My mum has just been diagnosed with cancer, and wants to buy my kids something special for Christmas

[needtea]

This is my first mumsnet post, and heartbreakingly it's to say that my lovely mum has just recently been diagnosed with cancer. It's already spread and the prognosis isn't good. It's heartbreaking. I love her so much.

I have two young kids, who adore their grandma, and my mum told me she wants to buy them something special each for Christmas, and asked me for ideas. I don't know what to suggest because I can't quite accept that my mum might not be here for much longer and it's hard to think about Christmas with the news at the front of my mind. Does anyone have any ideas - my girls are 4 and 8. I said to my mum not to worry about presents, but she's adamant about it.

I'd get two things per DD. One something frivolous but which they would really have fun with.

The other being something they can keep (and you put away safely fir a while).

Maybe a bracelet?

Or if they already have (Victorian style) charm bracelets, then a new charm.

My dad got my brother and I a fantastic book. It was like a journal of sorts that he had filled in. It has loads of questions like his favourite thing to do as a child, what his mom was like what his dad was like. Lots of questions they might like to know the answers to in the future but not get the chance. A friend of mine got the most beautiful rocking horse from her nan- a family heirloom in the making.

www.bookdepository.com/Dear-Grandma-from-you-me-from-you-me-ltd/9781907860324?ref=pd_detail_1_sims_b_p2p_1
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An expensive bauble for the Christmas tree, Newbridge silver do some lovely ones and as they are silver they are depending on the ones you choose more robust.

A beautiful handmade quilt would be something to cherish forever.

Agree something frivolous and something to keep. Is a dolls house to share a fun thing?

A proper rocking horse? Or a patchwork quilt each they can keep forever (I still have one my grandma gave me as a child). I'm really sorry about your mum. X

Jewellery would be a good idea. Perhaps existing jewellery your mum already owns?

I wear my dad's fingerprint, it is on a teardrop shaped silver pendant on a necklace. I am so sorry to hear about your mum.

Yes yes yes to the idea of a Christmas bauble. My dad inadvertently did this, one year he had bought some ridiculously expensive leather penguin gift tags the year before he died.
now they are the first things the girls put on our tree every year. That was 11 years ago and it's become such a beautiful tradition, Christmas only starts when the penguins appear. It's a lovely way to remember and so very poignant x

The journal is a lovely idea. Capture what you can of her presence - her memories from childhood, her voice - reading them stories? Singing to them? Videos of them together?

So sorry you've had this news

My mum got my DD a lovely snow globe as her final gift. We still have it.

So sorry to hear about your dear Mum. Perhaps she could (with help) arrange a photo book of her life and add a personal letter for each daughter. We made a photo book for my dear brother for his 60th which has been a wonderful memory of his life as he died just 2 years later

A bit of jewelry might be good.
If she is well enough, maybe they could bake something together?

Thank you for your lovely ideas everyone. I will give them all to my mum and she what she likes the best. And sorry to hear about all of your loses - I'm still getting my head around having to consider such final things like this.