Santa Shoppe

...God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

(NOTE:  Apparently this didn't get posted on Dec 2, 2011.  So I'm going to post it now.  oops.)
Today I get to do one of my favorite things of the year at my kids' school...help with the annual Santa Shoppe.  I'm not sure if I have attended every year since Madolyn started school, but I'm guessing I haven't missed more than once.  I always make a point to take off for it (and they always have tacos for lunch that day:).

The kids are given a paper and envelope about a week before to take home.  Their parents can send in some money and a list of people the child can buy for.  The PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) provides hundreds of items very reasonably priced (all under $3 and many less than $1) for the kids to purchase as their very own gifts to give at Christmas.  The older kids help the kindergarten and first graders with their selections and calculating their totals.  The kids check out with the cashier and take their purchases to the wrapping station where parent volunteers wrap their gifts, the kids write out their labels and they then can take the presents home wrapped and ready to go under the Christmas tree.  (It is also nice that the PTO will make sure that kids who come without their envelope are given a couple dollars to spend.)

The first couple of years I worked at the wrapping station.  Let me tell you, you think you are prepared...but you are not.  I would take the advice of others and pre-cut small squares so I could be ready for the rush.  It is never enough.  It is amazing how the kids can finagle their money around to buy the most presents.  And if you want a lesson in creativity with wrapping, here you go.  There are items of all shapes and sizes.  It's nice when we have a bunch of gift bags to throw a stuffed animal in, but usually by the end of the day, those are gone.  Sometimes you have to wrap something so tiny, it will look like a scrap of wrapping paper...and that is when you attach a nice big bow to it!

I love how some kids think through and work it out so they can buy themselves one thing...or two things...or five things.  I love how some kids don't buy themselves anything at all and never give it a second's thought.  I love how some take their time looking over each and every item to try and figure out that perfect gift for their mom or dad or grandma.  It is always fun to hear their reasoning too..."Oh, Grandma will like this, she always needs a new wooden spoon."  Or "My dad drinks lots of coffee, he'll love this cup that says #1 Dad!"  (And I know from experience that sometimes Dad has two or three of these already at home.)

One time when I went in and looked the items over, I saw a few things I would actually be interested in so I made mention of it to the helpers...and I got these gingerbread men that you put in your brown sugar container to keep the sugar soft...AND THEY WORK.  I love those little guys.  But it also made me feel guilty because I was telling others to prod my children into buying me what I wanted and not what they wanted to give me.  That was the one and only time I did that.  Now, they pick whatever they think I will like and, of course, I'm delighted when I unwrap the gift...and watch them watch me or watch them watch others opening the special presents they picked out all by themselves.

I don't know who came up originally with the idea of the Santa Shoppe, but I am thankful they did.  It is truly a fun day of interacting with the kids in our community and gets me in the Christmas spirit.  These kids are giving gifts of little monetary value with big hearts which creates great sentimental value for their family... and that is what we should all do as we are giving this Christmas.  I have to remind myself of this as well...it's not the gift that matters, it's the heart with which you're giving that is imporant.