"Mallory! Come here sweetheart!" Zoe called. Mallory walked into the kitchen and saw her mother pulling something out of the mixer.
"Ooh cookies!" Mallory said excitedly.
"No, not cookies Mal." Zoe said. Evan walked downstairs and looked at Zoe.
"Is that what I think it is?" He asked.
"It's salt dough. We're making ornaments. Baby, can you grab the bag of cookie cutters?" Zoe asked. Evan reached into the cabinet above the fridge and grabbed the cookie cutters.
"And Miss Mal, can you grab your paint and your paintbrushes?" Zoe asked. Mallory nodded and ran downstairs.
Zoe sprinkled flour all over the table and put the salt dough on the table. She rolled it flat with a rolling pin and Mallory came running upstairs.
"Got it Mommy!" Mallory said. She put the paint and the paintbrushes on the table. Zoe grabbed the cookie cutters and the three of them started cutting shapes into the salt dough.
+++
20 minutes later Mallory tugged Zoe's sleeve.
"Look Mommy! I made a Frosty!" Mallory said. Zoe looked at Mallory and smiled.
"Look at that snowman! He looks great sunflower!" Zoe said. Mallory laughed and put the snowman cut out on the baking sheet.
"Okay, I think that just about does it! We're all out of dough!" Evan said. Zoe put the remaining shapes on the baking sheet and put it in the oven.
"Baby, can you grab me a cloth?" Zoe asked, brushing her hands off. Evan tossed her a damp cloth and Zoe started wiping off the counter.
When the timer dinged, Zoe pulled the baking sheets out of the oven and moved the ornaments onto a cooling rack.
"Painting time!" Mallory cheered. Zoe smiled and grabbed Mallory, picking her up.
"We have to wait for them to cool baby girl. Then we can paint them." Zoe said happily. Mallory groaned and squirmed in her mother's arms until Zoe put her down.
+++
"Wow Mal! Look at your ornaments!" Evan said. Mallory smiled and kept painting.
"Oh my goodness baby girl! Looks at the pink Christmas tree! It looks so good!" Zoe cheered.
"It's like the one in the story! Remember? With the sad tree and the pink tree?" Mallory said. Zoe kissed Mallory on the cheek and Mallory kept painting.
"Okay sunflower, let me know when you're all done and then we can put the ribbon on them." Zoe said. Mallory nodded and Evan kissed Zoe's hand.
"You're doing great baby." Evan said. Zoe smiled and ruffled Mallory's hair.
"Your painting looks great sweetie. Keep going!" Zoe said. She walked over to Evan and kissed him before walking upstairs to get the ribbon and scissors.
