Playgroups of holiday past

So, I was just in the kitchen making the 8 dozen cookies that I need for tomorrow's traditional holiday playgroup/cookie exchange (and desperately thinking will anyone really know if I just go to the store and buy them) and that thought got me thinking about how much playgroups have changed within our group over the years (at least for me anyway). When we first started this playgroup (the kiddos were babies--like 3 months old), the mom's would take turns hosting every week. These playgroups were lavish, each mom spending hours in the kitchen before guests arrived making gourmet lunch spreads which included speciality sandwiches, fruit cut in shapes (ok, not really but it certainly does spice up the story) and desserts straight out of the Martha Stewart catalogue. No boxed macaroni and cheese (*gasp*) or PBJ sandwiches here. Then the pregnancies for baby #2 started happening, mom's got tired, kids entered the terrible 2's and the spreads became noticeably less fancy. Instead of gourmet sandwiches, chicken salad from HT started showing up (of course the mom hosting always put it in one of her own bowls to disguise the store bought packaging). The homemade lemonade disappeared, juice came in boxes, and crustables became a staple. If you are a mom out there and don't know what crustables are, then I salute you.

Now with all of us having two or three kids, playgroups are rare (boo!) and your lucky if you even get served lunch. If you do, it's a store bought muffin still in the plastic wrapping. You pray for that boxed macaroni because that means your kids will at least eat something. If you want a soda, better bring your own because the host mom has probably been to the grocery store at least 5 other times this week and has forgotten to pick up the diet coke.

Ok, ok, I'm being a little dramatic. It's not really that bad and there are still some mama's with homemade spreads (overachievers). I guess it's just how I feel when I host these days. And it's a little bit how I'm feeling as I made these cookies for the party tomorrow. They are no bake, which means I'm kind of cheating a little bit anyway. I've been to the store 3 times getting ingredients already and the recipe I used (and doubled) made 80 cookies. I need 96. Next year, I'm pretty sure mine will be store bought and of course I'll package them like I made them :)