Grandma's Christmas Workshop -- Part 3

 Christmas Fishing came next.

Grandpa (the sneaky catfish hiding behind the curtain)

was more sneaky than usual this year.

Instead of hooking their usual gift...

first, they hooked something else.

Emberly got an old sock...Oh MY!!

 

 Liam caught an old shoe!

 

 He loved fishing...

 

 Pierce was patiently waiting.

He wound up catching a set of keys before he got the fish of his dreams....

 

 Hailey caught an old bag first!

(Grandpa was in his element. I was thinking, what next?)

 

 Our helper fished last. I thought surely she will just catch a fish.

I was wrong....she caught an old comb!

 The kids wait until everyone gets their "fish."

 

 They are always good about waiting.

 

 The boys got mini-marshmallow guns.

 

 The girls got felt purses with lotion,

a coin purse, socks, and a little craft inside.

 

 Emberly loved hers. She pulled off her socks and put on the

Christmas socks right away....Then she went to the table

and put her name on her bag with permanent marker.

 

 Time for another activity.....

Santa Hide-n-Seek came next.

 

 The kids were having a good time....
They always wear the Santa hats for Santa Hide-n-Seek.
The "finder" is the Santa...

Ho, Ho, Ho!

 

 Pierce chose it, so he was the first to do the finding.

 

 One, Two, Three, Four, Five......

 

 One year Pierce hid under the tree and no one could find him.

He really wanted to do it again this year, but alas, he tried, but he found

himself TOO BIG to get under there! Hailey pretended to

be a statue and the finder actually walked by her the first time

not realizing that was her "hiding place."

 

 Liam had a big time all day long.

Here he is hopping to his hiding place.

 

Grandpa was the finder and

here he was!!

Grandma's Christmas Workshop -- Part 2

 Ready to start the games!

Santa helped us choose activities this year.

The eyes, nose, mustache, boots, hands, and belt buckle were removable.

Underneath was written the name of each activity. 

There were two rest activities at the top....to be chosen by

Grandma and Grandpa whenever we needed a rest.

Some years we have been plumb tuckered out by too many

fast paced activites in a row. I like this new way....

We were not as tired at the end this year.
I also had 2 activities to do at the end if there was time left over.

 

 The choosers go from little to big.

That's the way we've always done it and there is never any question

about who goes next.

They never know which activity they are picking.

Liam chose first,
it turned out to be the target practice activity.

 

 He took the very first shot and it was the best one of the day!

He knocked down four things with one big fat marshmallow!

 

 We had two different marshmallow blasters this year....

the big one we usually use, and also a mini-marshmallow gun.

 

Emberly concentrating....

 

Pierce's turn ....



Hailey's turn...

Now the mini-marshmallow blaster....

 



For the mini-blaster we had a target that had sound.

When the marshmallow hit the target it went "boing"

and if you it the center, it laughed!



Hailey with the mini-blaster...

Everyone wanted a turn with both guns.

 



I held the target for awhile.

I think Ansley was taking pictures.

 



We use the same little santas, snowmen, and little stuffed things

 as targets every year. I keep them in storage from year to year.

 



Liam was having fun.

 



Liam loved being the best shooter of all!

 



Santa's Helper....

Grandma's Christmas Workshop -- Part 1

This is the 7th year we have held the Grandma's Christmas Workshop.
The first year we had Reindeer Races, Sing a Christmas Song, a Memory Game,
Musical Chairs, and a Texas Snowball Fight (among other things).
Each year we have dropped something and added something....
to keep up with the ages and stages of the grandchildren.
This is our Christmas gift to them....the gift of time....
the gift of self. It is so easy to buy things, but forget to give of ourselves.
I hope by doing this little workshop, our grandchildren will know we love them
and treasure them. I hope they will have some good memories of their childhood.  

 

 

 This winter workshop morning it was unusually cold and wet.

It had rained all morning on and off as I prepared for the fun indoor activities.

They came at 1:00 p.m. just after lunch.
The boys had hoped for more leaf piles and jumping this year,
but the leaves freezing on the trees a few weeks ago
made them wet and soggy and they are long gone...
So no leaf jumping this year.

 

We did have snowflakes, though. Paper snowflakes!
We made the snowflakes as they arrived.

The girls got here first.

Ansley decided she would come to be my helper this year.

I was so glad, because I can always use a helper!

She helped tape the snowflakes on the wall....

and she took some of the pictures for me, too.

When I needed anything, Ansley was my extra arm.

 

 I had forgotten how to make snowflakes,
so I looked in a book for instructions the day before the workshop.

and I also watched a tutorial on U-tube.

The kids kind of knew how to make them...

but it helped that I had refreshed my memory.

 

 Liam folded his paper....
At first he wasn't sure he wanted to make a snowflake.
But I told him I would make the cuts for him.
He told me that he wasn't allowed to use big scissors, anyway.

 

 

 He told me what kind of cuts to make.
He liked that. 

 

 He unfolded it all by himself and was quite happy with his work.
When you are little, it takes concentration
to unfold a snowflake without tearing it...
 so it was a good accomplishment for Liam.

 

 We made big snowflakes first....

Then the kids decided to make some small snowflakes, too.

 

 Emberly was able to make her snowflakes 100% by herself!

All of the snowflakes were very beautiful.

 

 Ansley got fancy on us and she made a bow.

She said it was actually oragami.

 

 Pierce was giving me the eye....

 

 The kids decided where they would hang their snowflakes

after I suggested the dark wall would show them off the best.

 

 Here's a close up of Ansley's pretty bow.

It only took a few minutes for her to make it.
She is so smart....

I think Ansley got the decorator gene!

 

 Liam stuck it on his shirt.

I told him he looked like he was going to church wearing a bow tie.
That just made him grin even more.

 

 What sweet looking grandsons I have!

 

 Once the wall was looking pretty,

Emberly decided to make a jumping frog...

 

 Hailey decided to start putting together a Santa Claus
puzzle that was brand new this year.

 

 "See my froggie, Grandma!"

says Emberly
 

Liam was having fun with the train.

Soon, it was time to start the workshop games.