The wedding present we turned into somebody else’s groceries.

Before Mr. Wonderful and I got married, we received a very unique wedding gift. It was a generous check that came with one request:

"Use this to celebrate your first month together as a married couple."

Last week, when we'd been wed a whole month, I glanced at that check. And here's what I figured. We could enjoy a nice, kid-free dinner out at some new Austin hot spot. (Fooding is what I love best.) Or we could use this opportunity to teach the The Little Boys Club something about giving as a family. Kids' causes are dear to both our hearts, and when it comes to food, well, we're big fans. So naturally, my first thought was feeding the hungry.

What if we took the twins shopping for food staples? What if we used that generous check to purchase those groceries and then deliver the donations to our local food bank ourselves?

One-third of the folks our food bank serves are kids, after all. Maybe this gesture could help the boys understand that three square meals a day are not a guarantee for every child in our community.

I floated the idea by 'em over clam chowder. In August. (Because when a kid is stoked about his suggestion for supper, you just go ahead and prepare hot, thick soup on a 103-degree afternoon.)

I told them about the check. I explained how fortunate we were to be eating clam chowder in August because some people don't get to choose what they eat - let alone eat until their stomachs are full.

That's when I suggested that we take a little field trip to shop for somebody else's groceries. They listened carefully. Took it all in. Then, AC chimed in.

"I know something about this," he said with a serious look on his face. "Because we saved an elderly last Christmas."

An elderly! I smiled. That was his way of telling us he remembered the space heater we donated to a senior in our community last December as part of their school's holiday wish-granting program. (We're big on planting the seed of giving in their hearts.)

Anyway, I could tell we had buy-in, so I put AC in charge of the shopping list.

• peanut butter
• canned chicken and tuna
• canned vegetables
• canned fruit
• brown rice
• cereal
• canned beans

When we got to the store, he followed me up and down each aisle, dutifully checking off each item. Brother loaded up our shopping cart and Dad made sure we didn't go over the number on that check. Teamwork had us outta there with a cart full of groceries in less than 20 minutes.

A short drive down the road later and we pulled into the parking lot at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, where we dropped the groceries in the donation bin.

"How do you feel?" I asked them.

"Good!" they answered simultaneously.

Me too, I thought. Not a bad way to fulfill that request to celebrate our first month as newlyweds. I hope the boys will remember our "celebration" field trip as fondly as I will.

---

Wanna help feed your neighbors? Find your local food bank by ZIP code at FeedingAmerica.org. Whether you're interested in donating your time, a few bucks or a couple of cans, you can get involved in more ways than one. And if you live in Central Texas, the Capital Area Food Bank makes it easy to get involved.

Why, yes I can.

"Can you imagine if the Earth were shaped like Texas?"

Yesterday we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday a little early -- with green eggs and ham, of course. As we sat around the breakfast table, I mentioned to The Little Boys Club that in addition to the beloved author's birthday, March 2 was also Texas Independence Day. AC looked at me with wide eyes and proposed a new unique shape for our fair planet.

Place-and-bake cinnamon roll hearts

I got a little carried away with heart-shaped fare this weekend. We started our Saturday with these love-themed cinnamon rolls. No fuss. I just picked up a can of pre-made dough at the grocery store, rolled each pre-cut section into a heart and then baked as directed on 400 for about 10 minutes. Our Valentwins added some frosting and red sprinkles, and I served them alongside some fresh strawberries. Easy, festive and amusing.

Here's an excerpt from our always-entertaining table conversations:

Me: "I thought we could make some heart-shaped pizzas again this year for dinner. You know, to celebrate Valentine's Day."

A.C.: "Isn't Presidents Day coming up? Why don't we make pizzas shaped like Abraham Lincoln?"

Clever, but way outside my realm of creativity, child. We stuck with the original plan: Heart-shaped flat bread, a few simple toppings and voila. Have a look. This gal even hand-cut the pepperonis into tiny hearts, y'all. Who am I?

Move over, Sriracha.

I'm not into spicy. I'm into flavor. - AC, The Little Boys Club

Grooming the littlest philanthropists.

