Good Deeds 16 and 17

Yesterday was a stay at home day. Despite making grand plans to put the kids in the local YMCA daycare for an hour so I could get us a membership and they could have fun in new surroundings for a little while, we stayed at home. My toddler decided to go on a nap strike, so there was not a happy baby anywhere near this house. It got to the point where I was thinking about making him a picket sign that he could march up and down the length of his crib. "No nap! Naps are bad!"

Anyhow, even without the opportunity to go out and see what nice things I could do for the people in public, I still managed to perform an act of kindness. One of my friends has a boy Jimmy's age, who had left his mittens at school. Jimmy had approximately 302 pairs of winter gloves at the beginning of winter. Now he has about 146 gloves, and four pairs that match. I gave one pair to his friend.

Now here's the funny ending. They didn't fit and my friend is going to give them back today. It still counts though, because I wish they did fit and he could use them. At the end of the day, I tried, and there's only so much I can do from home with a screaming and overtired baby.

Still, to make up for this defective good deed, I resolved to do two nice things today. The first was pretty small, but still appreciated. I didn't take Eddie in his stroller today to our family resource centre. He would rather walk on his own now that he's able to go fast and turn effectively. I also didn't want him falling asleep on the way home, because he was very tired when we left and I had to prove a point about mommy being in charge of nap time. At the bus stop, I stood up so an elderly couple could sit down while they waited. They were very grateful, although it was such a small thing.

I also had an extra banana. I had packed one and the sweet lady at the cafe had given Eddie a banana because she adores him. I took it to not be rude, but I had two. Now it is my policy never to give panhandlers money, because I can never be sure what they will use it for. But I gave one of them a banana. It is healthy and relatively filling, so at least he won't be so hungry now. Eddie was not very happy to see one of his bananas go to someone else, but he has to learn to be kind too. It's never too early to start.