Dollar Tree Christmas

I have secured my hand-painted and Venecian glass ornaments in the attic until my grandchildren are older. I didn’t want the stress of watching over them, both the grandchildren at the tree and the ornaments themselves. This led me to devise a tree where the ornaments are kid friendly and could be handled.

So for the first tree, a trip to the Dollar Tree was in order. We found stuffed animals, slinkys, dinosaurs, toy monster trucks, and other colorful things to decorate that tree. This year, because the inventory is always changing at the Dollar Tree, I have found zoo animals, night vision goggles, slinkys, yoyos, little ponies, and water pistols shaped like dinosaurs.

This year’s tree is completely different, colorful, but different. It’s great to take the precious out of decorating. I won’t be guarding anything on the tree again.  I let them pick out a toy and take it with them every week that they stay with me. Everyone is happy, grandchildren, and grandma. They are not old enough to make things for my tree. I only have them one day on the weekend and don’t want to put them on a production schedule so this works for us.

My daughter’s childhood was spent making Christmas ornaments. Instead of gingerbread or cinnamon, my kitchen smelled like melting plastic, or latex paint. We were crafty and worked hard at Christmas. My son was less interested in decorating and more interested in the food so that’s another story all together.

I salute everyone with Christmas traditions. Carry on and have a wonderful holiday season.

Review of local Tulsa author.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27879311-izzy-cavanal?from_search=true&search_version=service

Grandma's Back To Posting

11/22/2015

I am coming back to this blog to write about Grandmother issues and concerns. I haven’t posted here in a while because life just took over, but now, I’m going to take my time back and post here about twice a month.

         My grandchildren are the special treasures that I never gave any thought to. They were in the far off future and not an immediate issue. I’ve had friends who started collecting baby furniture since when their children left the house. The threats from their husbands didn’t stop the curation of a museum display of cute things for a baby either boy or girl, or both. Toys, handmade clothing, antique baby furniture, and then there is the list of things they are going to do written in their diary, and kept in secret.

         My first granddaughter was born into my daughter’s navy family. She has traveled all over the world. She makes friends easily. She is always up for an adventure. She has a great sense of humor, is smart, witty, plays jokes. She has beautiful strawberry blond hair which is getting redder.

Here she is with my other grandchildren. There is a big difference in their ages. She is a really good sport about being with them. She plays with them, and shares her kindle fire.

The next two grandchildren from my son’s family came instantly. Suddenly we were surrounded by babies. They are exactly a year apart. Everyone was wearing diapers, everything was sticky, and the bathroom and kitchen always looked like aftermath of a terror attack. They are a riot, so much fun and we get to spend more time together than I get to spend with the Navy girl. She is becoming a beautiful accomplished woman without any of my input.

I call upon all grandma’s to send me their funny stories. I’m going to post mine and I want to share them with you and hear yours in return.

Mary