Ornaments

I really don't like Santa. I think he detracts from everything that Christmas really is.

But, I love this guy...


So many memories are wrapped up in his bumpy shape and fading paint.

The day he was born, my kitchen was a floury disaster. My 5 kids (3-8 years old) lined the counter, each with their own clump of salt-dough. Cookie cutters were traded back and forth. Rolling pins rolled and flour flew. It was a mess! A noisy, disorganized happy mess! The kids made stars and trees, circles and canes. We pressed initials into the back of the soft dough so that each person could decorate his own creation. Finally, everything went into the oven and we waited...

We learned a variety of lessons that day.

• Patience is a virtue when working with wet paint.
• Kristy was an artist.
• "I can do it myself!" is a sentence learned early in life.
• Flour isn't any kind of mess compared to 5 kids with paintbrushes and ideas.

Every year for the last 33, all of these salt-dough ornaments have hung on the tree. We laugh and remember that day of rolling and baking and painting.

When I look at my santa and all of the other stars and trees, circles and canes, I'm glad we made the mess. Turns out, my younger son's ornaments outlived him. Precious, tangible treasures.

Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20