Christmas Sugar Cookies and Santa Claus

Last week was peppernuts, this weekend was traditional Christmas sugar cookies.  We always have fun making the cookies in various shapes and decorating them with icing and all kinds of sprinkles.  This year we started a new tradition: going to Ben Franklin to let each girl pick out a new cookie cutter to add to the collection.

We tried a different recipe than usual, sour cream sugar cookies.  I had made some a few weeks ago for Space Day at school, and they were so soft and delicious that we decided to try them for Christmas cookies.  In the past we've made a recipe that turns out more crunchy.

Here's Sophie counting the cookies as we make them:

We ended up with over 200 cookies, including the little miniature ones that Sophie's counting in the photograph.

Here are the artists hard at work and (below that) some of their creations:

Earlier in the day, we visited Santa Claus at Blue Ribbon Nursery and (reluctantly) got our photograph taken:

Sophie wanted to bring along her little stuffed Santa, but wouldn't actually speak to the real guy.  Neither would Hannah, not even to tell him what she wanted for Christmas!

Later we went for a run at the park and some playtime there for the girls.  Since it was nearly 70 degrees we decided to take advantage of the spring-like weather in December!