The Ritzes 3.0

Yesterday I spent a few hours in the kitchen with Timothy and his friends, Tyler (8) and Elise (5).  We have a round breakfast table in our kitchen and I removed the two rocking chairs that normally sit on either side of it so that the four of us could stand around the table and each person had their own space.  I turned on a Veggie Tales Christmas CD, tied too-big aprons on each of them, gave them each a ball of cold sugar cookie dough and some flour to spread on the table, tossed some cookie cutters in the center and then I stood back and watched the magic happen.  Smiles, giggles, dance moves, floured faces, patting, rolling, sneaking bites of raw dough, and joyful chatter.  It was magic, and I want to do it again.  
There were a hundred different pictures I wanted to take during the process, little hands pounding dough and gently picking up their cut out cookies, the way the littlest kiddo looked as I looked down on her smile and long eye lashes from my height, their silly impersonations, frosting being licked off of fingers, it was all golden.  
Baking cookies and sweets with my mom was a much loved Christmas tradition at our house.  We made several different kinds and then delivered platefuls of goodies to our friends and loved ones the week before Christmas.  Here are a list of some of my all time favorite Christmas cookies and sweets in no particular order:
1. Peanut Butter Blossoms (the ones with the Hershey kisses on top)
2. Sugar Cookies
3. Fudge
4. English Toffee
5. Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

I am definitely starting to get in the Christmas spirit these days and that is a GOOD thing.  It is such a special season to enjoy for so many reasons.  Today we'll have some of Timmy's friends over to make cut out sugar cookies and decorate them!!  
*stomach growling*  
*nostalgic memories of doing the same as a child commencing*

Okay, yesterday we covered Christmas albums, today let's talk Christmas movies!!!!  For awhile our family would buy one new Christmas movie each year to add to our collection, but for the past several years we haven't found any that we thought were worth buying.  Maybe we are missing some good stuff????  Here are some of my personal favorites that I look forward to watching each year:
1. Miracle on 34th Street - the newer version
2. White Christmas
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
4. Holiday Inn
5. The Polar Express
6. The Santa Clause movies 1 and 2... not a big fan of 3

For those of you who can't wait to watch Elf or National Lampoons Christmas Vacation each year... what can I say, I just don't get it!  To each his own and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!  

One of our most cherished parts of the Christmas season here at the Ritz house is when we (and when I say we, I mean Jason) get the red and green storage containers down from the attic and pull out the Christmas movies and CDs that have been stored away since the previous December.  I love deciding which CD to put in first... it sets the tone, somehow.  Here are some of my all time favorite Christmas CD's in no particular order:
1. Christmas in Black and White - Nicole C. Mullen
2. When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick Jr.
3. World War II Radio Christmas - Bing Crosby
4. A Christmas Album - Amy Grant (1993)
5. Oh For Joy - David Crowder Band (this one is brand new!)

Here are some of the lyrics that get my heart in tune with the Christmas spirit:
If I could have a special dream
coming true on Christmas morn
I would want the world to see
How his Father smiled when Christ was born
The greatest gift the world has ever known
So come on kids, look high and low
for all the toys you dreamed to find,
But I believe you'll never know
a greater joy than Jesus' love inside.
 - Love Has Come by Amy Grant

Can you see the wise men?
A star did guide them searching all the earth
Till they found the one child, the very Godchild, 
who ruled the universe
Did they know the lady's little baby 
was God and fully man 
And everything they gave him 
he himself had made with his hands?
 - Lamb of God by Nicole C Mullen

Oh what a sacred nightthe stars are shining bright
The angels singing loudly, 'The Savior has arrived!'
And music fills the sky, Oh what a lullaby
To announce the new born Baby, to people far and nigh 
- Sacred Night by Nicole C Mullen