1m2aSandbox

The girls are old enough now to be very directly involved in choosing and/or making the gifts they give, and for better or worse this year, they’re in it up to their necks.

Cora has decided to make Sock Buddies for her teacher and a couple select friends: you take a long cotton sock, fill it with rice and dried lavender buds, then sew the end shut. Now you’ve got a Sock Buddy to put in the freezer to cool off an owie, or in the microwave to act as a heating pad. Cora loves measuring and filling, but even more so she adores threading a needle and laboriously sewing that sock shut tight, one stitch at a time.

Maddie has come up with some elaborate plan to make everyone in the family t-shirts; I think it has something to do with each person spelling out a word, or a sentence, or something. Not quite sure where we’re going to wear it, but there you go.

As Cora watched Maddie get involved in the shirt-making business, Cora decided SHE has to make shirts for Maddie and Daddy, so she’s been busy with stamps and an inkpad all weekend. Can’t wait to see Daddy’s face, and even more important, to see him wear the shirt like I know he will. ‘Cause he loves his little girl.

Maddie has chosen to make candy for most of her friends, which I’d applaud more loudly if I didn’t suspect it was all an elaborate ruse to be able to eat the leftovers of said candy.

And Cora’s working on something for her Gamma –but I can’t give that one away here.

I love that I haven’t said a word to the girls about gift-giving: they’ve sat down and decided who they want to get gifts for, and then come up on their own with creative, low- or no-cost solutions to manufacture a great gift for a loved one. Seeing them WANT to give gifts, and figure out their own ways to do so without dipping into the Mommy Piggy Bank, has been a real treat this year.

Now, ask me again how awesome I think it is when I’m wearing my family t-shirt/slogan thingie . . .