There Really is a Candy Land

Do you lie to your children?

I do.

I tell them things like, “No, I didn’t put onions in the casserole,” or “We have to leave the park NOW. They are closing it early today,” or “Sorry, I don’t have any money for a bag of M&Ms.”

Two years ago I told my kids that there really was a place called Candy Land. This isn’t a lie. Candy Land truly does exist as I mentioned in a previous post called Yes Dear, There Really is a Candy Land.

Thanks to my mom, I really got to take my children to Candy Land this past weekend.

My mom has spent the last 6 months creating Candy Land in her backyard for my kids and many more. She found almost everything at rummage sales or the thrift store and then went to work handpainting everything herself. She also made quite a few of the things with her saw and power tools. She is truly a remarkable lady who brought so much joy to kids and adults alike with this labor of love.

Enjoy the photos that I captured on that glorious day!

That’s my mom on the side of the tree who created all of this!

A clever sign above a mirror!

This chocolate area was really cool. The pots are filled with cocoa bean mulch which really smells like chocolate. The kids had fun digging in it!

All of the children’s furniture is stuff that my mom found for a couple of dollars and then fixed and painted! The treats on this cupboard were made by mom out of wax!

This is an old manger converted into a little house!

These decorations were bought at after Christmas clearance sales

This cupboard was full of dishes and the kids had a ton of fun playing tea party!

My mom made tons of little cakes and treats out of wax!

One of the doll houses my mom painted and decorated

The table of candy

ribbon candy

more doll houses in Candy Land for the kids to play with

My mom also cut boards and painted all kinds of signs

Inside the candy house. My mom decorated this. She used blocks to make the furniture

All of the kids playing a game of Four Corners to burn off all of the sugar they consumed!

My son was so sticky by the end of the day that all of the confetti on the candy table was sticking to him. My brother said he must have contracted a case of the “candy pox”!

This was truly a remarkable event and one that the kids and adults alike will never forget!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes Dear, There Really is a Candy Land

Last year while playing a game of Candy Land with my kids, my 6 year old daughter at the time, Iris asked if a place like Candy Land really existed.

My reply was, “Yes!”

I want my children’s minds to be filled with lovely, magical thoughts and dreams and it really wasn’t a lie.

One year, before I had children of my own, I did recreate a Candy Land for my nieces and nephews. My mom and I strung hundreds of pieces of candy from trees in my parent’s backyard. We made signs and hung balloons. Granted, it wasn’t as breathtaking as stepping onto the set of Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but we put forth good effort. I really couldn’t think of a way to recreate that chocolate river!

I fully intend on doing this for my own children as soon as I can find a way to sneak away and thread hundreds of pieces of candy without them knowing about it!

I love making my children’s wishes come true; especially when they are sweet, innocent ones and not ones of material things and are simply experiences they wish to achieve.

Iris brought me this note yesterday and said she was mailing it to Santa:

To Santa Claus,

Merry Christmas! I have a question. Can I ride in the sleigh with you on Christmas night? If I can, make sure when I fall asleep I go home.

Thank You!

Iris

P.S. Bring Rudolph. I like all the stories of you and him. I have tons of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer books.

I’m not sure how I’m going to go about pulling this one off!