I grew up in a house full of Christmas cookies. My mom started cranking them out in mid-November and froze them until December. Although, I don't claim to come close to such numbers (the looks of them tell you I have had very little practice in the cookie department) we make our own none the less. Luckily, while I was in Texas house hunting my mom was making the much needed cookie dough. On Christmas eve, after church, we came home and rolled out our cookies for Santa. No pressure for them to look or even taste good (shhhhh) made it the best Christmas decorating experience one could have. We sprinkled, stuck large and unsightly decorations all over and stuck them in the oven. The excitement of arranging three cookies (one from each girl) for Santa was palatable. We poured his chocolate milk, wrote a note and then went upstairs for a valiant attempt at sleeping.
Although the babies couldn't really participate in the production of the cookies to my big surprise (especially considering Adeline only cares for purees) - they worked very hard at the consumption. Are these really my kids - one baking/writing legible notes, one eating a whole cookie in less than a minute and the other slowly eating her cookie but eating a solid none the less? It really isn't the difference of a year that is currently amazing me during my reflection on Christmas Eve, it is what lies ahead. Most of the time I am the first to tell you that three is harder than one but in this instance, three fills the room with love, laughter and memories!!
Other traditions that stand out in my mind and I hope eventually grow into what my children define as "celebrating the season as a family" are going to Christmas Eve service (even if we fought very hard to stay seated together in sanctuary), feeding the Reindeer when returning home from church, and counting down the days to Christmas eve on whatever school project is hung on my walls. Gathering around while Daddy read, The Night Before Christmas was a first this year but worth repeating in years to come.
Less focus on presents, more focus on family was the road we took this season and it was incredibly fulfilling. I can't believe we are "here" already. Last year was so far from a holiday celebration and this year was everything I could have wanted in my holiday and more.
