With two of my grandchildren here for the week, I am seeing my town through totally different eyes–those of a 2 1/2 year-old and 6 month-old!
We started with a reserved spot to decorate a gingerbread house at “Sweet Rexies,” a packed candy and gift store with every tempting treat. Our bare gingerbread house was provided with a tube of white frosting and a bag of assorted gum drops, candy corn, and skittles. Little Caroline was wide-eyed just walking through the store to the back where our houses were set up for us. She got into the activity until she realized that she could just bypass the house and eat the candy or squeeze the frosting tube directly into her mouth. We did complete the activity but felt it might be more relevant when she is a year or two older.
Next we went to cut down our Christmas tree at the Audubon lot in Westport. This was clearly a highlight as she ran through the grounds, pointing out trees, and searching for the tiny spots of snow left from our earlier flurries. Being from North Carolina, she found this was unique. Watching Pop Pop saw the tree down and drag it back to the table where the tree got “wrapped” was part of the experience. The best part was I finally found the BEST person to help trim the tree with me–who would have known that it could be a 2 year-old? Most of the ornaments are concentrated on two branches but that is part of the fun.
