Making memories

[bramble]

At the moment i am sitting around the table with my three youngest grand kids. We are playing Christmas CD's and making decorations. I know its a little early but they are only with me one full pay a week so not that much time for all the christmassy stuff.
What I am really doing is building memories for them. I hope when they are adults they will remember when they here the same songs.
I have been doing this for the past 5 years at least.
I also take my grand kids for a day out in the week before Christmas. We go into town, go the Thunder Road, to eat, visit Santa and then on to the Panto where we book a box. Its a great build-up to the big day and they love it.
Anyone else do special things with their grand kids over the Christmas season.?

[stella]

Hi sounds like a wonderful time, what are you making. I would like to do something with my youngest but as she is only 3 not sure what?

[rustylady]

I always used to make sweeties with my own children to give away as presents. Even the youngest can help, specially if you use things like marzipan which doesn't need to be hot. Short list:
1. marzipan stuffed dates (you will have to stone or split the dates, but the little ones love rolling the marzipan and pushing it into the middle).
2. Marzipan fruits, simply mould marzipan into fruit shapes which can then be painted with food colouring.
3. Peppermint creams
4. Chocolate truffles

[Nicos]

My mom always decorates the Xmas cake with my son..and has done since he could roll a snowball out of icing and jab a plastic tree into the top!! ( maybe since 2 yrs???)
They'll be doing it together this year- and he's 23 now!



..and every year we take a piccie!

Oh- Ikea have a gingerbread house you can construct and stick sweets on...that's always fun...I did one once with my nephew..needless to say he didn't want his supper afterwards!!

[rustylady]

Home made decorations for the tree?

[bramble]

Hi Stella, just cutting out shapes from card, then painting them and adding some sparkly glue.
I also have some press out books with tree decorations in which the younger ones can manage without using a scissors.
We also made some gingerbread men and gingerbread Christmas trees. Oh, the smell in the kitchen is so worth all the mess.
They have just gone home in the past few minutes and the place looks like a bomb hit it.

[Snadger]

Bramble you're a star!

[northepaul]

Oh- Ikea have a gingerbread house you can construct and stick sweets on...that's always fun...I did one once with my nephew..needless to say he didn't want his supper afterwards!!

I bought one of them the other year for my DD and me to do - but there wasnt anything to stick it together in the box, no instructions and one of the pieces was broken... Ended up throwing it out in frustration!

[binley100]

I always used to help my mum make mince pies........she'd roll and cut out the pastry , I'd line the tins , she'd fill them then i'd stick the tops on and give them an egg wash.

[Jeanied]

I remember making pine cone decorations - wire wrapped round the bottom of the pine cone, tennis shoe whitening painted on the tips of the cone, glitter shaken over when wet. Bit easier with the spray stuff these days but best to do out of doors!

[stella]

What great ideas I now have a very long shopping list. Looking forward to the boys being old enough to join in

[northepaul]

Oooh.... another decoration we made was to get some small clementines, cover them in cloves and wrap pretty ribbon around them to make a tie to hang on the tree....they smell fab!

[CaroltheCarrot]

Not got any grandchildren yet but himself always takes the boys shopping on christmas eve and we always go to the German market on the 2nd

[lettucegrow!]

Aaah, this lovely. I am looking forward to all this in years to come. It's the bits I loved doing with the kids. I 'borrowed my nieces a couple of years ago to make gingerbread angels. Had a great time. saw a recipe for peppermint creams that took me straight back to childhood, dead easy.

[Hans Mum]

me & DD always put tree up with a CD playing christmas tunes quite loudly she's nearly 18 but i have to fit in putting it up around her schedule. Mum doesnt make cakes now but i remember helping 'stir' the cake with my brother & sister every year