It just wouldn’t have been a complete Christmas without making cookies with the nephews and niece. I love to see the creativity come out of each of them in different ways.
(This is just a sampling of the cookies we made. I don’t think any of them are mine. I played around with different combinations of black and white frosting this year.)
My 11-year-old nephew is my writing buddy. We pack up our laptops and head out to the local cafe or Barnes & Noble and work on our projects (and eat too). He has a fast mind that’s always churning away, so he works feverishly on projects (and sometimes has trouble finishing them). He has always liked to draw figures, from baseball players to super-heroes, so it was no surprise that he turned some of the cookies into his favorite music artists.
My 5-year-old niece is a girl’s girl. She loves princesses, her favorite colors are pink and purple, and she often compliments me on a cute shirt or accessory. She is also very creative and passionate in her pursuits, especially drawing and coloring. She was the last kid standing when it came to decorating.
My 4-year-old nephew is what I like to call mechanically creative. He’s a very literal little boy, who watches and explores how things move and work. He is also super sweet and indulges his auntie when she asks for a little “sugar” (hug and kisses) or to eat his cheeks, which have the cutest dimples. He tends to be very methodical with his creations.
(From left to right: we have Squidword as made by my little nephew, a trendy snow lady complete with rosy cheeks courtesy of my niece, and Michael Jackson as envisioned by my older nephew.)Naturally I forgot to bring my camera this year, so thanks to my mom (and here is where my brother would say, “Thanks to your mom!”) for the pictures. What are your favorite traditions?
Aw, sweet post. My family had a tradition of going out to a restaurant of the birthday girl or boy's choosing. My brothers usually chose McDonalds, which I hated, and I'd always order the filet-o-fish without sauce and cheese, which was a stand-aside-and-wait custom order back then. I preferred Arby's. It was a big deal when we were kids, because we hardly ever went out to eat, fancy or cheap.
I think the tradition died out when we were all teenagers. But a few years ago when I wanted to try a new restaurant, I asked them to take me on my birthday and they said yes!
Now, I have a new tradition of making special meals for them on their birthdays – I go over menus, buy grass-fed steak or something special, and prep it at their place.
Great name! As kids, we loved to go to fast food restaurants too because we didn't go very often either.
I love that you cook for your parents on their b-days!