Operation Mom Screwed Up Again

This is what happens when I try to do something good for myself like join an adult Sunday School class. I miss out on the kids' classes, and forget important things like coming prepared with a packed shoebox of toiletries and gifts for Operation Christmas Child.

And so on Sunday, which was a family Sunday School event, we spent the hour filling out the greeting sheets that will accompany our boxes.

Whichever children receive our boxes - if they know how to read, and if they speak English - will learn how old my kids are and that AJ likes Legos and Sydney likes to play on the computer. They'll also know what our house looks like because the kids drew pictures, which look exactly like our house looks. If our house was green (Sydney's version) or orange (AJ's version).

 

And then after Sunday School, Mommy and AJ raced to Walmart to pick out toothbrushes and toothpaste, washrags and soap (which we ended up replacing because AJ thought they were too stinky - thank goodness I still have plenty of hotel-size soaps that were leftover from last summer's vacation.) We also added crayons, markers, a small notebook, candy, a few small gender-specific toys and some other things.

Next it was time to pack our shoeboxes.

And then Mommy went in search of bigger shoeboxes so we could squeeze everything in.

At  last we were done and so headed back to church (the boxes aren't being picked up until tomorrow morning, I checked.) AJ hopped out of the mini-van, eager to help play Santa. 

And then we discovered the doors were locked, and so headed back to the mini-van. Jeff's going to try again to drop off the boxes this morning.

For all the hassles, it was a good lesson in charity for the kids. When AJ first heard about the program, he excitedly exclaimed, "I want to get a box!"

I explained to him that the box was the only gift many children would receive, his expression changed to one of horror. Who could imagine anything so horrible? Reality checks aren't always fun, but they sure are helpful when trying to teach kids to be grateful for the good life they take for granted.