WMD - Wisdom of the Aged

Years ago my mother recognized that with 7 children and 34 grandchildren, keeping track of birthdays and holidays was going to be increasingly difficult as families grew and age took her memory. So she solved the problem by a) sending money rather than gifts and b) delegating distribution to the parents. It's a brilliant plan really, no one has ever returned the gift because it was the wrong size or color or age appropriateness. 

So each year at Thanksgiving Mom writes checks to my siblings and I as the current year's Christmas gift and birthday giving for the following year. When the kids were young I just used the money to buy gifts. Now the kids are on to me; they want the cash. Figures. So I try to find some clever way to gift the money to the kids. This year I made these adorable Toy Soldier Boxes. The cut file and assembly video are free on SVGcuts.com.

I also remind the young uns to send Grandma a thank you card, which has never happened. Lightbulb!...This year I'm going to give each kid an addressed, stamped Thank You card and tell them when they give it back to me with a nice note, ready to mail, they can have their Grandma Gift. I'm feeling a new tradition blossoming. Too bad it took me 30 years to think of it. This is why I talk to myself... I'm only brilliant in complete sentences.