$2 in Nickels and The Santa Shuffle

Do you ever have those days where nothing seems to be going your way? That day is today for me. First of all I was giving my cleaning lady her holiday bonus cheque and drew a complete mental blank on her name. She has been with me for almost a year and have never had this problem before but now that I have to write her a card it is completely gone. So, I ask my 8 year old who looks at me blankly. Then my 4 year old pipes up as loud as you can imagine "Mommy, did you forget the cleaning lady’s name"? Ugh.

Then I go to the subway, buy my 8 tokens at the machine only to be "rewarded" with a jackpot! A flow of coins spewing from the machine faster then I could catch them. Only problem was it was my 8 tokens and my $2 change…all in NICKELS. $2 in nickels is a lot of coinage. So much that I couldn’t get them all in my wallet so my pockets were weighted down with the extras. To the barista’s dismay these nickels became part of my morning Starbucks Chai Latte…ahhhh, things are looking up!

For me the holiday season is about reflection, time with family, and thanks. I am so very lucky to have a wonderful, happy, healthy family and I want my children to appreciate this as well and do something to share their good fortune with others who may not be so lucky. So, this past weekend our whole family participated in the Santa Shuffle. This 1k family run/walk and 5k race happens in cities across North America in early December and proceeds go to The Salvation Army for individuals and families in need at the holidays. My children were proud to support this cause and put 100% into their run.

I ran the 1k race with my nearly 5 year old. She was so proud! She has seen my husband and her big brother and me run and was so thrilled with herself. She amazed me. It was -10oC and she ran the whole 1k race…and did it in just over 7 minutes! She had such a great attitude and was thrilled to hear the carols being played and get a chance to see Santa at the start line.

   My 8 year old who has a knack for running decided to do this race with his Dad. Neither of them had been running much lately but he still managed to do his personal best (my son, not his dad). He actually came in just ahead of his dad due to a sprint at the finish line with a time of just over 24 minutes. That is less than 5 minutes per kilometre!

We had such a great time at this smaller community race and I would strongly recommend it. What a great way to show your children that a little bit of effort and kindness from them can make a huge difference in another child’s life around the holidays.

Thanks to those who sponsored us!