Christmas baking has begun. I screwed these shortbreak cookies up, but they taste fine. They're lemon ginger shortbread, spicy and delicious. For some reason I only put in 1/2 cup of butter instead of 1 cup. They seemed way too dry, so I added more butter, problem solved, but they were still difficult to roll into a log so I compromised made them into a rectangle shape. Still taste good.
Last night was Jack's Christmas concert which was lovely. It wasn't too cold, hovering around 0C, so standing waiting for the doors to open wasn't a hardship. The concert was short too, only an hour, which is much better for little kids. He looked very nice in a button up shirt and khaki pants. Usually he picks out his own clothes and looks like a homeless child. His sweats all have the knees gone and have been patched a multiple times. He also loves oversize hoodies and he's always dirty by the time he gets home from school. It was nice to see him dressed up. One of the kids looked like he was wearing a tux. You do you.
We got home by 8:30 and he was asleep by 8:36. He was miserable as sin when we got home, exhausted by a late night, but is fine this morning. Yay.
I finally talked to a lovely lawyer yesterday and we will be applying for a guardianship review and trusteeship. To hire a lawyer to do it, it would cost between $3000-$5000. We're going to do it ourselves and my ex husband is helping this time which I appreciate. It takes up to a year for the process to go to court and be approved. Of course there is a backlog right now because of the Canada Disability Benefit applications and the provincial government being a dick, but at least the process has begun now.
It's quiet here right now. It's snowing/raining. Emergency rooms will be busy today with accidents and heart attacks. I'm glad I'm retired. I stopped by work two days ago to get signatures for a petition and got, and gave, lots of hugs. It was nice to see my work family.
The concert sounds perfect. No need to keep those kids up later than necessary. And your cookies look delicious!
ReplyDeleteThe concert was only for grades 1, 2, and 3, so not too many kids, parents, and grandparents. Just the right amount. Ran into friends, old coworkers, neighbors, and parents of kids Jack knows. It was very nice.
DeleteI’m glad they didn’t keep the kids up too late. Beautiful snow picture!
ReplyDeleteJack usually goes to bed at 7pm, so it was late for him. I imagine there were a lot of melt downs after everyone got home.
DeleteHow wonderful for Jack to participate in a concert! Both my daughters did too and they were special memories for them later on. I love shortbread! I don't start baking until December 23rd because both cookies I make are better fresh. (Russian teacakes and frosted sugar cookies) I miss my work family too; perhaps I need to schedule a happy hour after the craziness of the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI am a lazy baker, so I make easy things that I can freeze. Although I like sugar cookies, a lot, they are a fair bit of work.
DeleteHappy hour sounds like a good idea.
Oh, the many, many concerts parents and grandparents must see in their lifetimes! I'm glad this was a good one. An hour can still be a long time, though. I know this to be true from experience.
ReplyDeleteThat shortbread looks delicious. Sounds delicious too. Wish I could smell it, at least.
The shortbread smells very gingery, which I love. I have almost no memories of my own kids concerts, just one or two memories sadly.
DeleteGlad you got the legal advice you needed, and that your ex will be helping with the application. Christmas concerts are a big deal, aren't they! When I was a kid, I was always assigned a singing or a speaking role -- not because of any inherent talent, mind you, but because I was not shy and (1) would not freeze or run off stage and hide behind my mother, and (2) could belt it out so even the deaf oldies in the back row/pew could hear me. I was like a child Ethel Merman, lol.
ReplyDeleteEthel Merman, too funny. I was terribly shy as a child and there was no way in hell I could have sung, or spoken in front of others.
DeleteVery good news on the lawyer front. Who cares about the shape of the cookies. If they taste good all is well. The days of kids school concerts, good memories.
ReplyDeleteThe lawyer I spoke to was so nice and helpful, for free even. Now we just have to fill in pages and pages of forms. Sigh.
DeleteWe never had concerts that parents came to, just the school students, in the day. So I guess it would be a big deal to perform in the evening. It sounds as if Jack did well. He's in such good hands. He's going to be fine.
ReplyDeleteHe's doing well. This weekend he's starting a junior robotics course, it's only one hour on Saturdays and we'll see how he likes it.
Delete"The concert was short too, only an hour...." Quite long enough for adults too.
ReplyDeletePlenty long enough:)
DeleteI'm glad the concert was a success. Your back yard looks so cold. I'm too much of a wimp to live where you do.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't cold when I took the photo, but it's cooled off since. You just dress for the weather.
DeleteI'm glad your ex-husband will be helping out with your guardianship petition (but it's no more than he should do isn't it). I'm guessing it'll be a long process but you'll win in the end. Oh and I love shortbread so if you have a link to the recipe could you post it when you get a mo please! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI can't find the recipe online, but I will post it. I appreciate my ex's help with the forms. I'm not a fan of forms.
DeleteI found the recipe but I only use 2 cups of flour because it's so dry in Alberta. Enjoy:)
Deletehttps://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ginger-shortbread-cookies-3197
Thanks for the recipe. I'm gonna give it a shot!
DeleteWhen you say it wasn't too cold at 0 degrees Celsius, I laugh, because here in Virginia people would be whining about how freezing it is. I guess it is all relative. Last night it snowed here about 2 inches. The city will be at a standstill! Glad the Christmas concert was good.
ReplyDeleteThe temperature is relative. When the cold weather first arrives, 0C is cold but once you get used to it, and have had colder weather, then 0C is warm.
DeleteI'm guessing Virginia doesn't have a lot of snow plows and most people don't have snow tires. All season tires just don't cut it in the snow and ice.
Not a lot of snow plows and no snow tires. So when it snows, things come to a standstill.
ReplyDeleteI can even imagine. It would be a nightmare.
DeleteShortbread looks good to me. Congratulations on the first legal steps. And to Jack for looking sharp
ReplyDeleteJack looked so good. And the shortbread tastes very good.
DeleteGlad the concert went well! And why shouldn't shortbread cookies be oblong rather than round? Makes sense to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve. I guess realistically, it all gets chewed the same:)
DeleteThose shortbread flavours sound fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThrough numerous quality control checks, I can attest to the deliciousness of these flavours:)
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