I am proud of my kids...

[madfranks]

I grew up poor; when I was a kid our Christmases didn't come with toys or celebration feasts. One of my proudest achievements is to be able to provide my wife and kids with a life that I didn't have. That being said, my kids enjoy the benefit of being the only grand kids on my wife's side, and the only great grand kids to their folks, along with being the only niece and nephew to their aunts & uncles. That being said, my kids enjoyed a miracle of presents this Christmas, and my wife and I decided that it was a good time to teach my kids a valuable lesson. We went through all their new toys (some of them unopened) and put a good number of them in a couple bags to donate to kids who weren't lucky enough to get toys this Christmas. I looked up a single-mother's shelter and tomorrow after work we're going to make a visit and donate their extra toys to the poor kids. Both of my kids were happy and excited to fill the bags with toys, and I can't express how proud I am of them to freely pass their blessings on to other kids who don't know what it's like to have a happy Christmas. I have tears in my eyes, my kids are great.

[BrewTech]

That's walking the talk, brother. Good on ya!

[chad]

Nice to hear something good for a change.

[General of Darkness]

Damn Madfranks, you do have a soul.

[muffin]

You should be very proud! You have some awesome kids!!

[midnight rambler]

That's great. I would suggest (if you haven't already planned on it) that you take your kids along when you donate the toys and have your kids do the hand-off of the toys. That's the best part.

[solid]

I can't think of words to describe how this story, uplifts the soul, and provides hope.

Thanks for sharing, Madfranks. God bless you and your family.

[Old Herb Lady]

Awesome, wow ! Thanks for sharing ! Yes, you should definitely be very proud of them ! Pat yourself on the back !
They wouldn't be like that if it weren't for you & mrs franks showing them the way !
The sufferings as a poor kid makes you humble & gives you ALOT of wisdom that you can pass on to your kids !
If you grow up rich, it only makes you want more more more, instead of being happy with what you have.

[General of Darkness]

You should get then into working dogs, specifically Dobermans. PM me where you live and I might be able to find you a good club. Imagine your kids having a gun they can pet.

[ximmy]

Sooo you went all "Mommy Dearest" on your kids... huh? ::)

Mommie Dearest: Books on Cassette (1986, Listen for Pleasure, Inc.) Christina Crawford

Description: An audio version of the infamous book written by Joan's adopted daughter Christina Crawford shortly after her death in 1977. In this three hour abridged version, Christina herself narrates the book. This two-tape audio book also includes a portion of the 1949 Christmas Eve performance in which Joan is heard telling the world that she plans to give away all of the children's Christmas presents.

[madfranks]

That's great. I would suggest (if you haven't already planned on it) that you take your kids along when you donate the toys and have your kids do the hand-off of the toys. That's the best part.

That is the plan, exactly. It's their toys, they should be the ones to give them away. What a great lesson for them to see first hand the people they get to help when their cup runs over with blessings.

[StreetsOfGold]

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

[madfranks]

Sooo you went all "Mommy Dearest" on your kids... huh? ::)

Mommie Dearest: Books on Cassette (1986, Listen for Pleasure, Inc.) Christina Crawford

Description: An audio version of the infamous book written by Joan's adopted daughter Christina Crawford shortly after her death in 1977. In this three hour abridged version, Christina herself narrates the book. This two-tape audio book also includes a portion of the 1949 Christmas Eve performance in which Joan is heard telling the world that she plans to give away all of the children's Christmas presents.

I tell you the truth: each toy had to have unanimous agreement from both kids to give it away. We'd hold up a new toy and ask "keep or give away?" And both kids had to agree to donate it before it went in the bag. That's the amazing part, how happy they both were to volunteer their excess blessings away. :)

[muffin]

Sooo you went all "Mommy Dearest" on your kids... huh? ::)



Debbie Downer!!!

[k-os]

Congratulations on raising some good kids! A friend of mine has a 5 year old, and she told him that this Christmas was dedicated to compassion. She's been taking him to shelters and going to Toys for Tots events. He's also had to give some of his presents away . . . but I don't think he did it with as much grace as your children.

Good job! You should be proud of your kids, but I am proud of you for raising them right! ;D

[Ponce]

Old herb lady? I disagree with you on that.......there is need and then there is greed......while I am not a multi millionair I made what I wanted and quit by selling the business, I gave myself 10-12 years to make X ammount of money and I made it in only 6, meaning that if I had wanted to I could had tripled that ammount in 10-12 years.....but I dind't.......is like when I play cars at the club, loose $100.00 go home, win $100.00 go home.

