Hopeful Cookies

 Greetings!  This will likely be my last post for 2021.  There is so much to say and so little time or energy to say it these days.  Three years now and we are yet to have what feels like a "traditional" Christmas.  I feel like gone are the days of piling wrapped gifts under the tree with the collection growing larger every day in anticipation of the intended recipients.  Gone are the days of baking for days before Christmas in anticipation of a full house.  As much as I love all those baked goods, I am pretty sure after my physical in a week my doctor will once again scold me for rising blood sugar and extra weight, so the yummy Christmas treats will look more like vegetables than buttery delicious cookies.  But then again, maybe not!  Willpower is not my strong suit!  

We are in the final week before Christmas.  We have two of our grandchildren staying with us this week while their parents move everything into their new home in Boston.  Nothing makes you feel your age like trying to care for a 6-year-old and 3-year-old when you are "of a certain age".  I am so glad I had my kids when I was young!  No wonder I didn't drink back then...who had the time or the energy?  Probably lucky for them too.  Also, no wonder I was so much thinner when I was young, in addition to the no drinking, there was no sitting on the couch either.  Parenting young children is not for wimps.  It does have its rewards though!  Today we reaped some of those rewards.  We took the kids to Mass this morning.  I have been to church with many young children and usually found myself questioning why we were expected to have those children and bring them to church when there was no way I was going to be able to pay attention to anything read or spoken during that Mass because I was constantly corralling the children.  Today, the children were perfectly, well...almost, behaved and I even heard what was read, spoken and sung during church. So much so that one song brought tears to my eyes.  Breath of Heaven is worth a listen to get you in the spirit.  It was a Christmas miracle!

After a dreary, rainy day yesterday, today was chilly and sunny and everyone was happy to be outdoors.  I thought it would be fun to bring the kids to town center and see the giant Christmas tree.  Little did I know that there was an outdoor market set up today around the town square.  Bonus!  The kids were enchanted with the tree, and I sprung for a couple of pre-Christmas treats for them.  It is starting to feel a bit like Christmas.  The rest of the day was spent playing at the playground, helping Grampy build my Christmas gift in the garage, building our new Lego, reading lots of books, walking around the neighborhood and eating all of the fruit in the house.  We ended the day watching a couple of cute kiddie Christmas Disney+ shows.  I am a sucker for a cute Disney show.  I think they are as tired as we are at the end of the day because we don't hear a peep out of them when they go to bed.  All is good...so far.  We are only at the end of day 2 though.  

Sugar Land, Texas

Because who doesn't love a giant Christmas tree and a lizard hand puppet?

Grampy's assistant helping build Gigi's Christmas gift.

This year, our focus is definitely not on the material things.  Christmas gifts are an afterthought.  In the front of our minds are these two kids, who we will miss so much when they move north and the rest of our family.  Many of us will be together for the first time in a very long time.  That is, if all goes to plan and these days, nothing goes according to plan.  Living a life where making plans comes with a caveat that those plans may well be cancelled depending on the current situation is mentally and emotionally challenging.  I like to go "all in" when I make a plan, so knowing in the back of my mind that any number of circumstances could change those plans makes it all feel so halfway.  My heart can't commit, and if your heart can't commit, why bother?  I find myself committing and just setting myself up for disappointment.  It happens.  A by-product of the last almost 2 years.  I don't' like it, just in case anyone wants to know. 

 So, while our house will be fuller than in the previous 2 Christmas', we are guarded in knowing that in a moment, it could all change.  So...no baking just yet.  I just can't look at hopeful cookies before I know I have help to eat them.  It's weird...right?  In the meantime, we have two very sweet and excited children to bring to the forefront the true joy of Christmas, and for that we are very thankful!  Merry Christmas everyone!  May the joy of Christmas through a child's eyes be yours!