Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant is an excellent book for the Christmas season!  About a gift train that heads into poor Appalachian country each year, it makes for a wonderful example of giving at Christmas time. 

I loosely used this unit from Homeschool Share to do a mini-unit this week.  We covered geography, history, social studies, some language arts, a little science, and a lot of Bible.  It brought us back to our cozy Five In A Row days.  What good memories!

The best part of the unit was when my children decided to each buy a gift to give to a needy child.  We were going to send the gifts to the real gift train, but in the end the kids decided they would rather help a child in our own community.  So, with their wallets in hand, they each bought a gift that will be given to our local fire station's Toys For Tots drive.  It warms my heart to see them giving.  Remember my frustration the other day?  Yes, this proves all isn't lost to selfishness.