Holiday Traditions

One of our favorite holiday traditions is making pounds and pounds of fudge, licking the spoons, and then giving it away to anyone that comes within arms reach of our house! This year was my 8th or 9th year making fudge of my own. My mother always made the fudge and one of the first years after I was married, she talked me through the steps over the phone as I stood in my kitchen in Kansas.
This year I had lots of help! Sam was ready and waiting, wooden spoon in hand, to stir until his little 3 1/3 year old arms couldn't stir anymore ( which didn't take long)! He helped with each batch, chocolate, peanut butter, layered. And when it came time to wrap it all up, he was ready to help with the labels, the bags, the ties, even the photograph. (Do you see him peeking through the rows of fudge?)
Then it came time to give the fudge away. All afternoon he watched the neighbors house, waiting for the Christmas lights to be on...that was the sign that they were home. Three times during dinner he ran to the front window to check on "Jessie's house". When he finally saw them park in the driveway, he opened the front door and yelled, "Hi Jessie, we'll be over to bring you FUDGE!" After all coats, hats, boots and gloves had been applied, he ran over to Jessie's house, rang the door bell three times and knocked in between, then handed Jessie the fudge with all his might. She was not as excited as Sam had hoped, but her Barbie collection distracted him and he was off playing in Barbie world.
When in Maine we made sugar cookies and of course, Sam helped. We had lots of them, though they didn't last long and my sister and I ended up decorating ALL of them. It was a fun way to start off the holiday traditions we all know and love!