So... What is the perfect Christmas cookie? I can cut them out myself, bake them just right, carefully place them on the cooling rack, ice them smoothly, and shake the sprinkles so that they are evenly distributed on each perfect Christmas tree shaped cookie and end up with only a few dishes to clean. Or... I can teach Megan how to cut them with the cookie cutter (they end up a bit mis-shapen), let her place them on the cookie sheet (thumb prints included!), let her put them on the cooling rack (broken pieces and all), let her ice them (she likes it when the icing drips off the sides), and let her shake the sprinkles on the cookies (pretty much dump the sprinkles in one spot on each cookie), then clean the green food coloring off Megan, the counter, the floor, the towel and myself, then sweep up the spilled ingredients, wipe the sticky finger prints off of EVERYTHING, and then... I get to enjoy hearing her tell her Daddy and anyone else who will listen how we made cookies and all that we did. Then she runs to the kitchen to show her handiwork off and offer one to every visitor. Perfectionism has to take a back seat, and the goal becomes making memories and enjoying my wonderful daughter in everything we do. I started out making the "perfect cookie" by myself while the kids watched a Christmas special in the other room, but ended up making "perfect cookies" with my little Megan. 
