Christmas with a Five-Year Old Princess

I like taking my 5 year-old granddaughter with me when I go Christmas shopping. We plan each gift and scope out a plan of attack on the stores. For Grandpa we go to the tool store. For Mom we go to the bath products store. For Grandma we go to the gardening section of her favorite store. She helps me navigate around town and tells me good spots to park the car. We always have the discussion of whether Golden Arches is better than the Charcoal Broiled hamburgers. We have found many new places to eat lunch on our shopping trips. On sunny days we try to stop by the park and eat our lunch outside. We have long conversations about gift ideas for our dear ones. Do we buy little brother a truck or a ball? Does Grandpa want the light kit or the new drill? Does Auntie get a scarf or jewelry?

What kind of menu will we serve this year? She has decided ideas of the correct food for Christmas. It took me several days to convince her that macaroni and cheese was not a Christmas food. I placated her with the promise of mashed potatoes. Such important issues such as turkey or ham are often discussed at length. We reached the conclusion that this year we will be serving both smoked turkey and ham. The vegetable choices she safely leaves to me as they are not important. Certain dishes must always be included corn casserole, green bean casserole, and of course, cranberries. Although she does not like them she expects them on the table when turkey is served.

Dessert though is a consideration that may take days to finalize. The traditional cherry, apple and pumpkin pies have to be mulled over in favor of chocolate cake and ice cream. It is hard to see the value of cherry pie when the opportunity to have a piece of chocolate cake oozing with frosting and vanilla ice cream and don’t forget the chocolate sprinkles presents itself.

When it is holiday time she invariably puts out my little turkey candleholders regardless of the season. Took nearly an hour negotiating to convince her that turkeys did not go on the table for Easter. We lost. We could not see the logic that if you are serving turkey then turkeys need to be on the table. Yes, we were serving turkey. That was the deciding factor. We had turkeys for Easter.

The serving of the food is important as well. She tends to push the vegetables to the far end and move the desserts closer to her end of the buffet. This is a girl who has her priorities firmly in place. When the food is out and displayed she announces to all in her queenly voice that dinner is served and time for Grandpa to say grace. She decides when little brother needs more food or when he hands and face need cleaned. She expects us all to see the little problems that need attendance. She sees things so clearly why don’t we?

We grownups talk too much and do not pay attention. She is quick to help us see the error of our ways.