C is for Cookie

In keeping with discussions focused on holiday traditions, it's only fitting there be a post focused solely on making cookies. In years past, holiday cookie making has been a great excuse to get the girlfriends together and bake, chat, drink wine and be girls.

Things are different this year, for a variety of reasons, so I'm tackling cookie making sans girlfriends. Luckily, I have a husband who is finally getting into the holiday spirit - despite his disdain for cold weather - and two kids who are just as fun to bake and chat with.

I will admit that most of the cookie making was done while the kids were sleeping. It gave daddy and mommy a chance to remember what it was like when there were no kids. Quiet house, with nothing but classic Christmas music playing in the background, some red wine and enough flour, sugar and butter to make an entire army of cut-out cookie soldiers.

We did, however, purposefully save the cut-out cookie dough for last so Ryan could help make the shapes and add the colored sugar crystals. The hope was that we could use the cookie making experience as a great incentive for Ryan to stay dry and have a good day (no time in the thinking chair). It didn't exactly work out that way, but it did become a great bonding experience for Rye and Daddy. And Ryan is getting better at actually getting the sugar on the cookie.

Meanwhile, little Miss Lindsey is getting better and better at moving around upright. Though she still hasn't taken any steps without the aid of furniture or our hands, my bet is we're only days away.

A little bit of behind-the-scenes info: Just seconds after the picture of Lindsey was snapped, Rye managed to spill an entire dish of sprinkles on the floor, followed by a mini-meltdown by LP. So, this picturesque scene quickly went from serene Kodak moment to mommy slinging a baby on one hip and vacuuming up the mess of the other child, while Nate kept the cookie baking flow going strong. Never a dull moment.