At one point this morning I found myself up to my eyeballs in glue and pipecleaners and wondered how on earth I got here. Tomorrow is AJ�s class Christmas party. Normally parents are asked to sign up to bring some item or another for the party � a package of cookies, a bottle of milk, goodie bags. This year, we were informed that we were to donate a package of cookies to a food bank and that, if we wished, we could bring a small treat for each member of the class.

Now I�m all for charity and for helping kids have fun, but the manipulative quality of this whole policy irked me. First of all, we give a lot to charities. I don�t like being forced to donate to a charity that someone else has picked and that I know nothing about. Still, the impulse is good and so I do it. But this �could bring if you want� thing? What is that about? To every parent, of course, this means you MUST bring something and bring something good, so your kid isn�t embarrassed and you don�t look cheap. And then there�s the fact that this sign about the party went up on Wednesday. I had exactly one day to prepare � not very considerate.

But nevertheless, AJ and I spent the morning, after getting his haircut, picking out items for goody bags and then assembling them. He wanted candy canes and the only boxes I could find were kits for making reindeer out of your candy canes. They included fuzzy green pipe cleaners, teeny tiny googly eyes, and red pompoms for noses. It turned out to be a really good project and the reindeer are kind of cute in a lame sort of way. We threw them into eighteen plastic bags along with some goofy drugstore items and chocolate and called it a day. Tomorrow morning I will be stuffing 18 cubby-holes with our projects, and handing thank you gifts to our teachers. I will be feeling a little grumpy. And then 18 three-year olds will sing Jingle Bells and AJ will hand me a present he made himself that he's been trying very hard to keep a secret and my good humor will once again be restored.

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