Day Eight

Toys for Tots had a drop-box inside the Build-a-Bear Workshop in the mall today. When we first went in, Isabella was doing what most 7-year-olds whose parents haven't instilled a great sense of charity in them naturally do, which is ask for everything in the store and make pouty-grumpy face when we say "not today". Mind you, this kid had her Christmas with grandma the day before.  Gifts included, but were definitely not limited to, an iPod Touch paired with a $50 gift card to Best Buy. Yeah.

Isabella jumped at the opportunity when I asked if she would like to instead build a bear for a kid in need.  She chose a very (very) colorful bear to stuff.  It was so sweet to see her so excited to pick out the coolest outfit she could find for the Bessie bear.

Bessie

We filled out a birth certificate for Bessie on the computer and Isabella wrote, "I hope you feel better. Mery chrismis".  I think she wrote I hope you feel better because we had previously discussed buying thing for and visiting sick children at the hospital.  It was sweet.

 We paid, dropped the Bessie in the Toys for Tots box and were on our way without a complaint.

Once we left I asked her how she felt and she said, "Great! I've never done anything like that before!"

That's when a short bout of parenting guilt set in. She's 7 and has never done anything like this before.  Oops.  But, hey, better late than never! Seeing her joy in giving, without complaining about what she wasn't getting, put a smile on my heart.