Madeline in the City : The Cowgirl and her Cookies

If you can believe it, another week at home for M. Sick. This time ear infections and tonsillitis. These nursery germs are no joke. Her poor little immune system cannot get a break. And this mommy is worn out.

So I am very very very glad to see you my dear friend, weekend!

After many rounds of questioning, the back and forths, and the day of I want to be a butterfly, we managed to be a cowgirl for Halloween. Really it's the obnoxiously pink boots imported from Target that made the outfit.

Halloween is not nearly the big deal here as it is in the states but we managed to get out and do a bit of trick-or-treating at a few houses decorated on neighboring streets. You know who celebrates the holiday in London as their house is obviously ready for trick-or-treaters. Met a few neighbors (who of course were also American) and helped a Spanish family that tagged along with us learn how to trick-or-treat properly. We also had a good amount of trick-or-treaters ring our doorbell so the holiday felt more like it this year.

And in the spirit of chocolate since you've probably not had enough in your life since Halloween, these cookies are a favorite around here. Any time M and I want to bake, these ingredients are usually in house and easy peasy to throw together! The recipe makes a ton so I always throw some in the freezer in the event that I need cookies in a pinch.

1 cup margarine

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

Cream the ingredients above. Then add:

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat. Then add:

1/2 cup flower

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Mix it all together. And finally add:

3 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips (I love using dark chocolate)

Place smaller than you think scoops on cookie sheet. Bake 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit for 9-11 minutes. YUM!

Thank you Aunt Diane for the recipe!

We've officially accepted an offer from one of the schools for M to begin Reception next fall (insert huge sigh of relief). I fell in love with this school when I went on the tour and we were so excited to get a spot as it was our #1 choice. It's so funny as a few months ago I was all flustered since I was hearing this and that about not having her on the lists when she was first breathing. Of course things work out as they should and I just needed to trust the process. This school is perfect for her and it feels really great to be able to send her to a place where she will thrive and not one of those schools where prince so and so went.

It is such a wonderful school and I hope M will get to spend more than 1 year there but that will all depend on Davis' job. We've just crossed the 1.5 year mark into our official 3 years according to our visas. There were some changes in the company this week, so the harsh reality is that we could be sent back to the states at any time. I cannot imagine leaving London so let's not go there right now...

This sweet book is a recent favorite having a toddler in the house who sometimes has some big emotions. The words are beautifully written so that even your littlest toddler can understand and relate to the emotion on that page. If you are looking for a holiday gift for a child who loves books and is learning about their feelings, this is a good one!

We had our holiday photo shoot with the amazing Amy Fanton. She put this little tease up on Facebook and I just love it. We trudged through the wet fields of Hyde Park, to get to this location right at the perfect time of day for the lighting. Davis and I were laughing as Amy was telling us to "love on one another!" but who knew that M was actually smiling! Hurray as last year, little miss stubborn was, well...there wasn't a smile in sight.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! Ours is jam-packed with two birthday parties, date night at the Dave Matthews Band concert and hoping to fit in a visit to the Renegade Craft Fair. I went last year and it was so amazing. I love being able to shop small businesses for the holidays.