Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Every Night a Christmas Story

I like family traditions. They give you a sense of belonging, a kind of 'this is where I am supposed to be' feeling. Like a particular dish prepared by a specific person at a family gathering. (Thanksgiving isn't complete with Mama's pumpkin pie! or There's Aunt Marjorie's tuna casserole...avoid it at all costs!) Or a certain nickname you've always been called by your family and no one else. (We won't even go there.)

I've held onto many traditions since childhood, but I've also tried to create new ones for my kids. Things that they can look back on fondly and even continue with their own children.

One of our favorites involves books. Lots and lots of books. We are a family of readers and I love that I can say that! :) I think books are essential to a well-rounded childhood. You can experience things through reading that you might never have the chance to do in real life! You can learn about times past and even what the future might hold. Some of our favorites are tales of Christmas and we've built quite a nice library of them.

Every night of December we read another Christmas story. I know it is already the second of the month, but I'm going to share with you each day what we'll be reading that night. Since we have been doing this for many years, I think you'll find that we have a great selection lined up and you might even want to run to the library to pick up a copy to share with your family.

Last night we read The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus by Ogden Nash. I loveLOVElove stories written in rhyme and this one is excellent! :) I'm sure it is included in many collections, but this happens to be the one we have:

We'll be reading more out of this book throughout the month, too.

Tonight's selection is this:
A beautifully told and illustrated story of a man who had lost the Christmas spirit and the child who helped him find it again.

Happy Reading!!! :)

3 comments:

  1. I have always loved to read, but my son hates it! He is ADHD, he doesn't have time to read. I wish he would enjoy it as much as I do.

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  2. Oh Stacey, I feel for you. :( Sharing books with my kids is one of the highlights of my day. But honestly, even if I didn't have kids, I'd still read these wonderful books! I've always been a children's book fanatic. :)

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  3. Kelli~~~

    I think this is a wonderful tradition. I read like crazy to my first daughter and I admit she was one of the brightest preschoolers!! My second daughter...well I got busy but she has turned out to be the 'reader' of the family. Go figure!!

    Enjoy your week!

    xoxo
    Jane

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