Cookies

The kitchen counter waited.  Flour covered one corner, a rolling pin sat idle, baking trays were stacked, red and green sprinkles twinkled in their containers, and Christmas music added its flavor to the scene.
    “I’ll roll the dough.”
    “I want the angel.”
    “I’ll cut out Santa.”
    “Give me the Christmas tree?”
    “I’ll time the cookies.”
The family gathered in the kitchen for the baking of sugar cookies.  The youngest, eager to help, held the red and green sprinkles.  The dough was rolled into thin circles.  Hands flew into action.  One Santa landed in the middle of the dough; stars, trees, and angels surrounded him.
    “My cookie is stuck in the mold.”
    “Oops, Santa lost his foot.”
    Soon a tray was filled with an assortment of cookies.  Red and green sprinkles showered over the cutouts, the tray, and the counter.
    “I’ll mix icing to decorate the rest.”
    Blue food coloring was chosen and globbed onto the baked cookies not covered with sprinkles.  Then the scene moved into fast gear as children grabbed warm baked cookies from the tray and popped them into their mouths.  Others shifted to make their own creation from the leftover dough.  Floured hands moved from rolling the dough to smearing flour on a face.  Next, a floured handprint appeared on the back of a shirt and the top of a head. Laughter and squeals welcomed in the Christmas season as well as the smell of cookies.