Christmas Cookies

There's so many things we want to do for Christmas.  It's so hard to get to all of them.  I have 4 kids.  7, 5, and 1 year old twins.  It's almost impossible for me to get all off the stuff I want to do, done.  You know, all of those things you think you want to do for tradition.

Man, Advent has come and (almost gone).  I have always wanted to light our advent wreath candles, say the prayers from our church book, blow out the candles and have dinner.  I want to teach the kids how advent looks.  How we can prepare for Christmas.

Guess what it really looks like?  We have to literally push dishes off the counter.  Then find a "clean" place for the 1 year old babies to eat.  Screw the dining table.  It's easier for us to eat at our Kitchen counter bar.  The older kids eat at the couch that is in that room.  I eat with them, if possible on the couch and my husband usually stands or sits by the babies. But really, we are pushing dishes off the counter towards the sink, finding a clean rag to wipe the counter off... and it all has to be fast enough before the 1 year old twins try to eat the old food that is still on the counter.  

You might be thinking WOW.  And the truth is that every night, my husband and I work hard to clean off the counter each night and wipe it down.  So that we start the day on a good note.  The stuff on the counter is the mess just from that day.  You guys know what i'm talking about.  It's never ending.

Our Christmas Cookies.  The "red" natural dye i used is actually pink :)

 

When do we have time for these traditions?  I don't know.  I wonder myself.  But I decided this last week that I would collect the ingredients to make sugar cookies and we would make them before Christmas.  And, by golly, we did.  It was messy.  It meant letting the babies try some of the frosting.  It meant an even bigger mess. 

Guess what?  THAT'S OK!  We have to let that stuff go.  This year I'm just doing the little things.  Maybe Christmas cookies is all we do for "traditions" this year.  Maybe we won't get to else.  But that is ok!  We won't be remembered by that stuff.  Our kids won't remember the stuff we don't do.  They will remember everything we do.  Even if it's not the same every year.  My oldest will remember that one year when the babies dipped their whole hands in the frosting.  And I wouldn't have it any other way!

What is one thing you are doing for tradition this year?