please call before stopping by....

In the olden days, I loved it when company stopped by; unannounced; to enjoy a cup of coffee and some gossip. To me, that was a pure sign of friendship, knowing you can just drop in on your friends without them worrying about appearances--unkept hair, messy home--welcoming you with open arms. Today, if someone dropped by unannounced, I would worry they'd break a neck!

My home used to be neat and tidy. Everything had its place; all the clutter and "stuff" was organized. We're "seniors." We're retired. Our kids are grown. So it's only natural that we would keep a clean and orderly home....

I love having every thing in its place.... But does this look like a neat and tidy place?! I think not! This is what our home looks like most days a week!

Let's see.... two car seats, an Exersaucer, a walker, a stroller; two dog beds, dog toys; coats and hats thrown on the floor. Big toys, little toys, push toys, stacking toys. Toys everywhere. Books stacked; books tossed; books on top of books; everywhere. Blankets on the floor; baby blankets on the couch. Bibs, wipes, diapers. Bottles. Can you see the vintage wooden bowl full (or half full) of oranges.... on the ground.... oranges usually rolling all over the place....? Barricades in the middle of the room to prevent exiting and access to other places; barricades to trip over.... Oh, and did I mention two dogs and two babies?

Yes, this is our home.... Four days a week.... Please call before you drop by so we can make a pathway from the door....

And the culprit of most of this mess? This is Hunter, my one year old grandbaby. One year old, moving quickly into the Terrible Twos, I might add.... and can you read what it says on his t-shirt in the photo below? Messes just follow me around. Messes indeed! You pick something up, try to put some order into your day, then turn around and it's back on the ground again!

But isn't he adorable? It seems like just yesterday that he was born, and here he is, already one year old.... My husband and I get to babysit him two days a week. He arrives with a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face. He's definitely a boy; into everything. If he's on a mission to touch something, he'll get there. Then he turns and looks at you, with his hand hovering over the item of his interest, as if to say, "see what I'm doing...?!"

I thought my "baby proofing" days were over, but here we are again, watching two precious little grandbabies. The focus on our daily routine is now--what can Hunter get into and where can I put it.... You won't see any magazines or books or journals or other organized clutter on the coffee tables most days. Candy dishes are put up out of reach. Things are tucked behind doors. Four days a week, this home belongs to the babies.

Even though Christmas decorations are minimal this year, I wanted those I did put out to be special, for the grandbabies. They needed to sparkle, to have lights, to be touchable. I didn't want my grandbabies to be denied the marvels of their first Christmas at Grandmas. So whether they're gigglin with the rockin penguins or ringing the jingle bells, I know they're feeling the spirit of their first Christmas at grandma and grandpas.

Now this sweet little thing.... she's my granddaughter, Ellis. She's 7 months old and just as sweet as can be. She definitely has grandma wrapped around her little finger. We babysit her four days a week. She loves her grandma and at any point during the day, she' can be found watching me, just staring; then as soon as I look at her, she opens up this beautiful smile. Yea, she loves her grandma. And her grandma loves her.

These precious little babies.... They'll bring a whole different meaning to Christmas this year. They're going to bring the spirit of Christmas back into our lives. Give us a reason to Believe again. To have Hope that Santa really DOES exist. Santa, or the Spirit of Santa, has always existed in my heart. This year the Holiday Spirit has been a little more difficult to produce, but I there's still hope. And I know just the two little Christmas miracles that can help.