That's a Wrap

There's only a few more days until Christmas and our grandchildren have been fairly buzzing with excitement. School holiday parties, trips around the neighborhood to see the lights, a holiday program for Noah's preschool, frosting Christmas cookies and more. Each day the two younger ones search for the Elf on the Shelf (Lena's is named Darth Vader and Noah's is Princess Leia).  They could be inside the Christmas tree, sitting in bowl of miniature marshmallows or even in the microwave. Even at age 8, Lena is still very much into the Christmas magic. 

One of my favorite tasks is wrapping gifts. I hid all the kid's stuff in the guest room closet and last week got it out to wrap, attach a bow and tag. I also helped Hannah gift wrap everything for her kids and Booker. When I was growing up, my busy mother of five didn't wrap our Christmas gifts, opting instead for arranging each kid's haul in a little pile under the tree. I remember one Christmas when I was a young teen. Mom had gotten me a panty girdle and stockings, mortifying me and causing much teasing from my siblings. 

My maternal grandmother, unable to go shopping, would sometimes give each of her 11 grandchildren a dollar limit and we could do our own shopping from of her Montgomery Ward catalog. The best part was that our selections did not have to cleared through our parents! I always helped with wrapping gifts for my many cousins and would spend hours crafting fancy bows and tags.

I've also been baking up a storm this year, now that I can stand for long periods of time thanks to my successful back surgery. I made a new gingerbread house, cut-out cookies and dozens of biscotti in different flavors as gifts to teachers. I'll also make a holiday torte for a Christmas Day open house at a friend's and fruit-filled stolen for Christmas morning. I can't wait for Christmas Eve, when our grandchildren open their gifts from us and the next morning when they see their pile of goodies from Santa.

I wish all of my readers a very happy holiday and a healthy New Year!

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