I don't have kids of my own but that doesn't mean that I don't think of them (freaking bastards, I hate kids), the presents that I give each year should make me happy but then to do that would be for my own benefit and not theirs, yes I feel good but I am more happy for them than for myself.........like when I used to give money out in CA, I din't care if it was for drinking or for drugs or food, that was their business......they "needed' the money and I gave it to them.....I did my share.

[Old Herb Lady]

Old herb lady? I disagree with you on that.......there is need and then there is greed......while I am not a multi millionair I made what I wanted and quit by selling the business, I gave myself 10-12 years to make X ammount of money and I made it in only 6, meaning that if I had wanted to I could had tripled that ammount in 10-12 years.....but I dind't.......is like when I play cars at the club, loose $100.00 go home, win $100.00 go home.

I don't have kids of my own but that doesn't mean that I don't think of them (freaking bastards, I hate kids), the presents that I give each year should make me happy but then to do that would be for my own benefit and not theirs, yes I feel good but I am more happy for them than for myself.........like when I used to give money out in CA, I din't care if it was for drinking or for drugs or food, that was their business......they "needed' the money and I gave it to them.....I did my share.

Ponce, love, I was talking about kids that grow up rich and have been handed everything and then some more.
Trust me, they very rarely grow up and have the ability to raise kids like madfranks is doing.
Every rich kid that I ever grew up with is like everything "is about me me me".
Growing up poor and then having kids is
a humbling experience and he is enjoying his life play out beautifully just the way it was meant to be.




We not on da same page 2night is all.

Edit: the internetz makes me unable to communicate properly sumtimes 2, you know ?
Why would you give money to someone on the street if they could/ would go & spend it on drugs or booze just because
you did your part ? That doesn't make any sense. The food bank is a really good place !

[TheNocturnalEgyptian]

This makes me really happy to hear. Learning how to give with happiness is a very important skill.

[Twisted Titan]

One The Great Day when you finally decide to leave this world. you can pass on knowing that you left it better then you met it by having two loving and compassionate childeren carrying on your good name and nature.

[uranian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1x1UBKlCU

kids FTW!

[LastResort]

Good on ya!

[muffin]

Why would you give money to someone on the street if they could/ would go & spend it on drugs or booze just because
you did your part ? That doesn't make any sense. The food bank is a really good place !
I've ALWAYS been told to give without conviction. If you feel the urge/need to spare some money for the person on the street, then just give it. What they do with it is their problem...

[Old Herb Lady]

I've ALWAYS been told to give without conviction. If you feel the urge/need to spare some money for the person on the street, then just give it. What they do with it is the problem...

Well you & Ponce are better people than me, obviously.
I could be wrong in not giving the people money on the streets, I don't know.
Perhaps I've allowed myself to be conditioned wrong about it. I can tell you that when I was alot younger I used to love to travel
and would see so much poverty that it would make me sick/sad. So I would definitely (back then) hand out money to people on the streets
until one time we were walking through the streets of downtown Honolulu and I handed someone some bucks and my husband said,
stop it already, that's enough. I said WTF is wrong with you, It's my money, I'll do what I want with it.
He said you don't know what they're going to blow it on. I said Huh ? He said just stop it already.
We are opposites so I generally let it go & do whatever I want. Later, I had come to some realization in my head that I thought maybe he was right.
So I stopped doing it & only give money directly to a person who I know is going to use it for the good of themselves or their family, that's all.
Fast forward a decade or 2 later, now I just love food banks, homeless shelters,local food pantries,veterans, etc. when/if there is extras to give.

I just feel that I get raped out of half my paycheck unvoluntarily to give to welfare, so when I can pick and choose voluntarily where
a couple of extra bucks can go or whatever, I make sure that the money is being used for the utmost of importance.

I think your right & I need to give without conviction. That sounds more Christian-like than the way I have been seeing things. Thank You.

Sorry to derail franks, but I think I just relearned something !

[nunaem]

Watch out for falling shopping carts.

[muffin]

I think that's it up to you, OHL. I think it's not wrong however you do it. If it weighs on your heart about what THEY do with the money, then maybe you could just bring them a meal to-go from a local restaraunt or just not give at all.

I've noticed lately that there is a trend. People make little baggies with soap, deoderat, toothpaste/brush, etc. and hand them out when someone asks. They just keep some in their vehicle.