We hit a wall today. There was crabbiness all around, a greater level of Coat-Wearing Refusal than even last year (seriously kids, pick something to fight me on that you have even a REMOTE chance of winning) and by lunch time I was DONE. I spent the morning tidying up the house for the immense treat of a professional cleaning, which I haven't had done since we moved in. Professional cleaners who never showed up. I know, I know, there couldn't BE a problem more First World in nature, but still annoying.
Anyway, I figured I would at least come here and write about the activity I intended to do today before we all imploded in a mess of Grouch.
I'm part of a MOMS Club and I took a position on the Board this year. One of my responsibilities is to organize our service activities for the year. We're required by International MOMS Club to do at least one project per year, but as a club we try to do several. Anyway, I personally have a real soft spot for the efforts to gather winter clothing for kids whose families can't afford to buy it. Probably because I am so often cold myself, despite the proper gear, I just can't STAND the thought of kids being cold in the winter.
I decided to ask the club to gather as much gear as we could to donate to our local community resource organization. I put together a prize and offered our members a ticket for the drawing for each item they gathered and brought in. We ended up collecting two large bags full of gear for kids, and I offered to be the one to bring it to be distributed. My intention today was to bring the kids with me for the drop-off; although I know they are a bit young to understand the point of the organization and really have no concept of what it means to go without, it's important to me to start that process.
However. Not today. No thank you. Instead I am going to take this opportunity to adjust my attitude. Instead of being annoyed about the inconvenience of having to clean my own damn house before our guests arrive (the horror!), I am going to just be grateful that we are all here, I had food to give my kids for dinner - whether they eat it or not - and warm pajamas and beds for them to sleep in. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day for doing something meaningful.
1 comment:
What a great service project! Living where we do where it's bitterly cold, I agree with you completely about the need for cold weather clothes for the kids.
All that said, the Bean refuses to wear her coat 99% of the time. Since most of the time we're only going from the house to the car and back again, that is a fight I don't engage in. Most of the time she's complaining that she's cold before she's taken 2 steps and asks to put it on, so I win. ;) It makes the Hubs CRAZY b/c he hates the kids leaving the house without being bundled up, but it's just a fight I can't be bothered with.
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