Giving

This morning, Joey and I had a cozy morning, breakfasting at Google with Dennis. They've put up a gingerbread house in the cafeteria, one that's taller than Joey, and all he could say upon seeing it was "whoa."  Dennis says that all the employees got Samichlaus Säcklis last night, so he has yet another stash of peanuts and oranges at his desk.

I was wondering what would happen to all of the peanuts that Samichlaus has been heaping upon us for the past few weeks, but it turns out that two of my kids are part squirrel.  They've been having a fine time, smashing the nuts with hammers and then gobbling them down. It's a healthy snack, so I don't mind; what I do mind is the little dustings of peanut shells that I'm finding everywhere, and I mean everywhere. (April, Lisa, I can hear you cringing from here.  Don't worry...we're just getting this all out of our systems before we get home.)

Anyway, at Google, Joey supplemented his peanut-based diet with jammy croissants, and afterwards he and I went to the thrift store to see if we could find some duffel bags, to add to our supply of luggage for our big trip home.  They only had tumble-down suitcases so instead, irresponsibly, we bought a new board game instead, to add to our growing pile of things we hope to bring home.

Joey also found a tennis ball in one of the toy bins, and he found it wondrous. It occurred to me, as I handed it to the cashier, that Joey hasn't ever played with a tennis ball, at least in conscious memory. In fact, the only balls we have are two rubber ones that the kids won at a carnival, and they're sulky, half-deflated little things that most definitely won't be coming home with us.

After we got home, and the big kids did too, we took Joey's ball and nochElla with us to the community center, where we met Alex's friend Bleart and stayed until dinner. We went there today because the library was doing a special story and craft event, but the two Ella's deemed themselves too old, and busied themselves making their own crafts, instead.  And the boys had enough of sitting still in Kindergarten.  Joey brought out his ball, and they spent the entire afternoon chasing it around the center.

The middle of the community center is a big sunken stage, and they have hockey sticks and soccer balls that are free for the taking in the little café. At any given hour, there are at least a half-dozen kids down there, playing floor hockey and soccer and catch, the games intersecting and weaving as they all share the same goals and field.

My pups.

And I'm afraid all was harmonious down there until Alex Geels arrived on the scene.  Today, he decided the best way to participate was to wiggle his butt at the bigger boys and race around in front of their goal on purpose.  I was on the verge of grabbing that wiggly little butt and sitting him down next to me, but the older boys disciplined him much more efficiently, shooting Alex a disdainful look, scooping up his tennis ball, and then pitching it up into the upper balcony, where he had to chase it down.

Unfortunately, they didn't count on Alex having the personality of an eager golden retriever.  He ran up to the balcony, Joey and Bleart trailing behind him, found the ball, and brought it back to the boys, dropping it at their feet and wiggling his butt (or perhaps, wagging his tail?) at them again.

Rinse and repeat.

Until the tennis ball got lost in the upper rafters, that is, but by then the boys were exhausted from their hour-long game of fetch.

The girls, meanwhile, were having a fine time. Ella devised some sort of complicated squirting bath toy using a straw and a sponge and some rubber tubing and I'm not sure what else, and made Christmas toys for Alex and Joey besides. For Joey, she made a marble maze, gluing obstacles on a box lid, which she decorated appropriately for him with a knight and dragon. For Alex, she made a fancy box, and she plans to fill it with train kiosk gummies before Christmas.  Although perhaps I should suggest she get him a frisbee or squeaky toy instead.

While I was watching the boys play, I passed some time trying to read fliers, particularly about an interesting toy drive in Zürich, one that Susannah told me about a couple of days ago.  For every two toys a child brings to the community center, he is given a coupon; then, a few days after the end of the toy drive, the kids can turn those coupons at a central location in exchange for a new-to-them toy, one of the toys that was collected from the drive. I'm not sure it's the best way to teach the kids philanthropy, but it sure sounds fun.

Speaking of philanthropy, it's a good time of year for it. If you've had a particularly good year and are looking to share your luck, I have a suggestion.  A high school friend of mine lost his leg in Afghanistan, and his friends are taking up a collection to help his family. Although I lost touch with him, I know that he's a decent guy. (I know this, because he was really decent in high school, a time when very few guys are at their nicest.)

Anyway, if you're grateful to our soldiers and prefer to give to an individual, here's a deserving one.  Checks can be made out to the Sgt. Daniel Burgess Fund and mailed to the VFW Post 387, 3580 W. 140th Street, Cleveland, OH, 44111. (I'm afraid that this sort of a gift isn't tax deductible. If that's important to you, a donation to the VFW isn't a bad idea at all.)