Play Things

I like to think of myself as a pretty creative person. I can look at something ordinary like old baby food jars and see candle holders, a pickle jar becomes a vase a stack of old magazines, frequently turns it into something like this...




But it’s nothing compared to the creative minds of my children. While playing outside the other day they found this...

A stick. To me it was just a stick. I suppose it could have been a walking stick, or a sword. I suppose it could have been many things but to my children it was a horsey. They kept calling it horsey and took turns riding it around the parking lot that is our back yard.


While my kids were riding their “horsey” around I got to thinking about the upcoming Christmas season. I hadn’t even begun to think about what I was going to get the kids this year. With three weeks left it was probably about time.

Ruby will want anything small and plastic Littlest Pet shop, Ponyville, jungle in my pocket. If it’s small and has a thousand pieces to it she will love it.

Levi will like anything his sister has. In trying to figure out what he enjoys I realize all he does is play with Ruby’s things. Don’t get me wrong he is sweet but he is still a BOY. He pays with her ponies and stuffed animals and polly pockets, groovy girls and dress up clothes but instead of making them all go the dance or matching their shoes with their dresses be protects them from imaginary dragons and “bad guys”. Ruby lines them up Levi defends them. Still there must be something he would like...

Finn, will let’s face it Finn is still a baby. He doesn’t really get it. Finn will be getting the same gift that each od his siblings received on their first Christmas. Just so that I am clear I do not mean he will get the same kind of gift but that he will get the SAME gift. It’s a red rocking horse or I should say rocking moose that each of my other kids played with. I just pull it out of the closet, scrape off the mushed up crusty cheerios put a big red bow on it and present it to the youngest child. He’s little he won’t mind and it lets the other kids know that this gift now belongs to Finny and they are not to play with it.

I will also admit that sometimes I take rarely played with toys from my children and regift them to my children. It doesn't bother them- not yet anyway. We don’t go crazy with our kids at Christmas time. They are spoiled enough by their wonderful grandparents. I have friends who buy their kids each three gifts because that's how many gifts Jesus got (from the wise men). I like this idea. We get each of them one gift from us and a few little things for their stockings.

It's not a lot but when you are creative enough to play with a stick for an entire afternoon, what more to do you really need.