Christmas Cookies

My parents were here for a week to help out while I was on the couch after my surgery. They left super early this morning, so we're readjusting to life on our own, putting things back where they belong, doing laundry, and getting back to doing the normal routine on our own.

While they were here, my mom did some baking with the kids while I directed from the couch. She made chocolate chip cookies with our youngest on Thursday while her brother and sister were in school and then did Christmas cookies on Saturday and Sunday with the whole crew. It was a huge mess, as baking with kids usually is, but they had a great time with all the steps of the process. I have to say, my mom has the patience of Job when doing that kind of stuff - probably why she was such a great school teacher - and it just doesn't phase her when the flour ends up on the floor or there are piles of sprinkles on a single cookie or someone's hands end up covered in food coloring.

We'll be eating cookies for weeks, I think, but the memories the kids will have are more than worth the calories!