times twelve. My lunch for the past three days has consisted of an assortment of salami dip, queso, and layered taco salad. Don't judge. It's the holidays and calories only count for half the month of December. It's like a sale on calories.

Nevertheless, I couldn't possibly think of a dip that hadn't already been done. Nor did I want to.

So, I decided to channel PW (that would be the Pioneer Woman for anyone who's been hiding under a bloggy rock for the past year) and make her to die for cinnamon rolls. I think I gained 5 lbs just reading the recipe.

I had never baked anything that involved dry active yeast before, and the fact that it's active kind of creeped me out. I imagined it being like a bug or a virus or something.

So last night, I stayed up until midnight making cinnamon rolls and this morning I added the maple frosting. They turned out great and I highly recommend that you make a pan (or seven) during the holidays. Mine were a big hit at school and nearly all six pans that I made were gone by lunch time. {I realize mine don't look near as pretty as PW's, but they still tasted great!}

Becks was awake at 6:30 as I iced them, so he sat obediently in the chair not touching but pointing only and saying rooooolls.


In other news, we saw Santa last night. Or one of Santa's pitiful "helpers" who was really a poorly disguised 20-something whose authenticity went out the window with his stringy spun plastic beard and 6-foot-4 stature. B happened to see him ringing a bell outside of a local restaraunt on his way home from shopping for the previously mentioned dry active yeast (I know, he's my hero too). So, then we bundled up Becks and headed out with our camera in hand.

Becks was in absolute awe over Santa. It didn't matter to him if he was a poor college student trying to make a buck in the freezing weather on the street corner, all he cared about was the fact that this dude looked eerily similar to the Santa we have been reading and talking about for the past month.

Literally, his face upon initial meeting was priceless. He stared. Enough so that he wasn't even looking at the camera for the first pic. And in the second one I think he was just scared senseless. He spoke of Ho Ho all the way home. I love having a kid to share Christmas with. There's magic to it again :)

PS. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!!! YAY!!!!!