"I've found a new GIRLFRIEND!"
That was the thrilled cry of my youngest cousin the very last time we went to the park when he'd discovered a play mate on the climbing frame, and, depressingly, the minute I realised a 5 year-old has a greater love life than I do.
Not 1 to bear grudges over this type of point, I dote on my cousins and am usually on the look out for their subsequent present or gift, which is beginning to prove rather high-priced due to the amount at which my extended family members is increasing. A true believer that if you're entertaining little ones and somehow not building a huge volume of mess you're not executing it correctly, I've encouraged them into painting pasta styles ("Look a this!" - I seem to find a small little one lined in paint smudges but proudly retaining a masterpiece that is instantly shown on the fridge), baking cakes (flour everywhere you go), digging in the backyard (i.e. holding drinking water fights with the hose), and setting up make-shift costumes out cardboard packing containers and aged sheets. I've also spent a fair sum of time pretending to be Hagrid from Harry Potter and/ or Thomas the Tank Engine. Sometimes at the same time. It's exhausting.
Regardless of becoming a major lover of the quite a few brilliant things you can do with a cardboard box and some bubble wrap, it is usually a little heartbreaking when young children are a lot more interested in the packaging rather than the gift, which is why I now spend hours scouring the web for items they'll truly take pleasure in. Although books are excellent I substantially prefer finding something entertaining we can do collectively or they can do with their mothers and fathers (it also saves me the distressing experience of seeing my carefully selected stories disregarded on the ground, as was the case just one Christmas).
They enjoy dressing up in the animal onesies I gave them the previous Christmas, the youngest being incredibly adorable carrying out his best penguin impression and the elder desperately attempting a serious-throated roar in his dinosaur outfit. (I also discovered they arrive in grownup sizes as well, so once in a while - just once in a while - granddad's persuaded to be part of it as well!). The elder gained a flare for science and adores the science experiments for youngsters kit I uncovered for his last birthday (and FYI, the dent in the radiator that resulted from this is absolutely NOT my fault). The more youthful is determined to be a grown-up (irrespective of my attempts to persuade him to continue to be a kid for as long as achievable) and very considerably enjoys his blackboard laptop. He'll be on Dragon's Den by his 10th birthday.
Other than presents and gifts, it is generally convenient to have anything new up my sleeve for when they come round. The previous time they were here we ended up pouring over an introduction to art package, figuring out how to make the clay designs it explained, chatting away and getting fired up about settling down to watch The Lion King for the fifteenth time later on in the afternoon.
"How's your girlfriend, sweetie?"
"Who?"
That was the thrilled cry of my youngest cousin the very last time we went to the park when he'd discovered a play mate on the climbing frame, and, depressingly, the minute I realised a 5 year-old has a greater love life than I do.
Not 1 to bear grudges over this type of point, I dote on my cousins and am usually on the look out for their subsequent present or gift, which is beginning to prove rather high-priced due to the amount at which my extended family members is increasing. A true believer that if you're entertaining little ones and somehow not building a huge volume of mess you're not executing it correctly, I've encouraged them into painting pasta styles ("Look a this!" - I seem to find a small little one lined in paint smudges but proudly retaining a masterpiece that is instantly shown on the fridge), baking cakes (flour everywhere you go), digging in the backyard (i.e. holding drinking water fights with the hose), and setting up make-shift costumes out cardboard packing containers and aged sheets. I've also spent a fair sum of time pretending to be Hagrid from Harry Potter and/ or Thomas the Tank Engine. Sometimes at the same time. It's exhausting.
Regardless of becoming a major lover of the quite a few brilliant things you can do with a cardboard box and some bubble wrap, it is usually a little heartbreaking when young children are a lot more interested in the packaging rather than the gift, which is why I now spend hours scouring the web for items they'll truly take pleasure in. Although books are excellent I substantially prefer finding something entertaining we can do collectively or they can do with their mothers and fathers (it also saves me the distressing experience of seeing my carefully selected stories disregarded on the ground, as was the case just one Christmas).
They enjoy dressing up in the animal onesies I gave them the previous Christmas, the youngest being incredibly adorable carrying out his best penguin impression and the elder desperately attempting a serious-throated roar in his dinosaur outfit. (I also discovered they arrive in grownup sizes as well, so once in a while - just once in a while - granddad's persuaded to be part of it as well!). The elder gained a flare for science and adores the science experiments for youngsters kit I uncovered for his last birthday (and FYI, the dent in the radiator that resulted from this is absolutely NOT my fault). The more youthful is determined to be a grown-up (irrespective of my attempts to persuade him to continue to be a kid for as long as achievable) and very considerably enjoys his blackboard laptop. He'll be on Dragon's Den by his 10th birthday.
Other than presents and gifts, it is generally convenient to have anything new up my sleeve for when they come round. The previous time they were here we ended up pouring over an introduction to art package, figuring out how to make the clay designs it explained, chatting away and getting fired up about settling down to watch The Lion King for the fifteenth time later on in the afternoon.
"How's your girlfriend, sweetie?"
"Who?"
About the Author:
A handy guide for finding great great gifts for children .. Unique version for reprint here: Children's Gifts.
