PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT WORRYING ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND WHAT TO DO WITH THE GRANDKIDS?? LET ME HELP!!!

Holidays can be so stressful in and of themselves.  Throw in a handful of grandkids and the noise level can escalate to ear-shattering deicibels.  As you may know, I've been a grandmother for almost 17 years now.  Hopefully, I've learned some things!!!  I want to share some holiday traditions and tips that have helped our family get through the holidays.  The photographs are from Thanksgiving almost two weeks ago.  Obviously, what I will share can be adapted for any family holiday, especially when some of the kids and grandkids spend the night!!

DECLARE FLEECE PAJAMA NIGHT

THE NIGHT  BEFORE THE HOLIDAY!!!

Steve, Sarah and the kids arrived on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, all the family decked out in their fleece pj's.  In this photograph, Reese and Finley had just entertained us with a dance and gymnastic program so you can't see their (as Reese calls it) "comfy clothes."  Actually, they appear rather dour, but look at their father!!!!  He's the one on the far right....STEVE!!!  You know what?  Steve has an attitude, I do believe!  Perhaps it is because I had him go to the pizza joint IN HIS FLEECE PAJAMAS to pick up the pizza for our supper....reckon that's the problem??  It was great fun that night.  We put the girls down and settled in for a raucous tournament of Rook.  I won't mention if the gals beat the pants off the guys:)

HOLIDAY SHAVING CREAM TRADITION

This tradition has been the longest-standing tradition with our grandchildren.  When Ashlan was only two years old, Grandpa would pull her into the bathroom while he was shaving and plop some white goop on her little nose!!!  She was delighted, and each grandkid since thinks it is great fun.  (And for you skeptical safety geeks, we have had NO SHAVING CREAM IN THE EYES!!!!)  This was little Harper's initiation ceremony into this tradition.  She is observing her grandpa with curious wonder!



PICK THE HEAD CHEF (NOT GRANDMA!)

ALLOW ALL FAMILIES TO CONTRIBUTE A DISH

Steve is our HEAD CHEF typically for Thanksgiving.  Above, he is busy at the stove....I'm telling ya, this guy knows how to man a kitchen!!!  He soaks Tom Turkey in a brine solution all night long which produced the best-tasting turkey I ever done had!!!!  Carey contributed her hit dessert of apple crisp, her best-selling corn casserole and ramen noodle salad.  Notice my 8-yr.old Lauren looked like a million bucks in her new Thanksgiving outfit!!!

KEEPING THE GRANDKIDS HAPPY

AND BUSY WHILE ADULTS ATTEMPT TO VISIT!

This card table contains most of the stuff I used to entertain the kids for Thanksgiving.  I'll try to explain how these items represented all their activities.

1.  On the right hand side of the table pictured are Thanksgiving decorations that adhere to glass windows.. When all the kids first arrived, I allowed them to apply them on whatever window in any room they chose.  They were running all over the house in pure delight.  The larger decorations on the bottom left were hung from the entry ceiling.  For this project, Grandma had to help them as we needed a ladder to reach the 3M hooks.  I used nylon thread and had these all ready to hang the day before Thanksgiving. 

2.  Notice that I covered this card table with butcher paper.  I buy this at a Ben Franklin store.  It is inexpensive and comes in large rolls.  I used masking tape to secure the paper on the underside of the table.  The washable markers on the bottom right corner were available to the children as they waited for the food to get ready.  I asked them to be "artists" and create something for Thanksgiving.  They could scribble anywhere as long as it was on the paper!!!  In addition, I had assigned them a special Thanksgiving picture I had obtained at the children's library that said "Thanksgiving."  Right before the adults sat down for our family holiday dinner, I hung these "works of art" on both sides of Grandma and Grandpa's "real art" above our buffet.

Having their art next to this beautiful abstract painting made the kids feel like real artists.  They knew Grandma valued their hard work, and I didn't shudder using masking tape on our dining room walls!!!!

3.  At the top of the card table are masks and and a costume out of the dress-up trunk in the Suzee Room.  After Thanksgiving dinner, I announced to the children that they would use the masks and the costumes to present a Thanksgiving play for all the rest of us.  They were so excited to perform.  My sister Sandy from Ohio just moved to our town to live with my Millie mom.  She is worshipped by the kids, and I had asked her to be the play's director!



Welcome Sister Sandy
She's almost as crazy as the wild n' crazy gramma!!