Traditions and Tears

I love all the different holiday seasons because of the fun traditions we try to do as a family. Christmas of course has that little extra special feeling in the air. This year I did have to laugh a few times because somehow all of us shed tears in the process of creating these fun memories.

 

The kids made their yearly stockings. As I got the Christmas decorations out this year, we looked at all of the stockings they have decorated over the past several years and we laughed together at their creations.

But as I said, we did have our tearful moments. Jenna was blazing mad during most of the stocking making. Luckily she was strapped in her seat because she was swinging away at anyone that got to close. She couldn’t understand why she didn’t get to have all the fun decorations for herself.

Isaac was climbing on the table and sat on the glue gun. Don’t worry it’s just a cool melt and it didn’t really burn him, he was just upset that glue was stuck to his pants.

Bella wanted her gingerbread girl to look like it was baking in the oven.

Samuel made me laugh because it was his idea to do the gingerbread men this year and then he cleverly turned his into a gingerbread reindeer.

Isaac’s creation of course had to be blue – his favorite color.

And Jenna, despite all her tears, did manage to have fun gluing beads on her gingerbread man. I tried to get her to put a bow on the head, but she refused. She doesn’t like to wear bows herself, so I guess it should come as no surprise.

Samuel’s class had a fun activity where parents went into the classroom and read a holiday book and then brought the kids a treat to put in their mittens that would remind them of the story. Samuel decided we needed a new book to read to his class and found this one called Gingerbread Pirates that he really wanted. So when we made our gingerbread cookies this year we had to make a pirate crew.

Decorating their pirate crew.

Samuel shedding a few tears because his Captain Cookie’s head broke off while I was telling him to hold it up for a picture!

Bella’s girl pirate with her sword.

Isaac’s pirate with his sword.

The full pirate crew. We had to make a few with peg legs and peg arms (toothpicks) just like the story.  The kids also wanted a pirates ship, which is difficult to carve out of gingerbread especially when you’re drawing impaired! I told the kids this was the pirates submarine. Samuel also wanted eye patches and crossbones. I didn’t think I was doing to bad until Chuck got home and decorated his own pirate and made an awesome eye patch that the kids were quick to point out was much better than moms.

 

We made a cake train instead of a gingerbread house this year. And Bella called me the “Worst Mom Ever” during the process. That would have made me shed a tear except for the irony of the situation – up to my eyeballs in cake batter, frosting, and candy. When I looked at her and said, “I’m pretty sure I’m not the Worst Mom Ever because there’s no way the Worst Mom Ever would help you make a candy train.”

Response: “Why, because the Worst Mom Ever only makes her kids eat healthy foods and they can’t have any treats?” “I guess you’re not the Worst Mom Ever.”

 

Bella digging into one of her decorated trains.

Samuel with his creation.

The finished product. I did feel like the Worst Mom Ever a few days later when the kids would not stop fighting over who was eating candy off the train so I took it to the garbage. 

And I felt like shedding a tear or two after another cooking disaster. My sister and I always make Christmas candy together, but this year she spent 2 weeks soaking up the sun in Hawaii so we ran out of time to get together.

I decided last minute to make some candied almonds that my friend assured me were super easy and quick. As she gave me the recipe I asked her if there was anyway I could ruin these and she said she had never ruined them. Well, she’s a fabulous cook and I’m a little cooking impaired so that should have tipped me off!

While I was stirring away Chuck came over and said something to the effect that I was being brave to try out a new recipe to give to people (after 14+ years of marriage he knows me well!). A few minutes later I asked him to stir the almonds because I needed a stronger arm at this point. A couple of minutes passed and he kept asking me if they were done. No, I assured him we had to wait until the sugar caramelized. Then he said he thought it smelled a little burnt. No, I don’t smell burning just keep stirring. Finally in exasperation he turned the stove off and said they had to be done. I was a little huffy telling him I hoped he hadn’t ruined them by not cooking them long enough.

As they cooled I tasted one and to my horror it tasted a little burnt! I asked Chuck to taste one and he said it tasted a little burnt to him. Just GREAT! I tried another one trying to convince myself they didn’t taste too bad. I asked Chuck to try another one at which point he just said, “You can’t give these to people.”

Now Chuck and I have to eat 4 lbs. of slightly burnt almonds! Yum, Yum!

So here’s to fun traditions and a few tears that were shed in the process!!