The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza

You just put gingerbread cookies in the oven... one hand is on the phone with Kohl's customer service letting you know you left your credit card behind while buying something for your sister that you ended up replacing with something better and returning anyway... the other hand is finding a family picture for those cards that you've got to get out-but why is no one looking in the same direction in any picture?  Your left foot is trying to keep the tottering toddler from climbing the Christmas tree---again, and your right foot is, well, holding you up...barely.  And then you realize...when was the last time I thought about WHY I am doing this?  

It's a great reason why we do it all, but sometimes we get so caught up in the everything-else of Christmas, we start to forget the important parts.  

by David Shannon

The story of Mr. Merriweather, a man who usually celebrated Christmas with a wreath and some simple decorations on the tree.  One year, to his family's delight, he decided to really go out and add a small string of lights around the window.  When teased about the lights by his neighbor, Mr. Merriweather decides to make a few improvements...but then he doesn't stop.  He eventually creates what can only be described as a Christmas Extravaganza.  People flock to his home to see the lights, traffic backs up around his neighborhood, brown outs blanket every other house, and Mr. Merriweather doesn't realize everything else that he is missing while he's caught up in making the display bigger and better.  Unfortunately, his neighbors finally get fed up and instead of talking it over with Mr. Merriweather, take matters into their own hands, which they eventually regret.

I like that Mr. Merriweather's intentions are not to outdo the neighbors, but just to make a grand display to celebrate Christmas.  Sound familiar?  Reign in excesses, and you'll be amazed how much more you can enjoy the holiday season.

*I recommend this book for first graders and up. 

Want to read the story of a real-life Christmas Extravaganza from the house photo above?  Go here to read it on the Boston Globe.  Seriously, the book sounds like it was written straight from the article.

house image via ecomorons.org

book image via overstock.com

Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale

by Martin Waddell

illustrated by Jason Cockcroft

A beautifully (LOVE it!) illustrated picture book that more accurately depicts the birth of the Savior not in December, but on a cold spring night.  

Kind Ox invites Old Dog in from the cold, telling him, "There's always room for a little one here."  

Old Dog passes on the kindness to Stray Cat, and so on through barn animals who would not normally treat each other with such kindness.  

Tired Donkey comes bearing a precious load.  He is also welcomed, "There's always room for a little one here."  

And so it was there that "a Little One came for the world."

May we all make room for the least of these this Christmas.

Teaching by bringing extra to the ordinary:

Use the following poem with a little bag of M&M's and you'll find your kids will never see those little candies the same way again.

More Than Colors

These special little candies,

Come in colors bright and fun.

There’s more than color to be found;

A story of God’s Son.

The M’s turn into W’s,

If you turn them upside down.

A few more turns and E and 3’s

Are waiting to be found.

M is for the manger,

Where Mary laid her precious boy.

Little did the world know,

This baby would bring great joy.

The W is for the Wise men, 

Who followed a bright star.

The star revealed a king was born,

They came but, oh, so far.

In Bethlehem they found Him,

Just as they had been told.

3 is for the gifts they brought;

Frankincense, myrrh and gold

W is also for their worship,

As they bowed before their King,

Salvation is the promise given,

There’s nothing we can bring.

Faith alone is how we come

He died to set us free.

E is for eternity,

God’s gift to you and me.

Barbara Hooks' Version of a poem by Pam Ridenour

image via simonsays.com

poem via daniellesplace.com

Run, Turkey, Run!

by Diane Mayr

illustrated by Laura Rader

With so many books about the Thanksgiving turkey getting away, I'm surprised any of us actually have turkey on the 4th Thursday in November.  I wasn't sure about reading so many turkey escape books...would they lead my children to protest the consumption of the holiday bird?  Too bad for the turkey at our house, Thanksgiving dinner is way too delicious.  

Run, Turkey, Run! is one of my favorite fugitive turkey picture books.  As the family prepares the rest of the Thanksgiving meal, the farmer sets out after the turkey.  Turkey goes on the run. "If Turkey rolls in the mud, will the farmer think he's a pig?"  The kids will enjoy yelling, "No!!  Run, Turkey, run!"  The turkey also tries hiding out as a duck and a horse, with the farmer getting more bedraggled with every step.  

