Good grief. I’m becoming one of those moms. You know, the kind that makes stuff and bags it in cello bags with ribbons and tags for my kid’s school events. Although the daycare center where we send mimi three days a week said that participation in the annual Valentine’s Day exchange was optional, I felt somehow that I should do something, like crank out a batch of nicely decorated cookies for mimi’s friends and teachers. At two years old, Mimi still doesn’t quite understand the concept of gift-giving and she really still hasn’t a clue what holidays are, nor does she understand what a birthday party is. She thinks they’re just fun occasions to run around, play with other people’s toys and get sweets because she’s not allowed to eat sweets at home. At least, I think that’s what she thinks. My guess is that the kids will destroy the cookies before pulling them out of their bags, and despite the colorful icing on top, all they will want to do is stuff those hearts into their little mouths.
And so, as I was finishing bagging and tagging these beauties, I wondered…who am I doing this for? My kid? Or…me? Both, I think. I hope Mimi will enjoy these little gift exchanges, and that she understands the importance of giving and sharing with others. As for me, well. I could easily have bought a box of chocolates or a tray of cupcakes. But this past Sunday, as I was pulling the cookies out of the oven to cool, I thought of the nice members of the daycare staff who look after my daughter several days every week and some adorable kids who Mimi looks forward to seeing every other day. So yeah, baking, decorating, bagging and tagging…worth it.
I made these gift tags using a business card template in Pages (the Mac word-processing program). So easy. Took me about ten minutes from start to printed version. The cookies took a little longer to make. But everything was done while Mimi napped. And then I wanted to nap but couldn’t because she woke up and wanted to play outside. Motherhood. Sigh.