Advent

I feel a bit proud of our advent tradition.  Well, we've (not quite) done it all of two years.  Beginning on December 1st, we alternate between "giving" and "getting."  Some of the "gives" included: 

• write a gratitude letter to someone you admire
• make peanut butter pine cones for the birds
• make bread for the local homeless shelter
• deliver neighbor gifts
• send presents to cousins
• draw pictures and deliver them to the senior center nearby
• give a gift to Melody the children's librarian during storytime
• make something for your teachers
• make something for your friends
• make end-of-the year donations

The "gets" were things like pencils, candy-cane pipe cleaners, a holiday book, gum, and mints.

The humble part of it all, however, is that I couldn't really pull it off.  I thought that we'd stretch them out and then on Christmas Eve, we'd just make sure we'd covered everything.  But, that didn't happen either.  

So, the kids will either remember the goal of giving, or quite honestly, until they're 25, they'll probably just carry an overall disorganized impression of their mother.  

Right now, I'm ok with good intentions.