Tree Decorated – Check
Snow – Check
Winter has arrived – Check (Happy Winter Solstice!)
Gifts Purchased – Check
Donations Made – Check
Cookies Burn – Check
I bought a new timer before this cookie season. New timer, old timer, it doesn’t matter. If the operator can’t work the timer, cookies will burn. The timer is simple enough, enter the minutes desired and press start, the button on the right. Press the button on the left and the time entered is cleared. For whatever reason, right and left have alluded me for the past few days and I have cleared the timer more times than I care to mention. As a result, at least two dozen cookies went straight into the trash, burned, unsalvageable even for my desparados.
Oh well, cookies burn. Cookie production will end tomorrow once the sugar cut outs are frosted and decorated, a family affair. A full cookie report will be posted too.
Back to the list:
Enjoy eggnog with rum – half check.
I started to enjoy my eggnog light with rum and a sprinkle of nutmeg tonight while baking and listening to Christmas music and singing along (Happy National Caroling Day to you!) then I got distracted, my drink left unattended. No worries, only my nine year old likes eggnog and he’s busy playing, my drink is safe. Somehow in a short window of time, he found my drink and drank the half that remained. Remember, with rum! I saw him as he put the glass down and gasped. He wiped his mouth on the back of his arm and said “Yum, I love eggnog!” He went downstairs and continued playing while I stood there stunned. Fantastic. Let me add to the list: Get your nine year old buzzed on spiked eggnog – check.
This same child sent me an email recently even though I was less than twenty feet away from him. His email read: “Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and other holiday things. When do we talk? You choose.” I love this boy. I called him into the living room and we sat on the couch. The first words out of his mouth, “I know Santa is fake but I won’t tell the others.” He is such a literal old soul. The question of whether or not Santa is real is tough. I did what only I thought best to do. We talked about St. Nicholas in the 4th century who, in real life, gave all of his money to the poor and how this began the story of Santa Claus. Santa Clause is about make-believe and imagination and Christmas magic. We discussed how believing in Santa makes Christmas more fun. “I got it Mom, I just wanted you to know.” We hugged and he ran off to play. A heartbreaking moment, a loss of innocence.
Santa plays a big role in our house. Gifts are not put under the tree until the kids are in bed asleep on Christmas Eve. Cookies and milk and a note are left for Santa in hopes of getting their hearts desire under the tree. Gifts appear magically and there is huge excitement when they stumble in the room Christmas morning. They don’t have to believe, they just have to play along as long as I still believe.
We’ll see what happens, either we’ll keep on believing or my nine year old and I will just start hitting the rum bottle.
multi-hyphenated-me 