The kids enjoyed a long weekend. Although it was called spring break it was HOPEFULLY the last long weekend of winter.
Soooo what keeps the D clan occupied and smiling on a long weekend?
For Jamison it is all about late nights, sleeping in, and video games. His current favorite is NBA something or other. He will play for hours and hours.
Riley... don't you just wish to be a dog?
Chad loves to surf the net and watch TV. He is currently scoping out deals on camping and boating equipment. We are all very excited for camping season to begin. Today as we walked into Walmart on DRY! SNOW FREE! pavement, Joshua said, "Snow melting! Camping time! YEAH!!!!!"
Sierra and Krissy (but Krissy refuses photos) enjoy a trip to the mall. Sierra always buys a big jug of soda and cheetos. She also loves bath and body mini hand sanitizers?! And see those snazzy socks? So funky! So Sierra!
Yep, she chugs it straight from the jug. No worries about having to share then!
I love this shot, because this grin is SO Sierra!
While everyone else lounged, Brenna WORKED!
Without me asking, Brenna chose to sweep and mop the main level of our house.
She dusted everything.
She cleaned and organized the mud room.
She vacuumed the stairs.
So I asked what I could do to reward her?
Her response was... make cookie dough!
Her first crack at cracking eggs.
Running the mixer, all by herself!
Joshua woke up in time to stir in the chocolate chips.
YES... I did give her this whole container of dough to eat (not at one sitting though)!
She said it was worth all the work!
Joshua liked it too!
So what is the magic cookie dough that turns 7 year old girls into cleaning machines?
Here is our favorite Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie recipe.
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups butter flavor crisco
3 beaten eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup quick oatmeal
3 1/4 cups flour
1/2 package chocolate chips
Cream sugars, shortening, and eggs really well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes.
My family likes warm-from-the-oven cookies best. So, I bake one pan of cookies and freeze the rest of the dough. If you freeze dough in a container in teaspoon size balls, you can pull them out of the freezer and have hot and fresh cookies any time! If your kids like cookie dough as much as mine do, you may have to HIDE it in a sneaky spot in the freezer or it will disappear!
I hope these cookies get your housework done too! It was sure much more fun making cookies with Brenna than scrubbing the floor. I am so thankful for my little worker bee!
