One extremely WONDERFUL attribute to having Aspie kids is that they keep their innocence MUCH longer than "normal" kids do. That with the fact that my kids are so schedule-oriented makes every holiday a chance to make absolutely BEAUTIFUL memories. Over the next few days, since we are out of school and I have more time to write, I will be sharing some of the Easter traditions that have developed over the past years. I treasure them.
Today's tradition is baking "Resurrection Cookies."
Those of you who are from the Southern US States may know these cookies as "Forgotten Cookies," but we have taken them a step further to bring home the message of the holiday.
Every Holy Saturday, the Saturday before Easter, my sons & I gather in the kitchen with all of the ingredients and a Bible. We first take whole pecans, put them in a Ziploc bag and then use wooden spoons to beat them into pieces....while the story of the Scourging of Jesus is read. Next, I let the kids smell the vinegar as we read how Jesus asked for something to drink and was given sour wine. Sugar and salt comes next...letting the kids taste each and discussing the tastes....this can sometimes cause trouble as my middle son has some difficulty tasting at times. We then take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks...while we read the story of the sorting of the goats and sheep. Next, we use a blender to whip the egg whites.....while the stories of the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus being taken to Caiaphas are read. Once the egg whites are meringue, we fold in the pecan pieces....while the story of the Crucifixion is read. Then we take turns to put little mounds on a cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper...while the story of Jesus body being taken from the cross is read. This whole time, the oven has been preheating. We then turn the oven off and put the cookie sheets in and seal the oven with Duck Tape...while the story of Jesus body being put in the tomb and the tomb being sealed is read. On Easter morning, we wake up and take the cookies out of the oven. They have "cooked" and formed little "tombs." When they break the cookies in half, they see that it is empty...just as the tomb was empty on Easter morning, as Jesus had risen from the dead.
Now, to those of you who are not religious or who think I am taking advantage of my sons' innocence, I apologize. But the fact that this has become one of our traditions makes me very proud. One thing that I know about my Aspie kids, they know God and they embrace Him with the innocence of a trusting child...and will. We all spend our lives on a journey of spiritual discovery....
they are already there.
"Unless you become as a little child..."
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