Making It Christmas

 Oddly enough, this picture does inspire the Christmas spirit in me.  Freestone was feeling (and looking) very festive!  After I listened to my friend's band last week, I decided that Christmas music as what puts me in the holiday spirit the most, so I thought I'd try to go to as many holiday concerts as I could this season, dragging kids along with me, of course, to force the holiday spirit on them as well.

You know how some years, Christmas comes and you feel like, "What, it's here already?  But I didn't even get caught up in the spirit of it.  I was too busy getting ready for it to enjoy it!"  That's what I don't want to do this year.  And along with the music I plan to take in, I want to stay home and just enjoy the holiday atmosphere that we've designed here.  It's sparse, but I've discovered that a few lit trees and a poinsettia make me feel more peaceful than having every surface covered with Christmas trimmings.  Too much stuff makes me feel anxious, because there are a lot of trappings that come with kids, and I'm always trying to eliminate 90% of it.  A nativity scene perched on top of a pile of school papers is not pretty, and if you have kids, you know how hard it is to win the war on paper.

Well, last night I won a skirmish against the clutter.  While it retreated to plan a counterattack, I decided to have myself a merry little bit of Christmas.  I texted the cousins and Jeff and Richelle answered the sudden call to arms.  They brought five boys to help make sugar cookie wreaths, bringing the kid total to 14 including Esmae and Abe, 16 if you count Scott and Jeff, 18 if you count Esmae and Xanthe's look-alike dolls.

 That's a lot of kids!  It turned out just right, with help from Richelle, the proficient and experienced baker.  Each kid got two glops of dough, which they molded and twisted into wreath shapes.  Fifteen minutes later, each kid ate a glop of bi-colored cookie.  We kept the cookies straight with Jeff's diagram of the cookie sheet.  It helps when you're working with smart people.  I just wing it, which doesn't always work.  Then again, sometimes it does.  We couldn't have spent a more enjoyable hour if we'd planned it months in advance.  When Christmas knocks, don't delay.  Roll up your sleeves right away.  (Sounds like a song!  I can picture the seven dwarfs at Christmas.)  Ptolemy is asking me if we can make those cookies with two colors again.  Well, it IS Christmastime...and look how much fun it was yesterday!

I feel more Christmas coming on...