not Christmas gifts, just presents for the kids

That's what I told Tony and Laura as I set the bag of items under their tree.

I'd made sure the local great-nieces and great-nephews knew that no Christmas gifts would be forthcoming from me this year.

My budget's been that busted.

However, the "Gift Closet" in my living room still held items that had been intended as birthday presents for Tony's grand-kids, so I'd brought some of those.

 

For great-niece Carissa, I had a book from DEEP Center full of writings from Fall 2023 students.

Amazingly, she knew all the writers from her school, Oglethorpe Charter Academy!

I pointed out that I chose the book because it had

stories from Myers Middle School, which I went to

when I was her age (14).

I also gave her the Elephant Joke bracelet I'd brought for her in 2014, so many years ago.

That meant I had to tell her Mama's jokes about pachyderms painting their toenails so they could hide in jellybean jars and apple trees and watermelon patches and blueberry bushes.

For Bert and Sebi, ages 11 and 8 now, I had a box of "Super Mario Brothers" movie items which included a game they could play.

That had been a reward from Comcast.

As well as the game, there was a poster, an activity book, a popcorn bucket, and a package of microwave popcorn.

I added about ten packages of candy from the NCG kid-packs; they all have strawberry as the candy base.

That box of movie goodies was not all the Gift Closet 

had for them.

It allowed me to add two activity books.

Those were both from Disney movies.

Lots of pages to color, lots of mazes to solve!

There are even puzzles to find differences in pictures, 

as well as scrambled words to set right!

That should keep them busy during this winter break.

Then there's little Olivia, who's maybe 3.

The Gift Closet held the cuddly toy dog, in hopes that it

will soothe her fear of the overly-friendly -

but very large and muscle-bound - Dane.

For her, there are also tiny books for her little hands

to hold and look at while her mom reads them.

I have a Braves bobblehead of Spencer Strider for

great-nephew Dylan, but I knew he would not be there,

so that gift remains here, in the closet, waiting.

i thank You, God, to have that magical Gift Closet.