About six months ago, my son informed me that he was bringing his family from Philadelphia for a week-long visit during my birthday weekend. Of course, I was elated, but I realized that I had to prepare my home. I became obsessed with presenting an unforgettably fun but safe grandma’s house experience. My son has two sons: a very active two-year-old and a five-month-old. Because their cross-country visit was likely to be a fairly rare event, I wanted my daughters and their families to be here as well. I especially wanted the first cousins to meet for the first time in a memorable environment. It only made since that a gathering during my birthday weekend should also include a professional family photo shoot. So, I eagerly began making plans, using the money I had set aside for retirement fun.
Before the grandkids, I had prepared our house to accommodate the kids and their spouses during holiday visits. But this would be completely different. I needed somewhere for the babies to sleep, a play area with toys, safety precautions, and child eating accommodations. I’m glad that I had six months to prepare because it allowed me to be thoughtful and to shop around for the best deals.
My first purchase was two sturdy pack and plays for the babies. I asked my son for recommendations, and he directed me to a previous purchase he made on Amazon. The pack and plays are portable crib/playpens and come with their own carrying cases. I was able to purchase fitted sheets for them on Amazon as well. I gave one to my daughter for her to use at home and to bring with her during visits like this when necessary. Before and after my son’s visit, the one I keep here is always available when she visits from Palmdale with the baby. Hopefully, there will be additional grandchildren to use it as well.
It was fun shopping in stores and on-line for the various items. Because it was going to be summertime and pretty hot, I purchased a toddler pool with lots of bells and whistles and a tunnel with tents on either side to provide just the right kind of hideout little boys love. I found both on Amazon.
And then I turned my attention to finding a space in the house to convert into a play area. I took a couple of weeks to think about it and decided that a section of our family room that I had previously utilized as my crafting space would be perfect.
I went with a Sesame Street theme since Elmo is my eldest grandson’s favorite character and the theme would suit any future granddaughters. While at Marshalls one day, I ran across floor foam-matting with letters and numbers in primary colors that would define the play area while also providing comfortable padding on the hard ceramic tile floor. On Amazon, I searched for and eventually found a lovely table complete with storage and two chairs. I also found a cute Elmo pull-out sofa and a Sesame Street toy organizer on Amazon. To divide the play area from my craft supply area, I attached two form boards, and decorated them to match the Sesame Street theme.
Now that the play area was established, I needed to fill it with toys. I purchased several Dr. Seuss books, a toddler ball set, and some toy cars at TJ Maxx over the course of a few visits. I purchased high quality wood blocks for a fraction of their original price at the Toys R Us in Macys one day. I found a toddler wooden train set at Target on clearance. But my best finds were at the local Goodwill Store where I not only purchased nearly new Elmo and Bernie stuffed dolls, but a host of high quality, fully functioning toy trucks and larger new toys like a wagon and basketball/soccer center. I visited the Goodwill Store for three consecutive Mondays because of the 25% senior discount and was rewarded with nearly free high-quality toys that my grandsons loved. On Temu, I stumbled across six-wooden puzzles and an airplane, both items my two-year grandson loves as much as cars, books, and balls. I purchased and then cancelled the account due to security concerns surrounding the Chinese run company. With the play area completed and fully stocked, I turned to food and baby needs.
I had fun purchasing unique eating items like the fork and spoon set I stumbled across on clearance at TJ Maxx. The set featured a tanker and fire engine on them which I thought my wheel-obsessed grandson would love. And he did! I purchased a cool placemat depicting a dinosaur and was surprised when he gleefully articulated the full term, “dinosaur” upon seeing it. He later discovered to his delight that the wading pool also had a dinosaur who sprayed water. I found a place in the cupboard for their dedicated plates, bowls, and sippy cups. I returned to Amazon to shop for a portable booster seat and an infant seat with a detachable tray. Instead of a highchair, I opted for a new seating option that can be placed on the floor or on the tabletop and has a detachable tray. This way, the babies could be closer to the action in the play area or at the table during eating times. I purchased a walker that has attached toys and a stationary that provides a platform for standing which my younger grandsons enjoyed.
My preparations were finally complete. The six months of preparation helped make for a wonderful visit. I think I met my goal of providing a safe, fun and memorable experience for my grandsons and their parents. Enjoy pictures I took and a few from the hundreds of photos from the shoot. I’ll give a shout out to Snappr.com and their photographers, Hrair and Marcin who patiently and creatively too hundreds of photos over two separate days. It was well worth the effort and money spent to capture so many great family moments and poses.
Charlie (Photo by Marcin) 
Son-in-law and Ryder (Photo by Marcin)
Ryder (Photo by Marcin
With the grandsons (Photo by Marcin)
