Archive for the ‘kids do’ Category

Memories of my childhood Christmases are filled with wonder.  I think of big snow, a new doll, and a warmth in our hearts that had nothing to do with our wood burning stove.

We never had big Christmases.  My parents didn’t allow us to ask Santa for a long list of gifts.  My mother’s rule was, you can ask Santa for one big gift and two small gifts.  My mother taught us that it would be greedy to ask for more.  I remember one Christmas, when I was about my son’s age of 9, I realized my friends asked for and received a lot more from Santa than I did.  “Why was he unfair?”  I asked my mother.

My mom explained that our family received what we needed each Christmas, and although our Christmases were small, that each gift was special.  Each gift was thoughtfully chosen and given with love.  It didn’t matter what my friends received, it mattered that we had a spirit of gratitude and love on Christmas day.

Since I have had my own family, I have come to realize how right my mother was.  One year my husband and I both received large(r) Christmas bonuses. Feeling flush and festive, we purchased our children more gifts than usual.  The morning felt frenetic.  My kids tore open their gifts, and seemed overwhelmed by what they had received.  That Christmas just wasn’t the same.

A small Christmas doesn’t have to mean less.  When small is done with love, it can truly be sweet.

Last week Janean, a dear friend of my mother’s, dropped by my mom’s while we were baking together.  She had read on my Holiday Calender that our family would be making gingerbread houses this weekend.

She brought us a delightful surprise.  Her husband, who owns a cabinet making company, had made Candy Cottage Kits to give as gifts.  I think they are simply brilliant.

He made them out of a wood composite, which can be decorated for the season, gently cleaned and saved until next year… or even used for another holiday.  No need to make gingerbread… or buy a gingerbread kit… or get burned putting it together like I’ve done in the past.  Once decorated, you would never know it’s not a cookie house.  The darling gingerbread houses above are the ones she made with her grandchildren.

Over the weekend, the kids were able to each decorate their own cottages.

Pure Delight.  That’s what it was.  We had so much fun decorating our gingerbread houses.

Here’s what the kit looked like out of the package.

Here’s what it looked like put together.  Isn’t it fun?

Janean even provided us with some wonderful candies… to which I added a few of our favorites.  I love seeing all those candies together.

We all had a sugar buzz when we were done.  And we all loved the results.