Thanksgiving Traditions

Can you think of any Thanksgiving movies? Christmas has a ton and even Halloween has "The Great Pumpkin", not to mention your run-of-the-mill horror stories. My husband likes to point out that his favorite Thanksgiving move is "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" (hence the lovely graphic at the beginning of the post).

Halloween has pumpkin carving and dressing up. Christmas has Santa and presents (Jesus seems to get lost sometimes, if you ask me). What do you think of when you think of Thanksgiving? Yesterday I talked about Christmas traditions and today I'd like to talk about Thanksgiving traditions. What makes Thanksgiving special to you and your family? Do you truly "give thanks" on that day?

Most people associate Thanksgiving with the MEAL. Ffoooooooooooddd. I am guilty of this too. I love a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. I even don't mind being the one to cook it. But, just cooking a fancy meal shouldn't be what makes this day special. I mean, come on, kids get two whole days off of school (and many people have those days off from work, unless you are fortunate enough to work in retail)! This is an excellent opportunity to celebrate some good old American history with your family.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God and the Native Americans for helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter. Although half of the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower had already died, many more would have had it not been for the native Americans teaching the pilgrims to harvest foods. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three whole days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Indians.

While the first Thanksgiving was in the 1600's, it wasn't until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln declared the third Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving. It later became a Federal Holiday in 1941.

I know, we all learn in school about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims and how the Native Americans helped them. BORING! Am I right? I mean, it's not like you get to dress up, or get presents or chocolate. You just get a fancy dinner. So, why not make Thanksgiving just as "traditional" as the other Holidays around the year? It's a way for your family to come together and spend some quality time remembering the real reason we celebrate (hint: it's not about football).

With Halloween and Christmas, the decorating is half the fun, right? So, why not add Thanksgiving into the mix? Kids love crafts. Well, pre-teen kids love crafts. I am reminded of an episode if Yo Gabba Gabba when they have an Art Show. Why not ask your kids to help you decorate by creating their very own art show with a Thanksgiving theme? They can make turkeys, centerpieces for the table, napkin rings for dinner, etc. (ideas and how-to's under "more information" below). It's a great way to spend quality time with your family, AND start a new tradition! "Hunting" for decorations from nature (like pine cones and fall leaves) is also a great family activity.

One other thing you can consider is sending out a Thanksgiving Holiday card, instead of (or in addition to) a Christmas card. I had some friends do this last year and I thought it was wonderful since their card really stood out and didn't get lost in the deluge of Christmas cards we get.

Just a couple of things to think about. We all watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and football. And we all try our best to cook a fabulous dinner that our families won't forget (until Christmas, at least). I just think that making Thanksgiving stand out for something other than a great meal and some television (that we probably get too much of already) is always a good idea.


More Information:

• The History of Thanksgiving - History.com


• The First Thanksgiving - Scholastic


• Thanksgiving Craft Decorations - FamilyFun.Go.com

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Christmas Traditions

As the Holidays are fast approaching, new families (like mine) may be on the lookout for some new traditions to start. My daughter is only 2 years old and doesn't really understand the concept of Christmas. But, that hasn't stopped me from buying (when I was on maternity leave because I am slightly nutty) something that we are going to use every year called the Elf on the Shelf.

Now, I did talk about this last year but here's a little refresher course.

From their website:

How does Santa REALLY know who’s been naughty or who’s been nice?

After much urging by the elves and Mrs. Claus, Santa has allowed his biggest secret to be revealed in the book, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition®. Santa has partnered each book with a magical scout elf which children name. They can then visit the North Pole (elfontheshelf.com) to register their elf’s name in our Hall of Registry and print their official elf adoption certificate. All Santa approved, of course!

For a mere $30.00 (well, $29.95) plus shipping and handling, you get a North Pole scout elf, a hard-bound children`s book and a keepsake box. The elf is available in your choice of light or dark skin tones.

This is such a sweet, easy, Christmas tradition that will last for years and years. And with such a reasonable price, how can you say no?

I am looking forward to seeing Willow's face when we take it out (probably after Thanksgiving). I don't think that, at 2 years old, she's going to modify her behavior but, I can't wait anyway!

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Pass It On

As a mother, I think about the things that I am "passing on" to my daughter. I see every day the personality traits she gets from her father and I wonder what I can offer her. You know, aside from the whole "giving her life" thing.

When I was a kid, my mother was always crocheting or knitting or cross stitching. I always thought it was neat, but it never occurred to me to ask her about it. And, she never volunteered any information. So, I have decided that I am going to be proactive. I don't know if it's the Holidays coming up, or if it's my feeling a little "domestic" in my "old age", but I think I am going to learn how to crochet AND knit and teach it to Willow, if she would like to learn.

I am not a stay-at-home mom. I know they have less time than I do to do fantastic things like sewing and quilting and knitting, yet somehow they manage to make time for it. And I have to say that I am constantly impressed by it all. I read about friends' "projects" and I am secretly jealous that I am not "crafty". Is that silly? Maybe, but I don't care.

While many of us "modern" mothers work, I think we can still find the time to teach our daughters traditional things like needlework and sewing if we put our minds to it. I'll have to dig out the book on crocheting that I am pretty sure I have and keep you updated on future projects.

