We arrived in Portland yesterday. It was cold with slushy snow. Miles had a virus with a high temperature and spent most of the day sleeping – he is a very wise child! So we spent the day entertained by Miss Mia who received this awesome birthday present from her aunt Lisa:

Lisa found this in a thrift store and restored it for Mia who is a big Little House on the Prairie fan. We managed to get it here in fairly good shape.

Today, Milo was feeling much better. So Jack and Steph went Christmas shopping and M & M and I made ginger Spritz cookies. Mia helped measure all the ingredients and get things mixed up. I pressed the cookies – Christmas trees, wreaths, and Christmas flowers – and Mia did the decorating with sprinkles and cinnamon red hots.

Miles mostly watched!

Here are cookies fresh from the oven:

Mia offers cookies to everyone:

Stephanie made the cutest Advent Christmas stockings that are hung in  the dining room. Each day there is a treat in a stocking. You can see all the stockings here. Tonight there was a note that said look under the green scarf on the stairs and there were new Christmas jammies. Here they are after a bath and ready to go to bed in new jammies – what could be better?

I have to wrap presents because you can’t bring wrapped stuff on the plane. I have a lot to do because I brought stuff for Mark, too.