A Halloween Cookie Decorating Party

I know, I'm kind of ridiculous. But, sometimes, don't you just want to fill up holiday themed cupcake papers with glittery sprinkles and set them on the table next to freshly frosted cookies that are just begging to be decorated?


I didn't tell Eleanore about her cookie decorating party until the day before it happened. I wasn't sure that I'd actually get all of my ducks in a row in time, and I didn't want to be the one to break her heart when the party planning committee failed. Somehow though, I found the time, and everything fell into place. On Friday, since Christopher had taken leave due to Charlie's pneumonia (we'll get to that later) , Eleanore helped me bake sugar cookies. This was her first time rolling out dough and using cookies cutters. It, was, awesome. She was a great big huge help. No temper tantrums, no attitude, just sugar and spice and everything nice. I think the fact that her brother was upstairs sleeping, had a lot to do with it. She was in desperate need of some special one on one time.

Later that afternoon while Eleanore napped (thank goodness), I whipped up some black and orange frosting, organized the dining room table with edible glitter and colored sugar beads, and when she woke up at 4:00, it was party time.


Each of the girls had their own little work stations, with 2 cat cookies, 2 ghost cookies, and 2 pumpkin cookies. I had pre frosted them with my homemade black and orange frostings (vita mix made), getting that out of the way (mostly I just couldn't figure out how to distribute the raw materials between the 3 of them safely), leaving just the best part for the girls- making a mess and then eating it.


They didn't hesitate to get their hands dirty.

They pushed at it and smushed at it. They dumped out all of their sprinkles at once. They licked frosting off of their parchment paper place mats. Their faces and fingers were stained with food coloring, as were their clothes. It was perfect.


After an hour or so of a near constant sugar consumption, we took all of the girls outside to run it off. The energy in the house was getting to be too much. And of course everyone got to take their plate of (gluten free of course)cookies home with them.

I don't think I've ever seen Eleanore enjoy herself, or her company, this much. I hope that this memory sticks with her forever. I know it will surely stick with me.