I've never been to a "Cookie Swap" before. I don't know if they've been around for hundreds of years or they're a new fad but I heard about them multiple times over the last two months. One mother suggested we have one for our neighborhood at the clubhouse. Someone else wanted to have one, but wasn't sure how many people to invite or what to do to coordinate.
I got an invitation last Sunday from a neighbor who was taking over a cookie swap her friend was hosting but had to cancel at the last minute. I had two days to make three dozen cookies. My children helped me make cookies and on Tuesday night at seven-thirty I walked down the street to my friend's house.
I had a general idea of how the swap would go: you come in with three dozen cookies and leave with three dozen cookies, only the cookies you leave with will be a variety from the other participants. It didn't sound like a complicated event. So I walked into the house with my cookies. That's when I got distracted.
Let me start by saying the outside of this house is the most spectacular one in our entire neighborhood. They have many decorations and it's my son's favorite place to visit outside in the dark these days. We had all guessed that the inside of the house would be equally decked out, but we had no idea.
All I can say is Biltmore Estate has nothing on Ginger and Jason's house if the judging were to be done by square feet. They had six fully decorated trees, each with its own theme and coloration. And these were major themes, as in everything on the candy tree was a larger than life replica of a type of candy you'd love to eat. There were decorations on every shelf and mantle. Chairs had their own wreaths or other holiday-themed items on the backs. It was stunning. I enjoyed looking around and discovering new things the entire night.
But back to the cookie swap. This was not little swap, this was a shindig. There were appetizers, wine, beer, gorgeous Christmas plates on which the food was being served, and a gracious host who always makes you feel at home when you're around her. So, I had a glass of sangria and talked with my neighbors and the new people I didn't know.
Then, I had a second glass of sangria, because we were still eating and chatting. Did I mention I was in a sweat shirt, jeans and tennis shoes and everyone else was nicely dressed for the evening? I didn't mind, but next year I'll know these cookie swaps are serious business.
So two hours go by and I text my husband, "no cookies have been swapped yet." After a while longer, I debated leaving my cookies there and heading back home to bed. I abandoned that idea because the plates my cookies were on were sentimental to me. I leaned over and said something to one a neighbor and she said she had to go soon too.
And it seemed everyone was ready to do the swapping at just about that time. The swap itself was very informal and took less than ten minutes. The cookies are great and I'm glad I went. I think I'm more glad I went because it was a fun night--just not the night I was expecting.
The Big Boy Update: Needing a nap, or food, or both. He's been very cranky at times lately. We think it's related to his hunger level, but it's also tied to his desire to control his environment. He is also very strong-willed. The combination of those three things make him difficult to deal with at times. Then, as soon as he's gotten enough calories in his system, he's a happy kid again.
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: This is a typical way conversations go with my daughter at this age (with varying topics). Her, "where's my iPad?" (She thinks the iPad is hers.) Mommy, "Uncle Jonathan is using it." My daughter, "I want my ipad." Me, "Uncle Jonathan has it upstairs." Her, "Where's my iPad?" Mommy, "it's upstairs with Uncle Jonathan." My daughter, "I want my iPad." Me, "go ask Uncle Jonathan if you can use it." My daughter, "where's my iPad?" Eventually she wanders off, deciding she's grilled you enough on the subject.
Fitness Update: Our trainer is having us do circuit work with very little recovery breaks of late. Today we built up to fifteen elements in a row before we got a chance to recover. The running has helped on the cardiovascular front, but he's working lots of muscle groups that don't get utilized the same way when you're just running, so it's all tiring. Today, the last exercise in the circuit was the worst because we were the most tired: one-and-a-half minutes on the treadmill at 7.5 speed and a 7.5 degree incline. We run, but not like that. It's a killer ninety seconds.
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