tis the season

Alright I'm not going to drop anything too heavy on you, because I'm sure your feeds are all overloaded with Christmas cheer. I just have to say though, as I've said before, man, I just love this time of year. Every Christmas since having Jordan - and this will be our third - I've said to Sean or my mom or whoever has had the misfortune to be standing within earshot, "this year is going to be so much fun with Jordan." But really, THIS year. This is the Christmas that is going to be so much fun to share with Jordan.

What you have to understand about this year is Jordan is going around saying things like "merry pissmas!!" and "pissmas lights mommmm! pitty!" and "I wah watch Grinch" - except, it doesn't sound like Grinch. It sounds like what maybe a female Grinch would be called. I made the mistake of asking "oh, are you feeling a little Grinchy this morning, Jordan?" to which I received, "yeah, I **tchy." Between these and "tit-or-teating" I think we're rounding out all of our holidays with a good healthy dose of curse words.

It has turned murderously cold (by my standards anyway), but for me, this adds to the enchantment of the season. I'm incredibly paranoid about my children freezing their little appendages off, so I've been bundling them in three layers apiece, topping off with a beanie and scarf and off we go in search of Christmas lights and cocoa.

pre-sock double-up and fur-lined boots. poor kid probably roasts like a chestnut. on an open fire.

Seeing the Christmas season through these newer eyes takes me right on back. I absolutely buy into Christmas magic, as horribly hokey as that is. Christmas lights, carols, movies, books - give them to me. I am your haven, Christmas cheer. Seeing it happen anew in this quirky-wonderful two year old with a penchant for mispronunciation is my idea of good fun.

watching the ice skaters

Weston, well, he can't do much this time around but look severely perturbed.

But we'll give him a year or so. He gets his taste of the season by way of hint-o'-mint breastmilk post-candy cane binge on the part of his mother. Should be sufficient for a fat three-monther.

And now because I'm feeling festively benevolent, I want to share this hot chocolate recipe which, incidentally, is straight off the Hershey's unsweetened cocoa box, but with just a couple extra goods:

4 cups of milk

1/3 cup of water

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa

3/4 tsp of vanilla

pinch of salt

Peppermint schnapps, for the willing adults

Candy canes, for the unfortunate underaged

Incorporate the dry ingredients in a medium saucepan. Add water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Boil and stir two minutes, then add milk. Heat to desired temp while stirring occasionally, but do not let boil. Add vanilla off heat and divide hot chocolate between four cups.

Do yourself a solid and punch up those babies with a shot...or two...of peppermint schnapps, or take it easy and stir it on up with a candy cane. Either way you get that irresistibly Christmas influence. 

I must insist you use the powers of the cocoa for good, and imbibe while participating in a round of I Spy Christmas or taking in a classic like A Christmas Story (Scut Farkus! he had yellow eyes!) or White Christmas (because Danny Kaye) or bringing it along on a Christmas light hunt. Them's the rules.