We try to take the winter season off from sports/activities, so we can focus on the holidays and breathe for a while. Maybe spend some time cocooning with our kids and crafts and games.
This year the plan went wrong somewhere.
First, there was no chair for the Holiday Shoppe for PTA. Football is over. Sure I can do it. How different could it be from running the AWANA store which I do year-round anyway?
Then they needed a cookie chair for Damaris' girl scout troop. DH said, "sure we can do it." And Mr. M never volunteers for anything without wifely coercion, how bad could it be? He's doing the number crunching after all.
Then we remembered, the Christmas Store was AWANA's big "giving" push. (Usually, the store is mostly a toy store to reward the kids for their work.)
And then we found out Football Factory started Dec. 1, and would like our two players there every day after school for about 1 1/2 hours.....so much for our break.
Yet really, I've enjoyed our volunteering immensely. I LOVE shopping, especially with other people's money. And the chase to get the highest quality stuff for the lowest price has always been one of my driving forces. Best score so far? $15 floating candle set for about $3. And on the personal rewards side, same store I was shopping for the school at I found my husband $40 jeans for $6 - 20%. For Mr. tall and lean, that was a HUGE find. And I still get to finish the shopping for Holiday Shoppe up this weekend.
The cookie sales involved me running a kid meeting, dh running an adult meeting (he said he didn't know that was involved or he wouldn't have signed up) and me making a bunch of phone calls towards the end begging for forms. Then I added up the totals, and DH fought with the SNAP system. Notice the mom work vs the "volunteers" work here....It's okay honey. I love you.
And all that is before AWANA store. I've steadily unpacked and rearranged the store since it was destroyed for Judgment House in October. I have just now gotten to the point where I'm ready to inventory and shop....for a whole new sports and boys section, and fill out some nicer stuff for moms for Christmas. The best part of this is I'm shopping with the church's money and a friend!! Double the fun. Visiting and bargain hunting!
Yet all this is before we start our own holiday preparations. SO far, I've bought ornament kits and about half the kids Christmas presents. The tree is not up. The candles for the advent wreath need replacing. Yet the kids get to see hands on what giving is about, and that's more important than greenery anyway.
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