"We ain't got no babies today."

Once upon a time in a land far away - I was not a fan of daycares. In fact - I said I would use an in-home person before I ever did a daycare. Hello, words - I shall now eat you. Our kids now go to a KinderCare near our house. Bronwyn has been going since she was 15 months, and Nicholas 9 weeks old - we love it. When Bronwyn was a baby and we lived in our old house - we had found a local daycare that we loved. As time went on and closer to the day we were moving - things there weren't good, and we were glad to be leaving. When we looked for a new place near our new house - we were so frustrated to find a place with the same feel, the same caring feeling from most of the teachers (we had a few bad ones), and something close to our house. At one of the places we visited, we meet with the director - the highest educated person - she told us "Sorry, we ain't got no babies today." And we left. Oof.
Then KinderCare. It had a different feel, we liked the people, it wasn't sterile, there was artwork everywhere, kids having fun, teachers enjoying what they did - this was it. Fast forward 6 years - wow - 6 years... and sure we've had our bumps in the road - but we love where our kids are cared for when we can't be there. We know they are safe, loved, and kept safe.
To thank our friends at KinderCare - Bronwyn and I made cookies. Illegal cookies! They have peanut butter in them... so these cookies are only for the teachers - no sharing with the kids today!! I'm thankful to have these partners in learning. A few cookies are the least we can do to thank them for all they do an continue to do.

Monster Cookies
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter I prefer creamy but crunchy will also work
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup M&M's plus more for tops of cookies
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus more for tops of cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper or silicon baking mat.
Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
Add the egg, peanut butter and vanilla to the bowl and mix until combined.
Add the flour and baking soda to the bowl and mix until just combined. Stir in the oats.
Add the M&M's and chocolate chips to the bowl and gently fold them into the dough.
Make 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. You will need to bake the cookies in batches.
Press a few M&M's and chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie dough ball.
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough. Cool all cookies completely then serve.
Store any leftover cookies in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or you can freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.