May Day

We had a very busy and productive day today.  It is May 1st, also known as "May Day."  I have read that depending on where you live, the traditions surrounding this day and how you celebrate it can vastly differ.  I grew up creating a little basket of goodies for a neighbor or two.   We would make flowers, add candy, make a card and then go leave it on a door step.  Sometimes we would ring the bell and run.  Other times, we would knock and hand the person the basket.  I also remember simply leaving a basket on a door step and waiting for the person to notice it.  I think it is a beautiful way to show a neighbor your appreciation or just simply brighten someones day. 

The kids and I planned on participating in the MS Walk at Minnehaha Park this morning.  Avery woke up not feeling so well, so I bundled the twins up and we hit the road.  Before I left, I asked Chadd if he could help Avery come up with a May Day basket so that she could drop it off at the neighbor's house.   We met some friends at the walk and had a great time doing our part to raise money for this great cause.  We were invited back to the friends house for a celebration and a thank you luncheon.  The twins had a really great time playing with their friend and I had a great time hanging with my friend.

When we got home, Avery was very excited to show us the basket and flowers that she picked out for our neighbors.  The kids each made their own card and then they dropped it off at the neighbors house.  I loved watching how excited they were to give their basket away.

We recently talked about charity in our ECFE class.  I had never given much thought to this concept before and I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn't even thought about the little things I could do to teach my kids about giving.  I loved the idea about chores and piggy banks.  You give each child three piggy banks labeled: Saving, Giving, Keeping.  This way you can make your allowance divisible by three and they put equal parts into each piggy bank.  Then, you choose when you want to donate the money to a charity of the kids choice and they can learn about giving.  I am trying to do my part to raise money conscious children who also know what it means to GIVE.  I feel like charity often falls by the wayside in these tough economic times.  I want to instill the idea of giving to my kids early so that they will always feel like giving throughout their lives. 

Today we were able to give in various ways.  We gave our time by attending the MS Walk and showing our support for our friends and family members who battle this disease daily.  We gave money towards this cause as well as others this year in hopes that it will help fund research towards a cure.  We showed our appreciation for our neighbors who have helped us out many times by assembling a little basket of flowers, candy and cards and hopefully put a smile on their faces.  Giving is so rewarding and I am going to try to keep it on our weekly to do list from now on.