Thanksgiving books

Thanks to Goodreads, I found a list of Thanksgiving children's books.  I've already put some on hold at the library.  I may order our favorites through Amazon.  Or maybe not.  Because I just bought a Blendtec, and I'm not allowed to spend any more money for like a year.

ps.  If you like reading, join Goodreads.  It's my favorite.  :)

*Image from Amazon.com

Thanksgiving Advent

Remember this little girl?

She turned one.  In August.  And she still doesn't sleep "through the night."  I use the term "sleep through the night" quite loosely, but this babe still wakes up every three hours.  After the first round of sleep training, I spent 5 months with a baby who would not be put down, nor let anyone else hold her.  We've tried sleep training her a couple times, and the last time was working until she got a bunch of ear infections, and then started teething.  So we're trying again.  I just have to say that if I could go back to my first-time-mother self, I would tell myself to not worry about "sleeping through the night."  lol.

Isn't she just a sweetie though?  Love this blue-eyed darling!

 Blogging has just been on the back burner.  It still is, but I wanted to share this idea, even if it is a tad tardy.

Thanksgiving Advent:

Nov 1. Make advent activity chain and introduce gratitude to kids (hopefully they already get it!)
Nov 2. Write a list of people we can thank (brainstorm, all the people who help us in our lives)
Nov 3. Service project: Make a few sack lunches and hand them out to people standing outside parking lots of stores.  There are always people in our area.
Nov 4.  Tell the story of the 10 Lepers. Memorize Alma 7:23
Nov 5 F.H.E. (Family Home Evening) about gratitude, begin gratitude journal with each child.  Each night after stories we will talk about what we are grateful for that day and write it down, draw a pic, etc.)
Nov 6. Visit retirement center and sing songs, or do Thanksgiving art project. (think Pinterest)
Nov 7. Read Thanksgiving books and sing Thanksgiving songs. (I'll give suggestions soon!)
Nov 8. Bake bread (or some treat) to take with thank-you notes the next day.
Nov 9. Write & deliver anon 5 thank you notes w/ bread
Nov 10. Service project: make a baby blanket (or several) for people in need (local hospital, women's shelter, etc)  This should be fun to get my kids started with some basic sewing!
Nov 11. Memorize Alma 37:37, write a thank you note to some one in the military.
Nov 12. F.H.E. Do thy alms in secret. 3 Ne 13:2-4
Nov 13. Art Project with our playgroup friends.
Nov 14. Write and illustrate our own thanksgiving book (I'll let the girls guide this one, they can retell the first thanksgiving, tell a story about gratitude, etc.  It will be a shared writing experience.  :)
Nov 15. Make caramel popcorn to take with thank-you notes the next day.
Nov 16. Write and deliver 5 anon thank you notes. (Emphasize "doing alms in secret" with the kids.
Nov 17. Service project.  I plan on calling a local shelter to see what we can do, maybe we'll try and collect coats and shoes, or something simple my preschoolers can help with.
Nov 18. Memorize Psalms 100:1-5
Nov 19. F.H.E. Love our enemies 3 Ne 12:44
Nov 20. Act out the first Thanksgiving with costumes we made.
Nov 21. Art Project: dinner table centerpiece and decorations.
Nov 22. Thanksgiving day 5k as a family!!

For the last 2 Thanksgivings (is that a word?) I've wanted to do something purposeful to help my little ones really understand the Holiday!  Hopefully we will stick to our fun schedule.  And if not, well, I guess I won't blog about it. :)

Things to read Thursday

A few weeks ago my dearest friend, Annie, mentioned that her girls were reading Mrs. Piggle Wiggle for their K-12 home school curriculum.  Because Annie knows my 4 1/2 (can't leave out the "1/2" or I get in trouble) year-old well, she suggested I try reading it to DD1.  We checked it out this week and began reading it.

DD1 is fairly interested, and pays attention, although there are quite a few words she doesn't understand yet. It gives us a lot to talk about.  I, however, am LOVING this book!  So clever, so fun, so informative.  I wish I had a parrot so I could try the "answer-backer cure."

So go read it to your kids.  :)