I recently spent some time helping the little dudes set up an online giving page for the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser. Their dad and I explained the basic concept of charitable giving and how people’s donations could help fund research for children with heart conditions. And while one of the twins was clearly more interested in the potential prizes for participating in the campaign, the other took us both by surprise when he said he wanted to ask our neighbors for money. "You know how much I love animals ... and children are animals, too," he explained matter-of-factly.

Fair enough. My heart swelled at his compassion. Mr. Wonderful escorted our newest philanthropist around the building as he knocked on doors reciting his practiced plea. And although he only came back with a few bucks, I could not have been more proud that he made the decision to stand for something. I could hardly believe this was the same kid who hid behind his dad’s thigh when we first met.

Sowing the seeds.

It's important to me to plant the seeds of giving in these little boys' hearts - and I can't get enough of their innocent impressions of the world. We build a gratitude tree together each fall. And a couple Christmases ago, I encouraged them to choose a child's name from our church's holiday giving tree. These "angel trees" are usually covered with paper ornaments that have a child's wish written on it. You take an ornament, buy the item requested and return it to the tree for delivery to said child. After we explained to the twins that there are many less fortunate children in our community who would benefit from a little generosity, they chose to fulfill a wish from a boy their age who asked for an art set. I gave them each a little money and we let them pick out a present. This task also turned into a teachable moment about compromise and budgeting since they had to agree on the perfect kit and make sure they had enough money to cover the cost. It was a good start.

Then, last December, we tried something a little different. As we approached a similar giving tree at their school's winter festival, I noticed a very different kind of wish hanging on the lowest branch. It said, "Elderly - Heater". My eyes widened. Mr. Wonderful must have caught my expression because he grabbed the ornament and promptly declared, "This is the one." The boys didn't object. So instead of shopping the toy aisle last holiday, they got to compare space heaters for a home-bound senior citizen. The Littles even pitched in a few bucks of their own that time.

Opportunities to demonstrate and develop these boys' character usually arise when we least expect it. And I'm incredibly grateful to have a partner in life who is committed to making those moments meaningful.

What are your strategies for raising kids who are grounded and generous?

Swine sensibilities

I'm never gonna hunt pig because it's, like, my favorite animal. But I will eat it if it's already been hunted. - H, The Little Boys Club

Things I've learned about little boys.

OH, BOY. In the two-plus years that I've had the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Wonderful's twin sons, aka The Little Boys Club, they've taught me a thing or two. Life as a Bonus Mama is no cake walk - although cake would be a nice incentive during their occasional meltdowns. But the good news is that the little dudes already have two terrific parents, so I can take my cues from them. The following is an evolving list of important things to know if you are me.

1. If you see a stray stone or loose leaf, let it be. Do not even consider throwing away that rock, seed or twig. The wind did not accidentally blow it inside the house. It is there on purpose. That special treasure is exactly that. Trust me. Spare yourself the guilt of having just taken out the trash when a little voice asks what happened to the ____ that was right there a minute ago.

2. Instead of participating in the Saturday morning YMCA basketball/football/baseball game you're playing, it's often more fun to lie flat on the floor, hop on one leg or twirl around in circles. Sometimes you just gotta do your thing and it can't wait for half time.

3. The competition is fierce. Truly. You must be faster, smarter, stronger and a better reader of sight words than your brother. It is the law of brotherhood.

4. Why use a fork when you can lick the plate clean? Literally. Face down. Get it done.

5. Don't ask silly questions about safety. When you ask a boy if he knows what to do if his clothes catch on fire, be prepared for matter-of-fact solutions, like "Take my shirt off." And if you ask a boy if he knows what he should do if we come across an animal on our cub scout hike, try not to showcase a look of horror when his answer is "Kill it."

6. You might, at some point, find a rogue science experiment in the freezer. Do not mistake a Styrofoam cup full of acorns and flowers frozen into a block of ice for the latest juice cleanse - even if you do live in Austin, Texas.

7. Always carry Band-Aids.

8. In order to fall asleep, a little boy might need anywhere from two to six stuffed animals by his side. Sometimes it will be a tiny ninja or a Lego knight. Make room for them.

