The letter I did get today

Dear Parents:

We're almost half way through First Session and looking forward to welcoming you to Visitor Day.
You will have time to tour the farm, see your child's living unit and meet their counselors. We will be serving a delicious lunch, having an assembly and then ask that you plan to depart at 3pm so that we can get back to our regular camp schedule and activities.
Please do not bring the following to Visitor Day:
Please no pets. We cannot allow pets of any kind out on the farm, even with a leash, and cars parked in the meadow will become far to hot to leave an animal inside. There are concerns for diseases coming in with your pets as well as things they may pick up on the farm and take home. Please respect this request.
Please do not bring sugary snacks, soda or candy. We provide homemade desserts on a regular basis and it is only a week and a half until they can enjoy candy and soda at home.
Please go not bring small toys or toys/games with small pieces. At the end of the summer, camp returns to being a farm and animals will be grazing in the meadows. Packaging and plastic parts are dangerous for the animals and we appreciate your cooperation in keeping their pastures safe.

Now, I ask you...what self-respecting parent brings a dog, a six pack of Coke, M&Ms, and Legos to Visitor Day? I'm bringing a companion plane ticket and a stun gun.

Sigh. Time to break out the chocolate.

Grandma's Brownie Mix Cookies*

Buy a box of brownie mix, preferably Ghirardelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie
Follow the directions on the box to make the dough.

Heat oven to 350. Drop dough into roughly tablespoon sized rounds onto a parchment or Silpat covered baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches around each one as these spread quite a bit.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until edges are crisp and tops of cookies are dry but still shiny. Incredibly easy! The transformation that comes from cooking them this way is just amazing. They are thin, just a tiny bit crispy on the edge, and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate heaven in the middle. When you serve them, no one ever guess how you did it.

* My mom invented this. There was a special on brownie mix, plus she had a coupon, so she stocked us both up.

Cookie shown here being enjoyed by the older brother who is reveling in both his sister's absence and my culinary response to it.