12 Days of Giving

To focus on the true meaning of Christmas, This year we started a new tradition of the 12 days of Giving.
12 days in the month of December, before Christmas, my goal was to create opportunities that my boys could experience giving and sharing.

We are not done yet, but here is what we have done so far:
1 A special one -
I told Westley about Finnley - A little girl whose brain does not work like ours. The doctors told her mom when she was a tiny baby that she would not live. But her mom, friends, family, and people all over the world prayed for her, and God helped her live. She is 3 years old and still faces many challenges. Her mom needed money to take her to swim with some whales and dolphins who have shown a magical ability to help heal children's brains. It was an expensive trip. (see the whole story at finnleykate.blogspot.com) Westley asked, "How much money do they need? I said every little bit helped" He got out his sharing bank. I told him since we were mailing the money, we needed to use dollar bills instead of coins. He took all 5 one dollar bills from his sharing bank and put them in an envelope. On his own he then opened his spending bank (we call it his game bank because that's what he likes to do is play games) and he took all the dollar bills from that one. He wanted to give more money, so then he solicited Dad for the dollar bill in his wallet :) I was very proud of him.

2. We made and decorated cookies that the boys hand delivered to their teachers and our neighbor

3. We made sending out our  Christmas Cards a family project. The boys helped put the stamps and return address labels on the envelopes.

4. We donated food to the canned food drive at Westley's school. I talked about how we have so much food, but some families cupboards have little or no food in them.

5. A military family in need was asking for magic toys for their 8 year old. We filled up a Packed 4 Fun Magic and Mind games backpack for the little boy.

6. At church our pastor told us about children in Mexico that sleep in a one bedroom shack without beds. They asked us to bring blankets. I shared the information with the boys, and they took new blankets to drop off at church

7. We have started to clean out their playroom. We have talked about what books and toys we could give to others. We have set toys out to give to their cousin, our friends, and the teen mom I mentor and delivered them to them

8. We made red and green play dough to give as a Christmas gift to our little cousins.

9. The boys wrapped up presents for each other (and did so without saying, "I want that", or telling the other what was inside)

10. We went to a Christmas Service at our church and the boys brought money from their bank and gave it in the offering.

11. Westley agreed to let Will sleep in his room (he has a trundle bed) Will has been afraid in his room for weeks as the heater shares a wall of his room and makes creepy sounds. It's so cute to hear them giggle at night even though I put on my serious face and yell for them to stop talking and go to sleep!)

12. This one we still have to do -  Thank you notes to Santa and others who helped us have a very Merry Christmas.