When our kids were little, my sister Karen and I always made it a tradition to make and decorate Christmas cookies. It was a great way to get the kids together and spend some time with each other during the holiday season. As the kids got older, the tradition took a back seat to junior high and high school activities, sports and other distractions.
Thankfully this year the kids were feeling a bit sentimental and asked us to revive the tradition. The work ethic was slightly different this time (less of the cookies and frosting got ate), it was definitely a lot less messy (though I do miss the faces, fingers and clothes covered in frosting), and the artistic effort was definitely set at a higher standard. (Erin finger painted a combination tie-dye Jackson Pollack effect to her cookies; Jake created an exact replica of the Liberty Bell, including the crack; and Jake's friend Todd decided we needed "rainbow coalition" designs.
It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I've missed these moments. They are few and far between these days.
