12/4. Spreading Christmas Cheer.

Well. First let me tell you of a story I just told Amy a bit earlier tonight. Funny. At least I keep thinking so.

On Sunday I listened to someone at church talk about how they are doing 25 days of service for their countdown till Christmas. We talked about doing that but decided the kids were a little young. Hahahahaha. I know, I know, they are never too young to serve.  That's what you're thinking. But you are a better person than me if you can think of 25 things for a 4, 3 and 1 year old to do that has meaning that wouldn't throw me over the edge trying to put it together.

Fine. I'm sure there are 125 things we could do. But we're not doing them all in countdown form. Not this year.

But we did try one after I listened to the idea at church that I thought was clever. She said that they were grocery shopping as a family and when they were checking out they bought a pack of gum at the very end and gave it to the cashier and said "we bought this for you, Merry Christmas." She talked about how everyone felt so good during this simple act of kindness. It was sweet, and I had never heard of that. I've heard of a lot of "random acts of kindness" and I like the ones for strangers-- just because I think the shock value is a little better, but never knew about the ol' gum at the register one. (I am taking suggestions for next year when we are all old enough to handle serving our fellow beings).

Anyhow. Yesterday we were at the grocery store. Me. George. Jane. Harriet. All tired. All ornery. All causing a scene. So much so that one lady walked by and passive aggressively crusty eyed my kids (I wasn't right by them). It was pretty wild, I'm not lying. So I passive aggressively back said loudly enough that she could hear me to the kids that I didn't think the lady that just walked by liked  the way they were behaving.

And with that kind of Christmas spirit in my heart we went to check out. And I thought about sweet sister's testimony the day before. And I try to whisper to the kids to pick a candy bar out for the cashier and the bagger. They both picked M & M's. The biggest Christmas miracle of it all is that they actually caught on that it wasn't for them and it was for the Smith's employees without a single complaint, so I suppose I won't discount that.  Because the rest was mostly awkward. Both the cashier and the bagger just kinda blushed and acted like we were weird. Maybe it's against store policy for them to take things from customers. I don't know. But we had caused commotion throughout the whole store and at the checkout line so probably they didn't want something from the crazy customers. What's more, I was purchasing a pregnancy test and that's probably TMI, but I KNOW the nasty thoughts going through their mind as they were ringing it up and bagging it. (What on earth are you trying for more lady, get a handle on the ones you've got!!) But SB and I embraced the chaos a while ago.

Well, awkwardness followed us out to the car because by the time they bagged all the groceries of our first-time-in-weeks-to-do-real-shopping grocery store trip, it filled two carts and the bagger came with us to the filthy buick rendezvous. I told her thanks so much and that she could just leave the cart by the car and go back in while I played Tetris trying to get the three kids and 2 carts of food (and a prego test) in the car. I said to the kids (I don't know why I expected them to say it, but I just did) "can you tell her thanks for helping us?" Jaynie sweetly says "thank you" (or some form thereof since you never surely know what she's said) and George shouts at the top of his lungs "THANK YOU." and with her definitely still in earshot and at the same volume if not louder he bellows out: "AND YOU'RE WELCOME FOR YOUR M&M's!"

Awesome. 25 days of charity will do us well someday.

We did make some cookies later on that we mostly ate (since cookie exchange cookies are GONE. sick. we are sick sometimes) but also shared with a select few.

doesn't she make them look delicious? doesn't she look delicious? babies are so great. that's why crusty looks at Smith's can't stop me from wanting more!

 

I hope you're full of Holiday Cheer. It's unlikely we are going to get the job done of spreading it in true Christmas fashion this year.