Christmas gifts and giving

We don't usually buy gifts for our kids on Christmas or birthday's. They get so much from grandparents that for us to buy on top of that, we believe, is beyond excess. Plus, our house is tiny and everything new item that comes in the door needs a place, and we are running out of places.

Despite the lack of gifts, I do think that there is a fun, mystery with Christmas and waking up in the morning to gifts. So here's my new plan --stockings only, and they must be filled with items that will eventually go away. Example: bubble bath, gum, toothpaste, toothbrushes (the power kind that don't involve me to help). Coloring books are okay and maybe a craft or two. You get the idea. Things that are useful to daily life and will eventually be thrown out.

So to prepare for the upcoming gifts we decided to clean out their room tonight. For the first time, I let them help and decide what they wanted to keep and give away. I tried to explain that they wouldn't be getting these things back and they seemed to be okay with it and continued to pile items into the bags (Dave had to put his foot down at one point and keep a few things he knew they would miss b/c I was on the train of throwing it all away). I kept telling them about what it meant to be blessed with 'things' and that sometimes out of a our blessing we pass that onto others. If we've been giving alot of books and we aren't reading them, maybe it's time to pass them onto kids that will read them. They seemed to get it.

Eloise followed me into the kitchen and said back to me what she thought I was talking about.

"So if I have pennies in my penny jar and daddy needs some pennies, I can give him some".

"So if I have 7 bananas and you have none, I can give you one".

Yes! She get's it. It was such a cool parenting moment. I looked at her for the first time and it hit me like a ton of bricks that I am her mama and responsible for teaching her and raising her up. That she is such a precious and unique girl who will one day grow up to be a caring, kind and compassionate young woman. My sweet, little, sensitive Eloise, how I love to learn through her all over again.