Happy New Year’s Eve!

Fun suggestion- My brothers and I would get pots and pans and bang them with wooden spoons at midnight outside the house. This was lots of fun but make sure you have neighbors who won't mind.

New Year's Expectation for your Child

If you don't expect much from your child, that's what you get. That said don't set expectations so high they’ll burst. Do expect good manners, kindness, honesty, and responsibility for actions.

Movie Review: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year

Movie title: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. Animation with Music. It’s only six more days until New Year’s and Happy, the New Year baby, has run away. Happy ran away because the other kids were making fun of his big ears. Rudolph the reindeer can relate because he was made fun of his red nose when he was little. Rudolph goes to find Happy before a vulture kidnaps him. The vulture wants to stop time so he won’t turn to ice. If there isn’t a New Year then time will be stopped. The baby goes to a fairy time land, where he stays with the three bears. The little bear and baby become friends, until the bears laugh at his ears. This upsets Happy and he runs away. Rudolph finds Happy and saves the New Year. He tells Happy his big ears might make people laugh, but this makes them happy, which is a good thing. Show watchable for adults because it’s a short film.

Book Review: The Runaway Latkes

The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman. Pictures by Paul Yalowitz. Rebecca is making latkes when they jump out of the pan. The naughty latkes roll out of her house and whirl through the town with people chasing them. The latkes jump in the Applesauce River. Low and behold a miracle happens. The Applesauce River turns into real applesauce. Rebecca takes the latkes out the river and shares them with everyone. Cute story with a catchy phrase throughout.

Merry Christmas!

After eating your holiday dinner take a walk. I was told this helps digestion.

Holiday Centerpiece and Dog Tip

1) Child’s Christmas Arts and Craft Dinner Centerpiece.
What you need: Styrofoam three inches tall in any shape you desire, circle, square, oval or rectangle. You the parent can cut the Styrofoam with a shape knife to the shape desired. Red, green, gold, or silver paint. Paint brush. Pretty leaves. The day you plan to use centerpiece cut flowers, twigs with leaves or berries and/or ivy vines. Place stems in water.

What to do: Paint Styrofoam. Let dry. Then just before dinner, or a half an hour before, stick fresh flowers, and twigs in Styrofoam in a pretty fashion. If you see Styrofoam base peeking through you can cover it with leaves or ivy vines. Put centerpiece on dinner table.

2) Tip for dog owners- do not give turkey bones or chicken bones to your dog. They can get caught in their throat and they can choke on them. I don't recommend lamb bones either. A nice old man kept giving them to my dog and she would get sick. I had to politely tell him what was happening. Ask your butcher or veterinarian what bones they recommend for dogs.

Make Ball Ornaments and Spread Goodwill

1) Child’s Christmas Ball Ornaments.
What you need: Styrofoam balls. Ribbon. Glitter. Glue. Interesting buttons, or rhinestones.

What you do: Glue interesting buttons, or rhinestones on ball. Let dry. Glue ball again and then shake glitter on it. Let dry. Cut four or five inches of ribbon. Fold ribbon in half. Glue ribbon to top of ball so it can hang from Christmas tree. If this ribbon breaks you can pin it in, but make sure there are no children under four in house.

2) Spread Goodwill. Have your family volunteer at a soup kitchen, a local food pantry (Some churches and temples do it for the holidays. You can sort food.), or each contribute whatever they can afford to a needy cause (Save the Dolphins, Red Cross, Cancer Society) or put money in a Salvation Army red pot. Or make the above ornaments and give to hospices to put on Christmas trees or hang in windows.