Day 10

Christmas list time is upon us.  I hate them.  I hate the list making and the gimmies that arrive with the Target catalog.  I hate that I don't have the willpower to break the habits of list making has become Christmas in our house.

Every year I hope for better Christmas wish lists, along the lines of...
1-Goats, bunnies, and chickens from World Vision
2-Donation to Children's Hopechest
3-Yarn to crochet warm hats for homeless of Cleveland...
You know, an idyllic child who puts others far above self and gives sacrificially without being asked.

I can't expect our children to do what I've never been willing to do myself.  Can I?  Though I don't sit down with the 300 page Toys-R-Us extravaganza and a black sharpie, I do send out a list to my family.  I collect the lists from my children and work to satisfy each of their desires.  Since, somehow, they will grow up as loving and satisfied adults if we give them everything they ask of us.  Right?  I'm still working through this generosity vs greed thing.  I wouldn't call any of our children greedy.  I daresay, if we had a family meeting this week and argued for spending all of our gift money on Jirigna and Dirbe in Ethiopia, they would agree that we don't need a thing and we should give to our friends in need.

But, I would have to decide to hold that family meeting.

Every year I feel the same way.  I'm always excited to do something.  We send donations to build a well one year.  We buy some supplies for a school the next.  None of those gifts required a sacrifice from our family.  That's where I get stuck.  I'm unwilling to ask our children to give up the 'magic' of a Christmas morning spent opening gifts.

I would love to hear from any of you who have figured this out.  I have only two years left before we send Everett out into the world as an 'adult' and I still haven't figured out how to be a good parent during this Christmas season.

Help!