Random Acts - Day 18

Today we headed to the post office to...

It's no secret orphan care is close to my heart and with 230ish Eastern European orphans spending Christmas in America through New Horizons for Children I figured we needed to include them in our kindness advent in some capacity!  An easy, affordable and kid friendly way our family could do this was by mailing cards to them! Don't worry, we didn't tackle all 230, I decided to focus on my California host kids instead of which there are 17! In his book Infinitely More, Alex Krutov, a former Russian orphan, explains that while he was spending some time in America with a host family he couldn't understand why the family would throw "junk" mail away! He'd never before received mail with his name on it and he couldn't bare to throw even the most inconsequential pieces of mail away! This same story has rang true for our host kiddos time and time again! Collecting the mail is sometimes one of their favorite memories, especially if something comes for them!! It means they matter! They have weight! And isn't that what every person wants to feel? That someone knows they exist?

So our whole family got down to business, a card making sweat shop ensued and today we mailed individual cards to each of the seventeen kiddos spending Christmas in California! We used markers, crayons, dot makers and stickers to create beautiful masterpieces! The littlest host kids are even getting sticker sheets included with their cards! Mommy hand wrote notes to all of the Latvian kiddos and since she didn't trust herself to properly copy the Ukrainian characters, she printed out messages for them and glued them inside their cards.

Hard at work!

Daddy even got in on the card making action!

Dear Viktorija, This card was made with LOVE, scribbles and all! I promise!

She's a sticker maniac!

Who needs Hallmark when you've got these two?

Just a few of the 17 cards they decorated!

The finished product, made with love by my 4 and 3 year olds.

Oh host kiddos, "You've got mail!!"

By the way, if you'd like to send a card or two or SEVENTEEN to some host kiddos while they are here just let me know!! It's super easy and fun and all it costs is a stamp!! It seems odd to us, but a simple piece of mail can make their whole day. One family in Texas is re-hosting the same kids they had this summer and she said they even returned with some of the letters her friends had mailed them over the summer! They were THAT important to them!!

While we were at the post office the kiddos mailed their letters to Santa. The Sierra Madre Post Office has this adorable little box specifically for Santa's letters! It's cute and makes for a great photo op! 

My sillies showing off the pictures they drew for Santa.

As you can imagine, the post office is a happening place in the middle of December, too many distractions for mommy to actually get some eye contact!

And off they go, Brennan is already asking when Santa will get his letter...

Tomorrow we will give...