It all seemed like such a lovely idea as I was walking (alone) through Target yesterday. The display of holiday sugar cookies screamed at me “Mother of the Year” and “holiday memories to last a lifetime.”
But Target Amanda had little concern for Future Amanda… and Future Amanda lives in reality, very much unlike Target Amanda.
Target Amanda wistfully threw the cookie mix into her cart. And then the frosting. The sprinkles. The special holiday shaped cookie cutters. And the Merry Christmas gift bags, so we could spread the cookie love to our dearest friends.
Standing in that aisle, Target Amanda had visions of laughing kids licking icing, sneaking sprinkles and hugging. Lots of smiles and hugging were in this sugar cookie daydream. (Target Amanda had clearly lost touch with reality in her 30 minutes of alone time.)
But reality came to smack Future Amanda straight in the face today.
Because hell hath no fury like a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old in the kitchen fighting over who gets to stir the bowl of cookie mix. (Spoiler, it’s me because “What are you doing, you’re getting cookie mix all over the floor!”)
Today, Future Amanda had to say things like “Stop licking that knife” and “Don’t put sprinkles down your pants.”
Today, Future Amanda’s kitchen was a disaster. Sprinkles were everywhere, frosting was in everyone’s hair. Cookies were broken. Dreams were crushed.
But through the raw cookie dough and sugar overload, there actually was lots of giggling and fun. They licked their fingers and used every kid knife in the kid drawer. But there was also Christmas music playing, and I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe these are the holiday memories to last a lifetime.
Clearly Target Amanda was onto something in that Target aisle, inspired by caffeine and the Target app. Which brings me to the moral of the story: I need to walk Target alone more often for inspiration!
Happy Holidays! Hope you’re also making memories to last a lifetime this holiday season!
