Growing up in blended families meant I didn’t have the traditional family holiday. It’s only gotten worse as we grew and married. Through all the travel to attend the 4-5 Christmas ‘present events’ we go to each year, finding the time to do fun things together with two kids can be a challenge. We have a few rituals that we always do together but the hustle and bustle can get the better of us.
There are 2 we never, ever fail to do. Bundled up in boots and warm, waterproof coats, armed with cocoa… we brave the elements to find the perfect family tree. No rain, mud, sleet, snow, or this year’s holy crap my face is frozen wind chill keeps us from exploring a local tree farm to find just the right one. My favorite tradition involves heat, though.
From the first year my daughter was 10 months old and sitting in her high chair playing with cookie cutters, we’ve baked Santa fresh, homemade sugar cookies every year on Christmas Eve. It doesn’t matter where we are, I haul along the ingredients and schedule in a few hours for the kids and me to shape, bake, and decorate. We have a special plate and mug too. After the kids decorate two dozen cookies into iced, sugared, and sprinkled ‘masterpieces’ they each pick a cookie and put it on Santa’s plate. Daddy doesn’t get in on the baking tradition, other than as an admirer, as far as they knew… until last year. Continue reading Holiday Blog Event: Cia Nordwell – Christmas Cookie Tradition
