What I Want From My Grandson This Christmas

We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas. – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Grandparents love to buy presents for their grandkids at Christmas. Most tend to overdo it, buying mountains of toys, clothes, and stuffed animals. We talk a lot about what to get for our grandchildren but what we never discuss is what we want from our grandkids. If Callister could get me something, what would I want it to be?

1. A hand-drawn picture

I would love a picture he has drawn and colored all by himself. I’ve watched the focus he has when coloring, the thought he puts into the colors he chooses, and the joy he takes in creating these little masterpieces, and I would love to have one of my own.

2. A truck

A toy truck seems like a strange thing for a 61-year-old woman to want, but I do. I want my grandson to give me one of his toy trucks because that would be the ultimate gift for him to give. He loves his trucks with his whole heart, and giving me one would be like giving me (figuratively speaking, of course) a little piece of his heart.

3. A big hug and kiss

As he becomes older and busier, his patience to stop and hug is becoming rarer. A big hug, complete with candy cane sticky kiss would be a great gift.

4. Time

The best way to spend my time is building memories with my grandchild. There is nothing I treasure more than an afternoon spent hanging out with him. His time is a precious gift I treasure. I know there will be a day he’s too busy or too cool to hang out with his grandmother, but I’m hoping I have a few more years before that happens!

5. A macaroni necklace, a handprint colored like reindeer antlers, a homemade ornament

Any of those homemade arts and crafts project pre-school teachers have a knack for helping toddlers create. They may get lost in the chaos of busy family life or eaten by the dogs at my grandson’s house, but in the hands of a grandmother, they become works of art to be placed on the mantel and kept forever.

He came home yesterday with this adorable elf made out of his footprint. How do pre-school teachers come up with this cute stuff?!

6. A pool

While I’m dreaming, I might as well add this to the list in case my grandson hits the lottery or Santa is reading my blog. The only material item on my list is a 25-yard in-ground lap pool in my backyard. I guess you never outgrow the dream or give up wishing!

7. OSU gear

I had to add this one because my daughter reports that anytime they are out and he sees Oklahoma State stuff he says, “For Grandmom?” That boy knows my true loves!

He already knows how much I love my alma mater. Apparently, the brainwashing is working well!

8. Love

Isn’t this what the season is all about? Hopefully, we all feel a little kinder, more generous, and more loving during this season. It’s the way we should feel and act all year but hey, I guess better during this one month than never at all. There is no love purer and sweeter than the love of an innocent child. Grandchildren know how to give the gift of love better than anyone, and it’s the only gift I need this year.

Merry Christmas to all! I hope Santa brings everything on your list but more importantly, I hope you have a season filled with family, friends, and love. It’s the intangible gifts, the ones we can’t see or touch, that fill our hearts with joy.