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   How To Make Rolled Sugar Cookies With Kids ......

   
   1. Start out with a clean kitchen (because it's going to get a lot dirtier.)
   
   2. Put 2 cubes of butter in mixing bowl and let them come to room temperature. (Snowy days are nice, but they tend to make for colder rooms and hard to cream butter). Consider the microwave .....

   
   3. Answer the doorbell and find your son, shivering in the snow. Beside him is... his dog Frankie. They have been nice enough to walk over and deliver your cell phone. Ask them in to thaw out a little, but the thought of having two dogs in the house at the same time is not good! Fix him hot chocolate, tie plastic bags around his feet and send them out the door. Make note to get boots .....

   
   4. Allow Child Number One to measure flour into separate bowl. Try to overlook immense amount of flour in places it doesn't need to be. ( That would spoil the moment.) Don't get busy and look away, trusting that you will end up with the right amount of flour ...... add baking soda and and set aside.

   
   5. Watch helplessly while children measure out the white powdered sugar ..... it's even in the air now and "It's beginning to look a little too much like Christmas".... in here. Not to worry, we are making memories and I will clean tomorrow.

   
   6. Keep your "Dr. Phil On Raising Children" close at hand. Have the chapter on teaching kids to cooperate and work together, bookmarked. Also, having taken a class on speed reading is helpful at times like this .... SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AT HAND.

   
   6. Whew, glad we made it through that! Start the "rolling" process and watch the children's faces as they cut out their favorite shapes. On the sly, secretly slip a bit of cookie dough in your mouth. If they ask for some say, "There's raw egg in there honey and I don't want you to get sick".

   
   7. Turn on the oven light so that they can peek while the cookies bake. When cookies come out of the oven, set them way up high. The kids I trust, the dog I don't. Put colored frosting in a zip lock bags which have a corner snipped to pipe frosting out of..... decide that is too much of a hassle and pick up some professional cake decorating tools from the store. Have spaghetti and meatballs for supper.

   
   

   8.  Don't loose sleep over the mess you will be cleaning up tomorrow ..... hey, you will need all of the rest and energy you can get!