Letting Go of Expectations: A Heartwarming Cookie Decorating Experience with Ellis

A couple years ago Ellis was invited to a holiday cookie decorating party hosted by one of his pre-K classmates. We decked ourselves out in festive holiday gear and were so excited to decorate some cookies, because if you know me, you know that holiday cookies are one of my favorite things!

I was armed with my phone, set of course to portrait mode, ready to snap some cute candids of Ellis decorating his treats. But he seemed overwhelmed by task, did not want to participate, and instead chose to play in the basement with the exciting and “new to him” cadre of fun toys. I recall being so disappointed and had to be honest with myself about what the afternoon was really about – was it about me and my desire for a new holiday memory or was it about Ellis having fun?  Throughout the last six years, I’ve had to adjust my expectations of certain situations and remind myself to meet Ellis where he is and be content knowing that his idea of a great day may be different than mine.

When I heard about the GiGi’s Playhouse Deerfield Cookie Decorating Party this past December, I got excited, but recalling the memory from a few years ago I wondered if would Ellis enjoy it too? So once again, we dug out our holiday attire and showed up at the Playhouse ready for frosting and sprinkles. Turns out Ellis was ready this time too, he immediately chose a cookie to tackle and before I could dig my phone out to capture the moment, he was already onto the next cookie.

I took so many cute photos that afternoon – ones of him with his little tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in full concentration mode, dumping an entire containers of sprinkles onto his cookie for the perfect finish, and mixing frosting colors together like a true artist. I sat there watching him with a type of joy in my heart that I know others in our community can relate to, when he suddenly broke my gaze by exclaiming “mommy, your turn now!” Ellis chose a cookie for me, passed me his little plastic knife already loaded up with frosting and we finally made that memory together I had been waiting for.

Are you ready for the icing on top (pun intended)?  That afternoon at the Playhouse I ran into a fellow extra special mother who had supported me during our prenatal diagnosis. She took a break from cookie decorating with her own son to greet me with a big smile and warm embrace. I told her how grateful I was to her for the time she spent with me during my pregnancy and how she’s inspired me to do the same thing for other extra special moms to be.

Wow, what a GREAT day.

~ Elizabeth, Ellis’s Mom

Join us for our GiGi’s Kitchen program every Tuesday from 5-6:15PM to make memories in the kitchen! Food has a way of bringing people together and we love the independence and confidence it builds in our teens and adults. We can accommodate any food allergies, just let us know at Deerfield@gigisplayhouse.org or register for cooking here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/deerfield/sfcalendar/

A huge THANK YOU to Sweet Tooth Delivery for donating the cookies and decorations for our party!