A New Season - Unwrapped

I am rarely able to write a blog post on Tuesdays. That’s the day of the week set aside for grandchildren, two of them, Melodi and Sierra. I used to call it Toddler Tuesday until they both grew out of that stage. Now, with Melodi at 4 and Sierra at 20 months, they’re able to have little adventures at Grandma’s house. Over the summer we held the Kid Olympics out in the yard on the playset. The kiddie pools spoke to their inner mermaids and Grandpa’s garden was always a glorious romp through tomatoes, squash, watermelons and yes - pumpkins - one for each kid. Sometimes we even spotted a toad or a cricket.

So what did we do yesterday? We got ready for Fall and Halloween. I hauled the box from the attic that held the carefully stored decorations. Oh, what little treasures we found all wrapped in crumpled tissue paper! Each time I pulled a bundle from the box and said, “Oh, boy, what’s this?” their eyes were like saucers. There was a cellophane goodie bag full of small gee gaws like vampire teeth and pumpkin rings. Melodi loved chasing me with the red fangs hanging. There was a whole family of ceramic pumpkins, a wooden goose, some pretty fall napkins and then we pulled this from the box . . .

We'll hang it outside beneath the back porch light. I found it at the Lion’s Club tag sale a few years ago.

Melodi pulled the tissue away from one of the fabric pumpkins I made many years ago from a pattern I found in a magazine. Our oldest granddaughter, Elaina, was the toddler that year. The pumpkins are a little worn, but tied up with so many memories I just can’t part with them. They’ll go on the mantel in the living room beside the brand new photo of all six grandkids.

We unpacked the beautiful candy dishes my friend, Karen, gave me. A big old bag from CVS held the fake fall foliage that I used to replace the spring flowers in our giant grapevine wreath hanging in the dining room. Karen also gave me this . . .

And the bears, too, from the same Lion’s Club tag sale. Do they look autunmn-y or what?

Finally everything was unwrapped and we scurried to set them just so, here and there with a festive air. The house has taken on the look of a whole new season thanks to two little darlings whose enthusiasm helps their sometimes weary Grandma take delight in it once more. How do you get ready for a  new season?