Fundraiser, fun??

There are several lessons in today, but my favorite have to do with my kids.  I've always been antagonistic toward Sally Foster fundraisers sent home by the school.  Why do I need to spend $14 on a roll of wrapping paper that will wrap as many presents as the roll I can buy at Wal-mart for $3, just so the school can make $7?  Doesn't it just make more sense to simply give the school $7 and save myself 50%?  Well, today all three of my elementary kids came home with Entertainment Books and Sally Foster materials, plus a new addition, cookie dough.  (See me rolling my eyes???)  I realized I was going to have to fork out another $25 for the new Entertainment book while at the same time, wondered if the one I purchased last year was really full of expired coupons (I checked, I have until Nov. 1st to save my money's worth).  Of course, the real question was which child was I going to purchase it from?  Perhaps because I didn't dare single one out, when the two youngest excitedly approached me with a sales plan for the neighborhood, I surprised myself by actually giving in to letting them go door to door to our neighbors.  My oldest protectively offered to ride his bike along and make sure they stayed safe...love that kid!  I made them practice their sales pitch on me, just to make sure they wouldn't accidentally fleece the neighbors.  They passed the test and happily headed out the door with a lot of hope and a map of the neighborhood I had marked with homes that were okay for them to visit.

Shortly after they left, the baby woke up and I decided to take her for a walk and see how the other kids were doing.  Imagine my surprise when we caught up with them and learned they had sold an Entertainment book and four tubs of cookie dough in less than 15 minutes!  They were exuberant! Later in the day they headed out again and ended up with another cookie sale and a pending book sale.  Although getting the sales was exciting, it seemed the real fun was in riding their bikes and doing it all together.

Enlightenment: Don't be so quick to squash the dreams of my kids, even if the dream is just to sell cookie dough!  I'm also grateful to have some very generous neighbors.

Just for fun...
Tonight my 6-year old came upstairs with pencil and paper in hand.  When asked why he was out of bed he replied, "I need help with my Christmas list".  It's September 2nd and he's already thinking Christmas...it could be a long four months!  He had three items listed (Airsoft gun, hex bug, and a pinewood derby car), but needed help with the rest.  I assumed he just needed help spelling the rest of the items, but apparently, he needed help thinking of what else he wanted for Christmas.  We added Legos and then sent him back to bed.  As he left, he handed the pencil and pen to me and said, "Give me some options.  You can just write some random things, (short pause as he moves toward the door), but they have to be boyish.  If you put on any girl stuff, I'm X-ing it out!"

Why I started this blog?

At the end of every day, I tend to review the events and imagine what I would write if I had the energy to open my journal and put the pen to paper.  There have been some great, and some not-so-great entries, unfortunately, I've managed to forget the majority of them.  So, in an effort to remember more of these times as well as make a point to recognize the value of each day, I decided to start this blog.  It is entitled "Enlightened Elizabeth" because I've found that if I take the time, I really can learn something new everyday.  Some days I'm surprised, some days I'm inspired, some days I cry, other days I laugh, but every day I end with a greater feeling of gratitude for the opportunity to live here and now with the blessings I have and for the chance I've been given to continue to grow.