Coloring Contest

Isn't it every child's fantasy to win a candy shopping spree? And yet, Amalie has been there and done that at only four. But let me start at the beginning. A few weeks ago, I took the children to a holiday cooking class at Macey's- the local grocery store. They handed out coloring pages for a coloring contest. Noah and Amalie worked diligently on their pictures, taking Brad's advice that they needed to give it an extra edge by coloring the whole paper. Amalie felt that she had done her best but felt very discouraged because Noah's was so much better than hers. I explained that there were different age categories and that helped a little.

So imagine my surprise when I received a message from Macey's saying Amalie had won a 30 second candy shopping spree!!
I told Amalie and she was very excited. She couldn't wait to tell Noah, so we talked about how she could tell Noah in a way that wouldn't make him feel bad, since he hadn't won for his age group. She decided to tell him that she would share with him and that helped console him, a little. By Saturday, the day of the candy shopping spree, Noah was genuinely happy for his sister and I was so proud of him! We had practiced with Amalie as we were concerned that she may freeze and only end up getting one bag of candy, since 30 seconds is such a short time.

At the store, one of the workers, Bonnie, told me they had loved all the extra little drawings that Amalie had included. (Wow, Brad was right!) After waiting for what seemed like forever to the kids, it was finally time! We strategized for a few minutes before the contest, alongside the two other winners of the older age categories. Thankfully, the store helpers told Brad he could carry her basket during the contest, since it would probably get too heavy for her. And soon they were off!

When the timer went off, Amalie's little face fell. She had only three bags of candy. She came to me with the saddest little look on her face. Thankfully the store workers took pity on her and told her she could quickly choose enough candy to get to the limit of $25. She was so generous and picked candies that her family liked, as well as candies for herself. The whole family was excited as Brad and I had dreams of the same scenario as children. It was such a fun experience!
This was Amalie's favorite pick. Unfortunately, it tasted like Pine-sol cleaner! When we got home, Amalie asked if she could go to her friend, Kyah's house to share some candy. Then Brad suggested she make up candy bags to share with all her friends! She and Noah both got really excited by that idea and when Kyah knocked on the door, she came in and helped. The kids made cards and then delivered the candy and cards. They were beaming with joy. I was so proud of the way Amalie shared so generously. She offered candy and treats to all of us. It makes me so happy to see how generous and kind she is.

What a fun and memorable day!