Teaching a 3 year old about Christmas

This year, Gracie has been really excited about Christmas. It's the first year she really understands what's going on. She loved putting up the Christmas tree, buying new ornaments for it, opening the new ornaments she got from My Mom and Dad (a tradition we have in my family. Every year everyone gets a new ornament.) She has loved to help make treats, see Santa (from afar only--once we got close to him she freaked out--silly girl!), singing Christmas songs, etc.

This is the time of year to think of others more than ourselves. Bryant and I have really talked about how we can help Gracie understand the true meaning of Christmas. We want her to experience the joy of giving to someone less fortunate, sharing what we have with others and understanding that we can love someone we don't really even know simply because they are children of God. We chose a card off the "giving tree" this year. We specifically chose a little 3 year old girl so Gracie could help pick out a gift for her. We explained that Santa needed a little help so this "friend" could have a nice Christmas like she is going to have this year. We talked about how happy this would make Jesus on his birthday, and we talked about all the toys and fun things Gracie has and gets to do all the time, and that this friend probably doesn't have what she has, so that it's so important to share what we have. Gracie seems to understand really well. We were out somewhere last week, and she found something that SHE really wanted. So, I told Gracie that we can't always get what we want, but maybe we should buy that for her "friend" so she would have a Christmas present this year. Thankfully, she was all for that. We brought it home, and she helped my Mom wrap it up. It's been sitting under our Christmas tree and she tells everyone that comes over that this present is for her friend.
I'm really proud of her. My brother and (mostly) my sister in law sent Gracie a little mini-pillow pet a few weeks back. And let me tell you, Gracie LOVES it. I had no idea she would love a pillow pet so much or I would have gotten one for her months ago for her birthday or something. She takes the thing everywhere, she sleeps on it (as a pillow) every night, she shows everyone how it works, it is quite possibly one of her favorite things ever!
Since this little gift that Gracie chose wasn't anything spectacular, nor was it very much money, Gracie also decided her friend needed a pillow pet. I thought it was a fabulous idea!
Well, Bryant and I went out last night. We went to a few random stores, and I found a pillow pet. Exactly the same one Gracie has, but the bigger version of it. So, I bought it thinking, "okay...this is going to be hard for Gracie because she will want the bigger one, but she is going to have to be okay giving the bigger one to her friend that doesn't have all the nice things she does."
Well, this morning I showed her the pillow pet for her friend. And I have to say, I have a GREAT LITTLE GIRL. She was so excited that her friend would have a pillow pet that matched her own. She wasn't upset that it was bigger than hers. She's excited to help me wrap it up for her this afternoon.
I think what this has proved to me more than anything else, is that no matter how little, our kids are not young to be taught and to understand. I feel so blessed to have such an example of Christlike love in our home.
I love you Gracie Girl!