[Nfb-krafters-korner] FB: Holiday Craft Traditions

[Blindhands at aol.com]

I began my traditions with my own children some 35 years back.  When  they 
young I began with my first child when he was 3.  I taught him to do  the 
popcorn on a string to help decorate  the tree.By the time he was 5 1/2  he 
had a brother and a baby sister.  So He taught his brother how to do the  
popcorn stringing.  That was before microwave popcorn or popcorn  makers.  It 
was my job to put the popcorn in a pan with oil and shake it  over the gas 
burner of my stove.
 
As they grew up it became a tradition making chocolate lollipops and  
decorating the bags.  Each year I would find a special ornament to handmake  and 
our tree gradually was deck out with hand made ornaments that my children or 
 I would make.  
 
When my littlest one was 5 we started another tradition of making  cookies. 
 We would start at least a week ahead and start preparing  different doughs 
and every night we would do some cookies.  Many of them I  placed in 
tupperwae and froze the unbaked cookies.  Then a few days just  before Christmas 
they all would help putting the cookies on the trays and I  would bake and 
then they would help decorate, put the chocolate kisses on the  peanut butter  
cookies and it would be a small assembly line.  I would  pack them up for 
the ones we gave as gifts and I had a couple of huge trays that  we put them 
on and had them at our house for Christmas eve and then off to Grams  house 
for Christmas dinner.
 
The kids are grown and only the one with children live close to me.  I  
miss all of that.
 
About 2 years ago my daughter had her own apartment and she picked me up  
the weekend before the holiday and we made cookies.  Memories are  good.
 
Joyce  Kane
www.KraftersKorner.org  (http://www.krafterskorner.org/) 
Blindhands at AOL.com