Giving

I really try to instill in the kids that while it is very fun to wish for and receive gifts for Christmas, it is equally satisfying to give to others and that giving, especially to those less fortunate than us, is truly the spirit of the season. However, while I want to document the giving we did this holiday, I am not doing it to pat my own back. In fact, just the opposite. I really want to carry the emphasis of giving to others to encompass the entire year and that is definitely something we can improve upon as a family.

The week leading up to Christmas, the kids spent time creating special cards and gingerbread men ornaments to include with the gift cards that we got for their teachers. We also put together bags of Snowman Soup (hot chocolate with kisses, marshmallows and candy canes) to pass out to classmates.



I took each of the kids shopping to pick out gifts for each other, daddy and their best friends. Daddy in turn helped the kids pick out gifts for me on the internet. They made, pained and decorated picture frames for the grandparents at the Home Depot workshop earlier in the month and were involved in gift wrapping all the gifts that came from them. And of course, we passed out containers of goodies to all our neighbors.

The most important act of giving however, was when I took Jake and Jadyn to the store to pick out non-perishable food and a few toys to drop off at the local charity of our choice, TLC (Tender Loving Christmas), who provide Christmas meals and gifts to those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy the holiday. The thought that the kids put into making these selections made my heart full.

Here are the kids the last day of the break before we left for school with all our goodies to pass out:



The last day of school before the break, Jadyn and her class all made gingerbread houses using little chocolate milk containers. I volunteered that day and was able to take a picture of Jadyn with her creation:



Jake took part in a gift exchange and got to watch the Grinch with his class.So as usual that last week before the holiday was busy and of course, lots of fun.