Merry Christmas Cookies

Being home bound with 3 teens during these wintry snowy days of the past week has had its ups and downs. I have tried to go to work when possible, but since my place of employment is in the higher elevations, being able to actually get to work has been hit and miss in the past week. One day I drove on nearly-bare pavement all the way to the bottom of the hill that leads up to the office, but had to chain up my mini-van to make it the last 1/2 mile. This week, at the boss' recommendation, I will be staying home all week and not going into the office until next Monday; an unplanned, and unpaid Christmas break. So, that has left me at home with an 18 year old (who also has had work days cancelled on him) and a 16 and 14 year old.

Like many mothers are reporting via the buzz on Facebook, one or two snow days is fun and an adventure, but after a week...well....it is getting old and quite honestly, we're running out of things to do to keep us all from going stir crazy. We've watched available DVDs, decorated, and re-decorated the house for Christmas, and are now playing really old Nintendo 64 games that are "new" to us once again. Oh, and eating way too many Christmas goodies.

Baking is one thing we have done nearly every day. Like most families, we have our traditional Christmas cookies that we simply must make every Christmas, then of course there is the fudge and the Chinese-noodle-butterscotch-chips-peanut-buttery-candy-things that are a must. So yesterday, was the day to make our traditional Merry Christmas cut out cookies. This is the same cut out cookie I made with my mother that was a long-standing tradition in my family when I was growing up. I wasn't sure at first if my big kids would really care about making the cookies. No one had mentioned them yet this season, so I honestly had considered not making them this year. But as soon as I pulled out the ingredients, the hand mixer and Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, their eyes lit up and they were excited. (Well, the girls were excited, my son was quietly enthusiastic.) Suddenly it was a team effort and cookie cutters were being pulled out of the cupboard, sprinkles and food coloring were accounted for and on it went.

I flashed back in my mind to our first house we lived in and making this same cookie recipe with my little children who were then ages 6, 4, 2 and an infant. We video-taped the event as I showed them how to roll out the dough and cut out shapes. Decorating them with the icing was entertaining, and each cookie looked more like lumps of frosting encased in colored sugars than a Christmas bell, star or Santa face. But, my kids are big now and I'll admit it, I was a bit melancholy when shopping for stocking stuffers this year. As I walked through the toy aisle at the store, I was so sad when I realized that they probably wouldn't think of Play-Doh as a treasure in their stockings any more. (I actually realized this years ago--but it seemed especially sad this year.) In a year of transitions and losses, I realize I'm a little more acutely tuned into things (maybe hyper-ly so? Don't know.)

I felt a little pang in my heart when pulling out the Cooky Book and Christmas cookie cutters my mother had given me years ago and was keenly aware with how quickly time is passing. I've been missing the sweetness of days gone by when my kids were little and the anticipation of Christmas morning was almost unbearable. I miss shopping for toys. These days Christmas list "toys" are either technological in nature, a specific clothing item, or an accessory. I'm guessing this is about the time that people my age start thinking ahead to being grandparents and get excited at the thought of once again being able to be around little children on Christmas.

I was so thankful for this little Christmas surprise and a tradition that continues on, at least for one more year. Our cookie making session was an unexpected blessing to me and a reminder to enjoy these days as I know things continually change, children continue to grow and leave home and one day I'm guessing making Merry Christmas Cookies will be gone as well.

I do have to add, as a sweet ending to the day, my 18 year old son announced just before bed time, "I'm so excited Christmas is in 3 days!" That just made my mother's heart sing. It is nice to see that not all things have changed!