Learning to Say Thanks

One of the things my parents instilled in me was the importance of making sure people know you appreciate them.  I work really hard at making sure my girls know the value of appreciation.  When my Grandma passed away, two sisters took it upon themselves to make sure that they made some food especially for Carli and Ava.  It was such a sweet gesture and we wanted to make sure that Carli and Ava understood the thoughtfulness that these girls showed them. 

I've found it is much easier to get the girls to "create" their own thank you notes.  It is a work of art to say the least but it gives them a lot of ownership in what they are doing.  First we cut out and painted some hearts and a rainbow. 

 

Carli pretty much knows the whole alphabet and can write all the letters in uppercase.  So I spelled out a simple thank you note and she worked hard at copying it over.  Her Daddy helped her not get confused about what letter she was on.  :)  If you look close, Carli has managed to fold her tongue over in concentration.  She can't do it on demand...as she told me:  Mom, it just happens!
 

 

Here are Carli's notes.  They basically say, "Thank you for the cookies (fruit salad). Love Carli."

Since Ava does not sit still long enough to do much other than write her name, I was pleased that she actually copied down, "Love" and then her name.  She sticks her tongue out in concentration too.  She wasn't cooperative in me catching that on camera though!

 Instead of mailing our thank yous, the girls took them to church on a Wednesday night and hand delivered them with an extra hug.  :)