It's better to give than receive...

Yes, we all know that saying, but trying to convince two youngsters that truth is quite a task to undertake. Luis got out of work early today, so Josh, Jonathan and I hopped into the car, in the pouring rain, and headed to town to run some errands. Today was payday, so I was hoping to get a few things for Christmas. Money is still pretty tight these days, and we are hoping and praying that all goes well with the closing of our house. We have learned not to count our chickens before they hatch, so we are not spending any money until it's in the bank. But the boys and I ventured out anyway. They have this crazy notion that whenever we go anywhere, they are entitled to get something. It's our own fault, really, as Luis and I both love to surprise them. But "surprise" has turned into "expectation", and shopping with the boys is somewhat less than fun these days. But today, I decided that they needed to do some shopping for others, so Dad was first on the list. We wandered in and out of the very few stores we have here in Hampton, and it was so funny to watch the boys shop. They started out telling me all the things that they liked, wanted, couldn't live without...etc...so I tried to redirect their thoughts. Then they started to pick out things that "Dad would like", which in reality would have been something actually for them. Josh was convinced that Luis needed a money bank that kept a running total of all the coins it held. Jonathan just knew that Luis was dying to have the newest group of hot wheel cars. We finally managed to find something for each of them to get for Luis, and a couple other family members, and we headed home. It actually ended up being one of our best outings in a long time, and we managed to find some really neat gifts, too! I don't think I have rid the boy of the case of the greedies, but it was a step in the right direction!