"It's a secret!" she whispered excitedly.
"That's OK," I told Alexis. "You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else." Except the entire internet. Ahem.
"I want a snow globe with a snowman in it that changes colors," she replied.
Every year there is one thing that Alexis sets her heart on for Christmas. There was the year of the American Girl debacle (Update: she still doesn't play with Rebecca. EVER. She does play with Marie Grace, the doll she never asked for, though.). Last year she asked Santa to deliver an iPod Touch.
She really has no idea that a snow globe is on a whole other level from an iPod Touch or even an American Girl doll.
And that's OK. She's six. She isn't supposed to concern herself with the cost of the things that magic delivers.
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"What the hell is wrong with these kids?" he muttered as he looked over the Giving Tree in search of a feasible tag.
"Nintendo Wii ... a TV ... Playstation games ..." he continued. "I can't believe these kids are all so selfish," he said.
Yeah. That. How dare a kid ask for something expensive for Christmas. How dare a kid forget to consider his or her life situation before telling Santa what to deliver. How dare a kid dream.
I get it. I really do. It's hard enough scraping together the pennies to make the holidays magical in our own homes. It's even harder to find the pennies to make a total stranger's holiday a good one. Truly. I am that person who looks over a Giving Tree and finds the tag with a list of items that will cost under $50. Many of us do.
But judging a kid for daring to believe in magic? And judging a kid for wanting something that is expensive? That's a whole other thing.
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There are two days left to help make magic for kids who dare to dream big or small or somewhere in between. Thanks to all of you who have already been so generous, I've taken care of most of the items on the list for the kids who live in the transitional shelter at Center for Victims, but there are a few things left to get. There are kids who will be living in the emergency shelter on Christmas day and there are kids who are in other programs at CVC.
Domestic violence is an ugly thing that destroys lives and crushes childhood innocence. Let's make this holiday season a magical one for the kids who are experiencing that horror first hand, shall we?
You can clicky click the little reindeer over in the sidebar, or you can take care of something that is on this Amazon wishlist.
Either way, the toys and books and such will be delivered to Center for Victims so that they can provide a fantastic Christmas this year.
And.
AND!
I'm really very sure we're going to meet our goal and satisfy Center for Victim's needs, so we're also going to take care of some kids at Alle-Kiski AREA Hope Center. I've already set aside the money from my Amazon affiliate sales for November for them (Which, by the way, was $270. Y'all rock. And then some.), but I bet we can more than double that by the time Wednesday comes to a close.
Have I mentioned that y'all are the best? Because you are. Thanks so much. :-)