I really like this craft because it illustrates exactly what I'm most thankful for-- our family!  Use the handprints from everyone in the family to make the feathers!  I'm sure you can figure out how to make it on your own, but here are the directions just in case.

Happy Thanksgiving!

book image via nhbookcenter.blogspot.com

Sometimes it's Turkey, Sometimes it's Feathers

by Lorna and Lecia Balian

Little old Mrs. Gumm finds a turkey egg out in the forest one day. She rushes home and takes care of it, all the while exclaiming how much she's looking forward to how big and fat the turkey will be at Thanksgiving.

The turkey hatches and he's trouble. He eats pretty much everything else Mrs. Gumm planned to grow to use in her thanksgiving meal. But the woman doesn't let it get to her. She just exclaims what a fine, fat turkey he will be by then for all he's been eating.

The fateful Thanksgiving day arrives, and out comes the hatchet. What's for dinner? Read it to find out!

Make sure you get a more recent publication of this book. The newer version is full color. The older version is printed in a color that is neither green nor brown. And when I say that's what it's printed with, that is the only color they use. Very hard to see the pictures when everything (floor, chairs, walls, people) are all the same color on a page.

Have a little fun: Make your own turkey that won't be eaten this Thanksgiving! I'm all about crafts that kids can go at completely on their own. Crafts that require lots of intervention on my part really don't end up being their proud treasure like the crafts they create on their own.

Use the turkey as a placecard holder by having the kids nestle name cards into the pinecone.

image via rockbottomprices.com

Thank you, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

by Laurie Halse Anderson

illustrated by Matt Faulkner

Did you know the same person who composed "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was also responsible for the creation of our national day off from work for Thanksgiving?  And how did she do it?  Despite failure after failure, she was "bold, brave, stubborn and smart."  The greatest lesson in this?  She was just a mom who never gave up and persevered to make a difference.   

image via biblio.com

Big Pumpkin

by Erica Silverman

illustrated by S.D. Schindler

A witch, trying to get her pumpkin off the vine to make a pie, gets some help from some spooky friends.  In the end, size doesn't matter, because it's the idea of the smallest of the creatures who gets the pumpkin to come loose.  

image via coverbrowser.com

Five Little Pumpkins

illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

A cute rhyme that makes a great boardbook.  Want to make a little book for kids to color and reread after the book has gone back to the library?  Follow the links from this page.

image via amazon.com

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

by Sam McBratney

illustrated by Ivan Bates

Three mice are given a choice of what to do that day.  Instead of spending the day outside or having other kinds of fun, they are insistent that their Grandfather take them to the Dark at the Top of the Stairs.  If read well, this (not scary-but definitely tense) book can make a person, child and adult alike, momentarily dread the Dark at the Top of the Stairs.  A good book, you'll just wish it was longer!

image via onepotato.net

Skeleton Hiccups

by Margery Cuyler

illustrated by S.D. Schindler

A skeleton attempts to get rid of his hiccups, but it seems none of the traditional methods are helpful--but they are comical!

images via amazon.com

The Hallo-Wiener

by Dav Pilkey

Perhaps better known as the author and illustrator of the "Captain Underpants" Series, Dav Pilkey uses the same cartoony style in a book about a weiner dog named Oscar (hmmm, how'd he get that name?).  If you haven't figured out the connection, you can find "Meyer" on his family's mailbox.  The story follows Oscar the wiener dog through teasing from other dogs because of his differences.  The sad thing is that Oscar tries his best to be friends with those same dogs who bully him.  As is always the case, mother is loving and supportive, but this Halloween, Oscar's mom makes Oscar a Halloween costume that he is sure will only make the harassment even worse.  It is a bun, complete with mustard.  He's a real wiener for Halloween. Despite the torture he knows will come, Oscar loves his mom and wears it.  Of course he is teased, but in the end it's his differences, and his costume, that save the day and create new friendships.  It turns out to be a happy Halloween after all.

image via pilkey.com