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Patriot Day 2009

September 11th Memorial wall in Second Life is etched with nearly 3,000 names of victims of the 2001 terrorist attack against the United States

A Prayer of Hope and Healing for Patriot Day



By Mary Fairchild

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today is a difficult day. The memories are painful and some of the wounds I fear may never heal. Yet I pray you will help me to go on living for truth, firm in my hope of your salvation. May I live for you, Lord, and by doing so, be an example to my friends and family. I pray, just like Jesus, I may learn obedience through these things that I have suffered. Help me not to question why, yet even if I do, give me courage to continue to trust you. Help me take the comfort and strength you've poured into my life and use it to comfort and strengthen others who need hope.

I pray I might become a better person and help make the world a better place because of this terrible event. Thank you for the heroes that gave so sacrificially on September 11. Help me to remember their courage and learn from them. I want my life to be worthy of you Lord, so make of it what you desire, and use me to fulfill your purposes. May the evil of that day cause me and my family to work harder to do good on this Earth and to bring your light into the dark places. Help me to never stop believing in you and living my life for you.

Lord, heal all those who were crushed and broken on that day. May they come to experience your presence and know your peace.

Amen.






More Information:
September 11 - Bible Verses for Patriot Day
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
September11thMemorial.com
911-Remember.com
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What Does "Gifted" Mean?

When I pulled Willow out of Montessori School a few weeks ago, I decided to do some research on "early learning". I inevitably stumbled upon "gifted" programs in my search for answers. So, I talked to a ton of moms and teachers to get their thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages in giving your kid a "head start" in education.

First, let me tell you a little about Willow. She is going to be two in mid-September. Right now she can sing the alphabet song (recognizing some of the letters) and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. She can "read" Yummy Yucky and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?. I put the word "read" in quotation marks because even though she can say the words and turn the pages at the right times, that doesn't mean she can read. It means that we have read them to her enough that she has memorized them.

We aren't some of those nutty parents who started showing her flash cards before she could even hold her head up because (and this is totally our opinion, especially the "nutty" part) what's the point? (Besides, if your child is truly gifted, it's not because you showed them flash cards) However, she can recognize and make the noises for all the Animals in The Very Busy Spider and Do You Want to Be My Friend? (even the peacock, which is super cute (and scarily accurate) and the rooster). She can also reliably count to 7, but she has no idea what the numbers mean.

In my opinion (and I am a rocket scientist, not a cognitive analyst), she is pretty average for her age. Certainly not "gifted".

Did you know that only about 2-3 out of every 100 children the same age as your child is now can be considered "gifted"? The real question is whether or not it actually means anything before your child is school-aged. And the answer is mostly no.

Personally, I would never subject my very young child to any kind of academic pressure at her age. They have enough to deal with when Kindergarten starts (you know, since they learn to actually read in Kindergarten these days) and I'd prefer that my child have the opportunity to just "be a kid" for as long as possible. Studies have shown that subjecting small children (under school-aged) to academic rigors have no benefit down the road.

There is one exception, the truly gifted child. And I don't mean the child who has been shown flash cards, or how to golf, since birth. So, you know, now they can read and add and play golf. I mean the child that is truly UNHAPPY if they are not learning. I mean the child that gets little sleep (and refuses naps during the day) because his brain is always on and thinking (this is typically from birth). The child that can associate, at 16 months old (from pictures alone), that beef comes from a cow, and understands the concept of death. The child that completes a 24 piece puzzle that she has never seen before in less than 10 minutes at the ripe old age of two.

Like I said, I have talked to quite a few moms and teachers. (I question them when I am working out at Curves.) And, quite universally, they say that the absolute best thing you can do for your young child is to spend time with them. Get them to read books and listen to music and develop creatively with drawing and painting. Don't waste your money on a developmental program, especially since cognitive ability is hard to nail down before your child is school-aged. I have a co-worker that literally spent $5,000 to put their 5-year-old in a reading course so they would be at a second grade level when they entered first grade. I just don't see the logic there.

According to MENSA (regarding testing for your child), all available tests are standard score tests based on a ranking of all children who take the tests. The test will only tell you how many other children your child outscored; it will not tell you "how gifted" or how different your child's thinking and reasoning are. The old Stanford-Binet LM is still the only test that can do that, but you must give your child the standard score test first or schools may not accept the results due to the age of the SBLM. Additionally, the SB-LM...really has to be used before a child turns 12 to have any particular value and in the case of the profoundly gifted, prior to the age of 9. (IQ tests for small children aren't really accurate until after the age of 5.)

In talking to teachers and moms, I have found that in all instances (again unless your child is truly gifted) putting pressure on your child at too young an age tends to turn out bad. I also discovered that moms with children who were at the top of their high school classes didn't do anything different with them when they were young. They let them develop at their own pace, and they turned out more than fine.

So, before you go off and spend a ton of money getting your kid tested and spend subsequently MORE money on some kind of early learning/development program, think about your reasoning behind it. Are you doing it because your child is really and truly gifted? Or, are you doing it so you can brag about how little Suzie goes to such and such a school for "gifted" children?

Do you think your child may be gifted? See the links below for more information:

• Testing 1,2,3: Evaluating a Child for Giftedness


• National Association for Gifted Children

And, until your child is school-aged, you can find some enrichment activities and resources here: Enrichment Activities and Resources for Gifted Children Read more!