Day 15 - Why Don't Any Christmas Carols Talk About Cookies?

This last week has been a blur... many preparations for Christmas including last minute everythings, early mornings, busy days and late nights a crucial part of the schedule.  Add in an amazing Christmas Eve church service, a fun-packed day with family yesterday, and today was a big decompressing day. 

As I spent this last week listening to almost constant Christmas music (Isn't streaming amazing?!?!  Pandora and Amazon Prime Music have really hooked me up with a great selection!) I have noticed that, oddly, in all the mix of all the different types of Christmas songs, I can't think of any that include cookies.  Of course, most Christmas carols are religious in nature and I don't expect to have a song about Jesus mixed in with Bethlehem's finest  cookie recipe, but for how many songs we have about sleigh bells, silver bells, white snow, Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, chestnuts, and even pumpkin pie are mentioned - but no mention of Christmas cookies!  This is odd to me because Christmas cookies are an essential part of my childhood memories of Christmastime, and a big part of the holiday still.  Now, I'm not really talking about cookies that I make - I'm talking about my mother.

Growing up, she made about a dozen different types of cookies and fudge and filled/covered concoctions which she started making a few ahead of the holiday.  This meant that, pretty much, from the time decorations went up, I had a choice of eating 2-3 cookies for dessert after dinner each night from the giant Tupperware containers and tins that were kept in the garage to keep them fresh.  Not much is different these days, except, being 34 years old with a husband and family, I obviously don't live at home anymore, so now I only get to eat them in two ways - 1.  On Christmas, and 2.  After Christmas, when Mom sends me home with this delicious tray.  Ummmm... so quite a few cookies have already gone "missing" today before I thought to take a picture...

 
And now, because they are only truly fresh for a few more days, I am engulfing these cookies like I haven't had them in a year, because, I haven't.  And while, I am definitely eating too many, and I know they have tons of calories, and I know I "shouldn't" be eating them, I also know that this is emotional eating in a better-ish sort of way, because every bite I take makes me happy.  I know that sounds weird, and I know a lot of skinny and/or healthy people (I know they aren't the same thing, but often those two categories go hand-in-hand, don't give me grief) would call me out on what the underlying issues in my brain are for making that association, BUT I really, enjoy them.  I enjoy the taste, I enjoy the feeling of each delicious bite, and MOST of all, I really enjoy the timewarp back to being 6-10 years old - in a house that I haven't lived in for 25 years, to a simpler time, to wonderful Christmas memories in a happy family.  

So, will I regret a few extra cookies (okay, QUITE a few extra cookies) in the next few weeks?  Possibly.  But honestly, a few days of this (while they are still fresh) isn't going to make or break me in the long run IF I get back in line, which I will, because of my support I have from friends and family, my Beachbody shakes and fitness programs that I love, my fitbit and my new Thermos smartlid water bottle and my determination to be better and grow healthier, so that I can be around when I'm 100 years old to still be making Christmas memories, and to make a bunch of these cookies for my own grandkids and great-grandkids one day. 

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