Sometimes hitting your teenagers over the head is an effective method of communication. Not literally hitting them over the head.....although perhaps that would work, too. But my Christmas Wish? Yeah, it worked....
I managed to return from Chicago early, in time to take Daughter to her flute lesson and see....cleanliness. Order. Caring. Wow. Oh and smell the Burnt attempt at Chex party mix...heh-heh.
Daughter seems to have heard the message loudly and clearly. Both her comforters were washed and clean. The basement vacuumed...including the couch. no junk downstairs. Neatness. Orderliness. Wow. Apparently Son didn't get much in on the act. I'm still waiting for a miracle in his room. But there IS a WRAPPED present for ME from HIM under the tree. That is a first. So yeah, wow. (Do I have to bring up the whole Mother's Day thing again?!)
Apparently the Twins ALSO decided to take it upon themselves to use the ingredients I had gathered for the Family Chex Party Mix and tried to make it themselves and try to help me with one of the few surviving family traditions. They did well until it came to the whole "temperature" thing. Then there was a miscommunication and 250 degrees for 1 hour became 375 degrees for 1 hour. The house still smells like burnt Chex Mix 2 days later. Hey, they tried. AND they cleaned up ALL the mess.
Daughter offered to take the dough that I managed to throw together over the weekend and get started on Grandma Faison's cutout cookies. Those cookies are an absolute MUST in my family or Christmas officially has not arrived. I am convinced there is NO christmas without them. So come hell or high water or trial or NO sleep, they will get made. Every Year. It's at least a 3 day project: 1 day for the dough (it has to sit); one day to roll out a couple hundred honey/sugar cookies, one day to decorate. Whereas I am out of time to remake the dough, does it surprise anyone that I declined her offer to bake the cookies until I am able to be home and surpervise? Think Chex Mix people. Yeah, I didn't think so.
11 comments:
Aw, see, your kids found Christmas for you. They rock.
That's awesome! You have great kids!
At my house too it is not Christmas until we make Grandma Faison's Honey Dough Cut-out cookies. For us, it is a two day double batch process. 1/2 of a batch is for eating without making cookies, the rest is for making cookies. It is a tradition that A, C and I make the dough the evening before, then make the cookies the next day, decorating them that evening.
This year we also made Chocolate Krinkles, orange cookies and the cookie press cookies. We always make Chocolate Krinkles, but the orange and press cookies are adders this year.
So about that derriere project...
BTW, Sh, being a girl, understands what you wanted and why you wanted it. Au on the hand, being a young man, really has no clue about this. In this regard, he is typical for his age. A 2x4 could not knock it into his head. Been there, done that.
I am so proud of them and happy for you. They tried. They made an effort and as a parent, that means the WORLD.
The cookies sound delish!!!!
I gave up on Grandma Faison's honey cookies a while ago -- no one but me would eat them, even when I made them with "regular flour" rather than the whole wheat pastry flour I use for most other cookies. FTR, whole wheat flour makes 'em too dark. So we decorate straight sugar cookies instead, again with "regular flour."
Glad the kids came through for you. Reaching outside one's own concerns is what Christmas is really all about.
I think with teenagers that the direct approach is best--I'm glad it worked out for you.
Our can't do without it Christmas treat is homemade Peanut Clusters--by the dozens.
Ah! I must say, the day my adult or very-close-to-adulthood child didn't leave a gift for me under my tree would be the day I would return said-child's gifts and buy something for myself. Like he/she was too busy, heh.
I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday!
Merry Christmas, Cuz!
That rocks big time. I love presents too. I love non-soap presents even more. I got two soap gifts this year. I still have one from last year, plus the stash I bought for myeslf in June from Bath & Body works. Do I really smell that bad?
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