9. The two funniest words in the English language are "butt," and "fart." Do not try to understand this. They just are.

10. Repeating the words "SHOES" or "TEETH" multiple times does not ensure that either will be addressed.

11. Let them sit on your lap, hold your hand or squeeze in next to you under the covers at 6 a.m. because they might not be down for that much longer.

12. Reassure the boy that he is NOT "dumb," like the kid in the cafeteria line told him at school. And then resist the urge to march into his first-grade classroom and find the little shit who said it.

... If only we could ensure that "dumb" is the worst thing they'll ever be called.

The tree of truth.

That's our gratitude tree - a tradition we started last year to help the little dudes put our blessings into perspective. And oh what a difference a year makes! Last November, they would have rather brushed their teeth with salsa than read a book. A year later, "storys" and "chapter books" made the list. Huzzah! They even wrote EACH OTHER's names down. Score one for brotherly love.

The gratitude quickly devolved, however, from "Jezus" and "Fredum" to "Prity Pegasis." This did not surprise anyone coming from the twin who loves all things fantasy.

"What makes you thankful for the pretty Pegasus?" I asked A. "Well, without them, we wouldn't have candy," he tells me.

Obviously.

Take it as a compliment.

Conversations with The Little Boys Club: AC: "Dad, why do you get so frustrated about football?"

Me, butting in: "Well, your dad is very passionate about football. Why?"

AC: "I don’t like it when he flips over tables and chairs."

(Mr. W looks at me incredulously, shaking his head. I try not to laugh.)

Me: "Bud, have you ever seen your Dad flip over tables and chairs?"

AC: "No, but that’s what Thor would do."

Family traditions founded on food: Kid-friendly sushi and glow-in-the-dark Jello

So they're not the prettiest things you've ever seen, but I made these PB&J sushi rolls last month for The Little Boys Club in an effort to uphold what has become a new tradition in our house. Pizza Fridays are a custom that Mr. W started with his twins a few years ago, and I thought it might be fun to incorporate a post-pizza movie night that includes a nod to some kind of snack featured in the flick itself. On a recent night, we chose "The (original) Karate Kid" accompanied by these easy "sushi" roll-ups made with flattened wheat bread and smothered with PB&J. The little dudes tried to convince us they'd already seen the movie -- and we had to inform them that the Jaden Smith version does not actually count. Same goes for the Hilary Swank adaptation -- although I do appreciate the female athlete in a leading role. Nice work, Hollywood.

The whole movie idea started on a whim last December with "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" -- the Jim Carrey version. I whipped up a bright green batch of Grinch Punch. It was a hit. (The request for seconds tipped me off.) Then, when "Frozen" was released on DVD, we opted for a few snowman snacks: Olaf noses (baby carrots), Olaf arms (pretzel sticks) and a melty Olaf himself: vanilla ice cream dotted with a couple of Raisinets for eyes. It was a home run. They don't say much, but the awkward attempt to actually "build" a snowman inside the glass says something, right?

After the presumed success of the first few movie nights, Mr. W and I decided to introduce The Littles to some of our own childhood favorites, so we started with E.T. I was prepared with Reese's Pieces, which would have been plenty. Simple enough. But we got a little carried away. I decided to make glow-in-the-dark Jello. (Lime jello + tonic water = voila!) We needed something to stick our index fingers in for the "E.T. phone home" scene. Obviously. But we didn't stop there. Just as The Littles were attaching plastic glow-in-the dark stars to our living room walls, Mr. W. revealed the black lights and blinking LED alien balloons he'd picked up just for the occasion. Have I mentioned how much I love this man? He not only humors me, but actually participates in my movie-themed madness. It's a match.

We don't do this every Friday, y'all. Let's be real. But it sure is entertaining to re-watch some of our favorite flicks from childhood -- and exchange sudden glances with Mr. W upon realization that the movie you chose has just introduced your children to fun language like "penis breath." Heaven help us.

Recently, I overheard the boys tell their uncle all about our E.T. movie night and it made me smile. A moment of validation! So they DO dig it! They DO enjoy our cheesy little tradition! (I take every little victory to heart, guys.) And maybe they're just in it for the snacks -- but hey, I would be, too.