Tis the Season

December 10, 2012

'Tis the season, where fond memories flit through our brains. For me, one of my favorite memories of holidays past is of spending hours in our kitchen making Christmas cookies. It is a tradition that was born out of necessity. My children attended year-round elementary school (in school for 3 months and out of school for one month). As a result, the school could handle 25% more children in each elementary school building in the district. Also, my children were on "break" from Thanksgiving until New Years!

We began baking to fill our need for fun activities and to fill free hours. We made so many cookies, and we gave them to neighbors and friends. Their kids saw the cookies and wanted to make them, too. So we chose a week and began inviting the children of each family, a day at a time, for "baking fun." Those children got to take home all the cookies they made, their parents had a day to shop and wrap, and my kids had friends over for entertainment. That week my house was a mess; flour, sugar, and little colored sprinkles were everywhere! But we also had a lot of fun laughing and singing Christmas carols, and rolling dough and cutting out cookies. We repeated this "tradition" for several years until the children had all "graduated" to middle school and the standard school year.

Occasionally, we run into one of those "baking friends" – all grown up and baking for their own children. We have a laugh and a hug, and we recall those good warm memories of flour covered hands and faces - apple cider and cookies. And off they go to build new traditions for their own families.

Laura C.
Smithville Branch