Christmas Ideas

One of the most read posts on this blog is my blog about gift giving.  If you liked it, perhaps you may appreciate a few more ideas to round out the collection!  My apologies - these couldn't come before the holidays because I gave them out on Christmas Day!

I bought a memories book for Grandma and for Grandpa.  They look like this.  They are kind of spectacular; LOTS of wonderful, thought-inducing questions as well as easy ones, and only one question a day.  Everyone can answer one question a day, right?  I answer 80 of Ollie's questions every morning before 8am!

My Mama says there are times she wished she'd asked
Grandpa of his memories: love had, smiles shared, joy basked.
But in her focused quest to grow up and get where she got
She forgot to sit, cherish, and listen as she ought.
So now I'm asking you to please, Papa, if you don't mind
Take a good pen, open up, sit and rewind.
Start out with questions that are easy to answer
And work your way up through marriage, through cancer
Through painful memories and ones pleasant to view
Because I want to walk through your memories with you.
This book will serve as a conversation starter
For when we grow older and want to get smarter.
Papa remember, this isn't a test
Mama says we can do hard things
So just do your very best!

For Ollie's daycare teachers (because I don't know what the eff to get them), I bought them an ornament from Pier One (have you seen the ones that come in their own special box?  Gorgeous!), and had Ollie cookie-cut little ornaments from play-doh.  Scratch in his initials and the year, let that crap dry, slap a ribbon through the holes, and you've got a rather shitty homemade ornament from a 2 and a half year old.  My idea of Christmas.  I wrote this in the card:

Oliver has made such strides this year
And we wish you to have these tokens.
We love you and hope you remember us
Long after they've cracked and broken!

Ms. Casi cried.  (Sucker.) 

Enjoy!  Lots of love from the Turks!