1) Watching A Muppet Family Christmas. This late-80s TV special where all the Muppets descend on Fozzy's mom's house for Christmas is a total holiday classic. If you've never seen it, you're missing out on endlessly quotable lines like, "It's cold enough to freeze your Winnebago!" and "Mind the icy patch!" Plus there's an epic singalong at the end where Count sings "I saw three ships come sailing in." Seriously, mark out 45 minutes on your calendar to watch it sometime soon!
2) Decorating the inside of the house to some extent. Vague tradition, eh? I haven't always had a tree, but I've at least hung up lights or something to make it look festive. I've got a nice collection or ornaments that are sitting safely in a storage box this year, out of reach of inquisitive little toddler fingers/mouths.
3) Making sugary treats. This one has taken several forms through the years, from childhood cookie decorating parties with relatives to teenage gingerbread house construction as an activity with friends before our school's winter dance. In my adult years, my attention has shifted to chocolate.
It all started in the early 2000s when my cousin invited me over to make Christmas goodies. Now, as background, let me explain she grew up in a family of 7 kids and, as a result, doesn't really know how to make small batches of anything. That first year, we spent two solid days filling every surface of her apartment with cookies, breads, and chocolate creations. We made 10 batches of truffles. Ten. If you have ever made truffles before, you know that is a lot of rolling little balls of chocolate! It was exhausting, but by the end I had simply glorious little gift boxes of goodies for all my friends, family, and coworkers. And I was hooked! I mean, what says "Merry Christmas" better than chocolate?
That same cousin and I were both living in DC a few years later, and she came over for another great baking extravaganza. My roommates were duly impressed with the deliciousness known as peanut butter balls. Since then, I haven't undertaken quite an ambitious baking schedule again, but I do like to make at least a few tasty treats during December.
As I was rolling some truffles the other day to send with DF for his office's party, I reflected on all the times I've stood over my double boiler, dipping candies. Back when I worked with exchange students, it seemed someone was always having a problem around mid-December. As I stirred the melting chocolate, I would ponder their issues and try to come up with a good solution. Although I did like that job, I'm glad not to be dealing with a lot of international drama right now. This year, I hummed Christmas carols to myself and just enjoyed the moments of quiet with the kids in bed :)
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