The Good Neighbor

I almost breathed a sigh of relief when the last Friday of school was over. Almost. But see, we have these great new neighbors who moved in right before Thanksgiving.

Before we moved in almost five years ago, we were invited to a block party a week before our move-in date. It was awesome because we'd pretty much met all our new neighbors before we moved in July of 2005. In the winter, our new neighbors didn't really have that perk. And because they're a family we'd met and been friends with when Smunch was in preschool, I felt like I had a vested interest in making sure they felt welcomed.

So, with buy-in from the new residents, I scheduled a holiday brunch and invited everyone on our small street. Of course, that amounts to 12 boys, 7th grade and younger. And one Mam. It seemed slightly dicey, but the weather was decent and the boys mostly played outside when they weren't scarfing the food. All our neighbors came, with the exception of the strange older single guy across the street and one family who'd left on a ski trip. It was a potluck, so minimal work for me. I made a couple big quiches, cut up some fruit and supplied coffee and tea.

It was really nice to see our neighbors. I'd forgotten how little we see of them during the winter months! Our new neighbors got to meet everyone and we all got a chance to reconnect. Several people said they'd be interested in having it become a yearly event. I call that a success.

Of course, I also made mounds of truffles this year...just like the last several years. Somehow, they were distributed in a flash to the teachers, speech therapists, swim instructors and a couple of moms to whom I owe what sanity I have left.I didn't get started on Christmas cookies (despite the cookie exchange earlier in the month) until the kids were out of school and then it was a race to get them completed before Christmas arrived. Fortunately, I got a lot of kid help with decorating sugar cookies and decided to take the easy way out on the gingerbread cookies and decorate them in simple classic form instead of regular over-the-top Stacey form. They were cute. And my delivery duo was very efficient. Thank goodness! Each neighbor got a nice little plate of cookies on Christmas eve.Just in time to wrap the last presents and get a few last minute surprises set for the big day itself...