It's That Time of Year...

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and the list-making has begun.  I've been giving a lot of thought to how we would like to handle Christmas.  Our children have been blessed with an abundance of gifts over the years, especially toys.  So many, in fact, that we just don't have room for much more.  I have been trying to hint that a few toys is more than enough for our kids this year.  I think that being they are still so young, perhaps we could just make it the norm that there is not an overabundance of gifts around the tree.  We have so many different Christmas celebrations that our children will be showered with plenty of new things.

I want my children to understand the importance of giving during the holidays.  Each year we take names off of Christmas trees at church and preschool and purchase gifts for those in need.  I love that we are able to do this and always think of the happiness we bring to those who need a little help.  I hope that as we continue to do this each year, our kids understand what a wonderful gift it is to give to others.  They're going to be kids and think it's better to receive gifts for awhile, but hopefully as they grow older, they will look forward to picking out gifts for others. 

 



    

Shaping Our Children

Today I read an article written by a teacher about what teachers would like parents to know.  The article was well-written and being a former teacher, I agreed with many points he made.  After reading it, I made the mistake of scrolling down to the comments.  I only read a handful, but that's all it took to get under my skin!  People in our country are ridiculous.  There is no other word I can think of to describe so many of the comments posted.  The one that stuck with me the most went something like this:  "Of all the professions, teachers are the whiniest.  We don't get paid enough, we have to put in extra hours, etc." 

I was taken aback by this and other comments I've recently heard in the media.  People just don't get it!  With all of the comments made by these quote-unquote "great parents," it's no wonder education is in such a sad state.  It bothers me that these people are responsible for raising kids and they sound like nothing but a bunch of unappreciative, bitter people.  It pushes me all the more to want to shape my children into kind, appreciative, and respectful individuals!  It should be a priority for all parents. 

To show our appreciation to Noah's teachers, we stopped by McDonalds to pick up a little treat for them to have at the end of their first day.  Nothing like a little parfait to say "thanks!"  Who wouldn't love a treat delivered by a cute, sweet little boy saying "Happy First Day of School!"

We will be working on little ways to show his teachers how much we appreciate their work.  It will be something that we will continue to do throughout all of our children's school years!       

School Supply Success!

We dropped off our donation to Catholic Charities on Monday.  We collected 16 backpacks and donated many miscellaneous supplies as well.  I am sure that there were some happy kids this week once they received some new supplies just in time for school.  Noah was happy to know that there would be a child who had a new backpack and with each child we passed on the way home said, "Maybe that kid will get my backpack!"  I think the lesson stuck. 

Time for us to find a new activity!

Mommy Meal and School Supply Drive

This week got away from me!  We worked on gathering school supplies from those who offered to help.  We ended up with quite a lot of stuff!  I will try to take a picture, so we can document what we collected this year!  We got a very generous donation from a friend of my husband's through church.  Noah went to help pick it up and was excited to share all they received.  We finished picking up our things and will be taking everything to Catholic Charities on Monday.  I'm sure they will be thrilled!

Wednesday we made a meal for a friend who had a baby a few weeks ago.  We have done this several times in the past and my kids have been on the receiving end, so I think they understand how great it is!  A new mom is always very appreciative of a meal.  It's such an easy, but great way, to help someone out!

A Weekend of Giving

We headed back to Iowa over the weekend to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday.  On Thursday, I had the kids sit down and draw Grandma a picture for her birthday.  I had every intention of framing them to make them very cute, but I didn't have time, so we settled for just cute.  Both of my older kids put a lot of time, effort, and thought into their creations.  Noah chose to draw a picture of him and Grandma at the fair by a John Deere tractor.  We had gone to the fair a few weeks prior when we were visiting and apparently it was something special he remembered.  He was so proud of his green tractor!  Josie used every color marker in the box to create a beautiful picture of Grandma's tummy and feet.  However, when she gave it to her, she said it was a ferris wheel.  Also a memory from the fair.  Needless to say, Grandma loved her presents from the kids.  I'm sure we will see them up on the refrigerator when we visit again.

What's a birthday without birthday cake?  The kids jumped at the chance to bake, so we made some delicious triple chocolate fudge cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  Grandma was surprised and the kids were so pleased they had made her birthday cake.  Something simple that made Grandma feel special.

Grandma's birthday was actually yesterday when we were no longer with her, so Noah was excited to call and sing her "Happy Birthday."  We have a little tradition of leaving it on voicemail, so it can be replayed throughout the year.  He was so proud of his singing and Grandma loved every minute of it!  Even Josie joined in with a "Happy Birthday" and an "I love you."  Precious memories for Grandma!

Birthdays are a great time to make a difference and make someone feel special.

The Simple Things: Thank You Cards

Tonight was our little budding baseball star's last t-ball game of the season.  Though he is not happy that it was ending, he happily made each of his three coaches a hand-made thank you note.  I gave him 3 construction paper cards and he went to work.  Within a few minutes he had drawn each coach on the front of their respective cards and then dictated to me what he wanted to say about each one.  It was very thoughtful and he was proud of his work.  Once the game was over, he gave each coach their card.  It was awesome to see grown men so touched by the work of a sweet little 4-year-old who truly appreciated what they did for him.  It goes to show you that a little thank you card can go a long way in showing your gratitude for things we shouldn't take for granted. 

Our Quest to Collect More Supplies!

This school supply collection started out as a service project for our Mothers of Young Children ministry at church.  The group is small and many have been eager to contribute, but I thought we should spread the word and try to get some of our friends involved.  Thanks to Facebook, I created an event that could easily be sent to our local friends.  I hope some people will jump on board and the kids can see others adding to the collection.  No matter what happens, this is a great project for my preschooler to be involved in.  He is very excited to purchase his own supplies for school and can understand their importance. 

School Supplies!

School will soon be in session again and the sales in the stores are on!  We are working to collect supplies and backpacks to be donated to Catholic Charities for all of those kids in need.  We've already made a few trips to the store and picked up basic school supplies.  Now we're on the quest for a few backpacks.  We take that simple necessity for granted, but it's not something that every parent can provide for their child.  I hope my kids enjoy picking out one for someone else as much as they did their own.  Let the fun begin!