The (Pit)Falls of Independence, and the Annual 'Do

This morning, wearing hard-soled, flat-bottomed boots with her denim skirt, the epitome of a fashion-conscious schoolgirl, Samantha had 3 choices for our trip to school.  Drive, take the short-cut (through our back yard), or take the bridge (down the block, over a footbridge, into the school yard).  I gave her the choices because it was cold enough to drive, dry enough to take the short cut (wading through the muddy river that runs between the property lines is not fun), and we had enough time to walk to the bridge.

Surprisingly, Sammi eschewed the idea of driving right away.  Which is most unusual these days, but I can kind of see why - she gets very upset at the notion of having to wait until the frost is off the windows before we can go.  Ah, my sensitive girl, so tightly wound against the concept of change... 

Samantha chose the bridge.

I warned her, as we made our approach, to hold my hand as we crossed.  I could see that the synthetic materials used in the construction were coated in a thick layer of frost.  I told her it would be slippery and I didn't want her to fall. 

"It's not slippery - I do it by myself," she announced as she wrenched her hand out of mine.  Two steps in, in a slo-mo moment befitting a cartoon cat, her legs spiraled into the air, and she landed on her bottom.  Laughing, thankfully.

Needless to say, my independent one held my hand the rest of the way across.

Saturday morning was the annual DSANV holiday party.  I look forward to this every year not because of the social aspect (who can be social when you're so distracted by the wonders seen and experienced by your own child?), but because of the pure joy on Sammi's face when she gets to see Santa. 

Sammi just loves loving on the little ones...



She ran out of room writing her name on her snowman, so, on her own, decided to just use one "M."  Good thinking, kiddo!



A book from Santa.  The Cat in the Hat has become a new obsession, so this book about how you can't learn anything by reading with your eyes shut was perfect.  So fitting, since she's becoming such an avid reader, even reading most of the words in this new book.  I can't help but wonder, however, if this book may be construed as somewhat controversial in the vision-impaired community...  

Absorbed in her new book.  



Sunday brought a day of cookie-baking.  Tried 3 recipes - one tried-and-true (spritz cookies for my cookie press, my prized posession this time of year!), one so-so (cranberry, orange, honey cookies - they actually sound better than they are - they're quite dry, but definitely good with a cup of tea or glass of milk), and one complete failure (the gingerbread dough was not right and made a swan dive into the bottom of the trash can - perhaps next year I'll take the advice of someone on Facebook and just buy a mix from the store).  Cookies make good teacher's gifts.  :-)

So...I have until tomorrow afternoon to figure out exactly what I can give Sammi's teachers that won't break the bank (she's got 4 teachers, the office staff, and her private therapists).  Any non-time-consuming (seriously, I have no time), low-cost, still-somewhat-creative ideas you can share?