{"id":11288,"date":"2013-12-18T04:50:35","date_gmt":"2013-12-18T09:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=11288"},"modified":"2013-12-18T09:11:52","modified_gmt":"2013-12-18T14:11:52","slug":"cats-kids-cookies-and-calendars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/cats-kids-cookies-and-calendars\/","title":{"rendered":"Cats, Kids, Cookies, and Calendars!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rolz-Xmas\"<\/a>Are they here yet, Rolz? Are they here? No\u2026 I\u2019m not talking about Santa and his reindeer – I\u2019m talking about the kids!! Yup, tomorrow my youngest son, Joe, from Upstate New York and Dan\u2019s youngest daughter, Jackie, from Boston, will be here to help us celebrate the holidays. And if that isn’t exciting enough, the following week Dan\u2019s oldest daughter, Crystal (also from Boston) and her boyfriend, Dave will be coming by! We will also have Dan\u2019s Mom coming by for a few days and then, of course, there is my Mom and my oldest son, Chris, who both live locally that will be in and out to share in the festivities!<\/p>\n

It’s been a rough year for Dan and I and we realize that we are very lucky to have a full house to look forward to. We know we won’t be so lucky every year and we are just counting our blessings as they come. \u00a0The cats don\u2019t quite know what is going on yet, but they do know something is up and they sense the excitement as well. All the doors that are normally closed are being opened as I clean them for company and there is the enticing parade of decorations, bags, and boxes. It truly is a magical time for both humans and felines… Or at least until the noisy and overbearing kids arrive\u2026 and that dog Rick that seems to accompany Chris at all times\u2026 The cats are not instant fans of the company until they realize it\u2019s not so bad and that they actually get lots of love, attention, treats, and extra petting and snuggling.<\/p>\n

Gifts will be lean this year, \u00a0but we already have what matters most – the\u00a0blessing of enjoying and appreciating the small things that make the holidays so special to us, especially the traditions. Sure, some of them have changed over the years \u2013 some have gone away and some have been added \u2013 that is the beauty and wonderment of a family that has evolved over the years, but regardless, it is those traditions, new and old, that don\u2019t have a monetary value that mean the most to all of us. In a nutshell \u2013 family in all its good, bad, imperfect and everything in-between way.<\/p>\n

It officially begins with the advent calendar I made a dozen or so years ago. It is quite large and fits on the door \u2013 a quilted Christmas tree with sequined garland and buttons to hold an ornament for each of the 25 days leading to Christmas. The ornaments are made from felt and decorated with beads, sequins, and embroidery and are representative of much of Christmas \u2013 a poinsettia, a dove, a stocking, Santa, an elf, a wreath, and so on. They sit nestled inside a little secret pocket and one is opened every day and put on the tree until Christmas day \u2013 that day the ornament is always a star to signify the birth of Christ.<\/p>\n

\"AdventCal\"<\/a>

The Advent Calendar thus far this year and a peek at the infamous leopard tree as well! Click image to enlarge to see the decorations up close!<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s only Dan and I in the house right now, but Chris and I love this tradition so much that I text him first thing every morning and we each guess what ornament we think it will be for the day because they are put back into no particular order from Christmas past and we have no idea what each pocket holds (except for the star). Right now I am beating him 4 to 3 (not that anyone is counting) and I am grateful he is willing to forever remain a kid at heart for me.<\/p>\n

The next tradition is Vanessa Williams. We happened upon her Star Bright CD many years ago and fell in love with her beautiful voice as she sang some of our favorite Christmas songs with such grace. I play it every year to signify the start of the holiday season and we listen to it as we open Christmas gifts. The first song on the CD is “Do You Hear What I Hear” and to this day I can\u2019t listen to it without crying. It\u2019s not because the song is sad, it\u2019s just that it overwhelms me with the love and joy I feel for my family. I found the video of the song on YouTube courtesy of\u00a0\u00a0urkindofmusic15<\/span> if you would like to listen to it.<\/p>\n

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Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the cookies and that is another tradition I adore. Years ago my Mom and I used to make dozens and dozens of cookies and pack them up to mail to family and friends like a crazy Lucy and Ethel assembly line. I would also make a homemade ornament every year to add to the mix and my mom would make hand drawn Christmas cards that were just gorgeous. We don\u2019t have time for the homemade ornaments or cards any more, nor do we have the time to make and mail cookies, but we do have the time to make a few special batches for the family!\u00a0The cookies have changed throughout the years and right now our tried and true favorites are M&M sugar cookies and macadamia nut with white chocolate and walnut cookies.<\/p>\n

\"Cookies\"<\/a>

Guess what I’ll be doing in a couple of days!!<\/p><\/div>\n

The last tradition that is a die-hard family favorite is playing board games. No matter all the great gifts we get for Christmas, by far the best part of the holidays is sitting around the table and unleashing our competitive sides! It can get a bit vicious, but it is all done in fun and as long as I win, then it\u2019s not a big deal. Oops\u2026 did I say that out loud? I\u2019m just kidding! I\u2019m usually so tired by the time the games come out that I can barely see straight and my mind is not always the sharpest tack at that point! Sometimes the cats will play too \u2013 Zoey has been known to steal a token or two and Zee likes to recline himself across whatever we are playing which virtually ruins any game with his big, bushy tails swishing everything all over the place! No matter how many different games we play, Scattergories always ends up being our favorite!<\/p>\n

\"TheGang\"<\/a>

The kitty calm before the storm…<\/p><\/div>\n

So how about you all? I would love to know what your favorite holiday cookie is. Or do you have a favorite board game or a favorite holiday tradition? Please feel free to share \u2013 the more holiday spirit the merrier!!<\/p>\n