I had a fantasy in my head of how the Santa Cookie-baking would go: on Christmas Eve morning, my son would perch on the counter and listen in rapt attention while I showed him how to sift together flour and baking soda. He'd help me stir the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar, and then together we'd form little teaspoon-sized balls of dough and drop them onto parchment paper.

Problem Number One: I forgot to buy parchment paper.

Problem Number Two: Two-year-olds think that Buzz Lightyear is much more exciting than mixing.