My daughter is coming up in about 10 days so we can all celebrate her oldest girls 7 year old birthday. When they were here a month ago I got out the sprinkler. The oldest has always enjoyed it but the little one was terrified. She will be two in November. So we found this small pool in this weeks Target add. It has this giraffe that you can hook the hose up to it and a small detachable slide. What I liked most was that it was small and I didn't think the little one would be intimidated with it. But you have to blow it up So off and on all day long I got that thing out and blew it up. My husband felt sorry for me and took over for awhile when he got home from work. But it's a cute little thing. I have it downstairs in the family room. Their bedroom is right off the family room and I figured I would leave it set up down there and she could play in it there for awhile before we take it outside.

Then my daughter called me today and the other Grandma decided they needed a pool outside! So she bought them a 15 ft by 42 ft, 3 1/2 ft high pool! Oh well, I thought I was doing a good thing. So I guess for birthday presents I guess we need to get them all sorts of things for a pool. I think I'll go to Walmart's bakery and see if they have some kind of swimming pool type birthday cake.

Holy cow! That's as big as my house!!!

Sorry for your disappointment. Maybe fill it with sand and get some shovels and pails?

I think you have a good idea about the b-day cake; hope they appreciate it!

Remember how a box from a large appliance can be so much fun? Your little pool set up inside may be just as fun, just different from the big pool.

Here is an idea...whacky as it may sound. When you go to Walmart, buy a bunch of jello and fill the small pool with it. How crazy. Your 7 year old granddaughter may never forget the experience.

Or mud on the last day. Our city has a huge day for kids every year called Mud Mania. It is a big obstacle course of mud. A small pool of mud, a big mess but getting dirty and photos to last a lifetime.

Or do both, one on the second to the last day and the mud on the final day of play.

A little pool, a big experience.

Just a thought...

*visualizing Cyn as a muddy youngster*

Hmmmm, I'll bet you were quite the handful! My sympathies to your folks!

Doydie - What a wonderful and thoughtful Grandma you are. Regardless of the "big" pool the shear fact that you blew that up amazes me. I appreciate your efforts.

Aarcyn has some awesome ideas. Use the little pool for something else that will create lasting memories. Your GD will always remember her 7th birthday when her Grandma took the pool and . . . .

Sending you lots of cyber's and let us know how it goes and what you decide to do.

I saw that pool in the ad and thought it was adorable!

Regardless how big the other pool is, how can it be as cute? Kids your DGD's age aren't into that kind of competition anyway. I'd bet she is amazed there was a pool at both Grandma's houses and wonders if you conspired together on that one.



Kids love grandmas because they are grandmas, not because of the size or price of the gifts.

As for Walmart bakery... my 2 yr old DGD loves DorA Explorer. I bought the cake deco's for $5 at their bakery and made my own cake (saved a few bucks). My DD does not eat cakes with eggs, so I could make the cake special for her, save money, and still decorate for the baby.

And the baby LOVED the Dora theme.

Both my kids had the best preschool teacher through our local parks and recreation program. She did some really special activities, one was cooking.

In your local grocery store, look in the area that sells cornbread mixes in a box. The smallest box is a brand called Jiffy. On the side of the box is a recipe for corn pancakes. The GK's will love them.

Years upon years later now, those pancakes are still a favorite in our house.

Since the GK's will be there for 10 days, here is a fun cooking experience. This was also done in preschool.

Cookies for Creative Kids

Ingredients:

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. oil
chocolate pieces, peanut butter chips or raisins or any requested combination. Whatever they like in their cookies!

Recipe: Mix together cake mix, eggs, flour, and oil. Cookie consistency will be alot like play dough. Give a 3 inch ball of dough to each child. Let child mold and decorate cookie with peanut butter chips or raisins or both. Cookie does not have to be flat and round to taste great, but encourage a little flatness. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

A big pool might scare that little one. Her own "safe" pool with her owngiraffe and her slide may be preferred. Seven, well that's different but the other one is little. If a sprinkler is scary, 7-year old sister splashing can't be fun!!

For the 7 year old - Noodles. neat towel, kid-size lounge or chair, rings. I've even seen little swimming fish (batteries) for pools. A box of neat stuff!!!!

I promise to stop here. I am getting annoying.

Doilies and water-proof markers. I loved coloring doilies, so did my kids.

While they are in your house, scotch tape them all over a room. Let the kids pick the places in the room. Nothing says love like displaying "artwork." They can come down once they leave.

enough is enough.