Sweet Confection Perfection

Every Thursday Dot has Bible study and I get the Deeds. Its always fun. I most always have a plan to do something new, or something different or a new way of doing something old. But CHRISTMAS! There are way too many opportunities, too many choices, too many very important holiday adventures to pack into a couple of hours once a week. Today Dot extended her morning to pray with a friend and have lunch with another. So the Deeds and I had quite a day planned. I so wish I had a camera full of pictures of each stop we made this morning to document how a 3-year-old can turn even the simplist errand into a Christmas event. But somehow lugging the camera around to catch the shot, changes the whole experience. So followers, you'll just have to use your mind's eye for the best parts.

We started the day making candy cane fudge. I don't know if that is the real name, but we were making it, so we got to name it. Stirring boiling candy for 10 minutes doesn't allow much involvement for a preschooler, so we decided to add candy canes and certainly they needed to be crunched into sprinkle size pieces. I am sure Julia Childs has this photo right next to "Candy Crunching Technique" and if she doesn't she should.

With each perfectly placed crumb of candy cane, I am sure this will be the best fudge we have ever made together!

D was working overtime at station 5. "DD, can we go visit Papa at Station 5, because that is where the fireman pole is and I can give the firemen candy canes." Well little man, yes we can. So we left the fudge to cool and headed off to see Papa and the pole. The firemen got their candy canes, the Deeds got to sit in the tiller seat papa did his killer demonstration of pole sliding and we were off to shop for Daddy.

A couple of weeks ago I asked Micah what he wanted to get Daddy for Christmas. "Well, he already has a backpack so I think I would get him a "------"." Oh, that's a good idea. What color would you get him?" "Well, red is his favorite color, so a red one". For heaven's sake, if he knows what he wants to get his daddy and even the color at 3 years old...I'm making it happen, just for the sake of the story. Anyway, we headed to Ross and the Deeds reminded me we needed to take the candy canes in to give to people. I was thinking we would take them to the mall and he could give them to other kids he saw, but mercy, he clearly had an agenda and I was not about to get in the way of his generousity. He was seriously chasing people down at Ross to try to give them a candy cane. I mean, spotting them, running after them, calling to them etc... Now, let me just say, if a blond headed, toddler runs up to you anywhere and offers you a candy cane of any size for any reason, please...TAKE IT and just thank him! Please! I can tell you it causes at least 10 kinds of confusion to a little guy trying to spread some Christmas cheer when he hears "No thank you, I don't eat sugar, I'm a diabetic, I don't like candy canes". Just take it, smile and appreciate the gift. Thankfully, it didn't hurt his feelings or anything, he just looked at them like "I must not be hearing you right because I am offering you sweet heaven here and I think you just turned me down." Anyway, needless to say our quick gift selection took about an hour and the equivalent of a mile of running down holiday shoppers.

We made a couple of other "quick" stops, having left the candy canes in the car. Then we headed to the mall. It has been a very long time, like never that I have gone to the mall without an agenda except to follow a pint sized elf around as he spies and pursues person after person to gift with a peppermint delight. We did have a target audience, grandma's or children but not babies. It was so fun. Seriously, just watching him work was a "joy to my world". Kids loved him, grandmas hugged him and we just took our sweet time wandering down to the play area at the opposite end. We decided ice cream for lunch was a necessary addition to this most festive day. Wandering all the way back to the car with vanilla goodness filling our tummies and covering the lower half of one of our little faces. A couple of napkins and a buckled up car seat later we headed home.

It took very little coaxing to get this tiny elf upstairs and down for a nap. He chose a Christmas story book, complete with little paperdoll type characters. So after reading the book, I told him I'd come back in a few minutes and it would be time to stop playing and lay down to go to sleep. About 10 minutes later I came into the room and found him missing...?? Where in the world? So I walked around the bed and saw...a knee... And then a tuft of blonde hair... and one pillow at a time...I found him.

He loves to hide and wait with anticipation to be found. But today with all the festive responsibilites he was saddled with, this little helper, couldn't stay awake long enough to be found. Sweet perfection...that's what I'd call today. Sweet confection perfection!

How can he help it?

I try to leave most postings and stories about the Deeds to his mom. I try to be good that way. Try to pretend that there are important and meaningful things in my life apart from him. Try to pretend that he is the center of his momma's universe, but you know that I have other interests and purpose now that my kids are grown. Try to pretend that he is not really the first of a very large group of perfect angels that will call us papa and dd.

I try to pretend for the sake of boundaries and all. I had no idea how grandchildren would change me. Melt me, thrill me, undo me, and unlock something inside that is more fun than well...anything.

Have no fear my sons, this one has only started something that makes us more anxious for the next and the next and the next and remember I told you that you needed to average 3 each. I believe your own plans aside, that is completely reasonable.

Here is the thing with grandparenting compared to parenting. As parents you have a responsibility to behave in a manner that is responsible and worthy of obediance and respect and you must be firm about teeth brushing and shots at the doctor and sunscreen and making them go to bed on time and all of those things that will grow them into wonderful adults that will give you GRANDCHILDREN!

BUT, this grandchild has begun the undoing of all undoings. He makes me forget all things adult and sends my heart into the pursuit of childhood fun, adventure and carefree abandon. Fort building, sand surfing, face painting, playdoh, sharky the shark, legos, jelly beans in my pockets and hide and seek. I don't want to just help him with whatever it is, I want to play right along with him. My greatest challenge ensues when he is anywhere in the vicinity and I cannot just drop everything to be a 3 year old right along with him. It is a triple dang situation and I reserve the triple dang for something
just short of 911 just so you understand the severity of the challenge.

Anyway...all that to say that lately I have noticed the Deeds wants little to do with having his picture taken. Just no patience for the whole sit down, or smile or whatever. Its like he is 3 months old again and I am jumping around like a fool trying to surprise him into a smile as hard as he tries not to comply. But to his credit, he doesn't necessarily turn away, just wants to use the moment to reveal one of his other moods, because at 3 he clearly has other moods.

When I looked at our recent camping pictures I noticed that he isn't the only one with other moods. So, possibly it is a DNA thing that has taken over and he just can't fight the urge to display his hereditary gift!

So here's to grandchildren and funny faces. Consider me undone and I plan to stay that way for a good long time!