Traditions: Part 4

Well, it is the weekend before Christmas and yet another tradition in the T-----household will take place. When our oldest daughter was about 2, we decided to start celebrating Jesus' birthday with something "hands-on" for her to grasp the true meaning of Christmas. She knew the nativity story, in the way that most toddlers learn it: playing with a nativity scene, listening to a toddler version of the Luke 2 version, watching "The Little Drummer Boy" video. But we wanted something else so we decided to bake a birthday cake (8 x 8" pan) for dessert on Christmas Day. She helped me stir up a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and we wrote in red "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and put one candle in the middle. She got to blow out the candle after dinner that afternoon. Well, after her little sister was born on the 21st, (3 years after we started this tradition), we decided that since we now had a baby born so close to Christmas who would most likely want a cake for her birthday, we would have to think of a different dessert. We came up with brownies which actually turned out to be better because none of us really like cake anyways! So.....from 1998 until this year, we have done "Happy Birthday, Jesus" brownies (my own chocolate brownies with "snow"). The four of us have always enjoyed this and each girl always has had a job to do in the preparation of the "Jesus" brownies as they call them. (and Claire, not liking cake either, always chose cookies from a local gourmet bakery for her birthday on 12/21). All was well with the world.
Until.......YIKES! This past summer, our wonderful local gourmet bakery went out of business. Which means no more cookies for Claire's birthday. She is easy and decided she wanted "make your own sundaes" for tonite but for her birthday party with her 6 best friends tomorrow she wants......you guessed it....brownies! (and how can I disappoint my just-turned-9 year old with the gorgeous blue eyes??) SO.....I told the girls I was NOT baking my special brownies 2 times in one week. (not to mention the 2 batches of cookies I have already made this week and the pound of fudge I need to make on Sunday afternoon). I decided to browse in my cooking magazines I receive each month. And.....we now have a new "Happy Birthday, Jesus" dessert: Mint Chocolate Pudding with Raspberries! YEAH.
And it couldn't be easier. I had to buy a box of Jello brand Mint Chocolate Pudding mix. I will make it Monday late afternoon with the girls (after my parents leave and before our Christmas Eve service begins). I will dash out to the grocery store tomorrow after the party and pick up some fresh raspberries (the pudding comes with little green minty sprinkles or candy thingys). I figured the raspberries would look pretty on the pudding cups, even though I am the only one who will eat them! ( I dread to think of the price though...not exactly raspberry season up here in capital region NY!) I am just happy that the girls still insist on the tradition of singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blowing out the candle and reflecting on the fact that He is God's greatest Gift to us......and I am praying they take this tradition in to their own homes someday for their own children. And isn't that what traditions are all about?