I love weekends even more now. I get to spend lots of time with my daughter!! I have had lots of requests for more pictures. I’m sorry but with one thing and another I just haven’t had time to get them off the camera and onto the computer. That is one of the things to do this weekend (besides catch up on sleep and sleep in a little  . . . oh wait! I can’t do that anymore (sigh)) Oh well . . .

Anyway, we got to play some smartboard games today on a Christmas theme. I put one of the games/activities on the side links for the students.

Otherwise, it was a good day with the students working hard. We got to see the high school students put on their Christmas play which was really well done. The students had a spelling test and we had a very good class meeting.

Next week will be crazy busy with crafts from Tues to Weds. I have some wonderful moms coming in to help for those days. If you are still interested in helping, let me know. We are going Tues (10:30-12:15), Weds (9:15-10:15) and Thurs (10:30-12:15). We are also going to be doing a secret Santa with students picking a secret person in the class to give a gift too. However, I do something a little different. At the end of the week, the students will be giving their Secret Santa the craft that was done the best. This is a much nicer way I feel, than having to get parents to buy yet another gift. This is something the children have made and worked hard on.

Tuesday is the last day for the toy drive. So bring any toys that you feel may be suitable for then. On the toy topic (but slightly different) here is one of my favorite songs for the season which is strangely enough, from the Muppet Christmas Carol. You can listen to it here:

muppets-one-more-sleep-till-christmas

Finally, to end off on a Christmas note, I found this speech written last year for the Christmas Season and thought it to be very true. So I thought I would post it again here. Enjoy!

I keep seeing in the newspapers that it might not be a “good” Christmas because while visits to stores are up, purchases per visit are down very slightly.

There is also some fear that it might not be a “good” holiday season because fears about the housing correction will scare shoppers into keeping their wallets zipped.

I’m fascinated by this, because I have looked through a Concordance of the Old and New Testaments and I do not find the word “shopping” even once.

I’m not sure when the idea got to be dominant that a “good” Christmas was about total spending, but here respectfully are some alternative suggestions:

Maybe a good Christmas for this most blessed of nations would be when we as a nation and as communities made sure the homeless had a warm, safe place to sleep.

Maybe a good Christmas would not be about buying your kids the latest gizmo for listening to obscene lyrics, but about teaching them that if they are fortunate enough to have extra time or extra money, they can help out at the old age home or at the local animal shelter.

Maybe a good time would not be buying your parents sweaters they will never use, but taking a trip to see them and telling them how much you appreciate that they spent the heart of their lives taking care of you, feeding you, teaching you, putting a roof over your head, warming you with their love and concern.

Maybe the best time of all would be telling your husband or your wife that you would be lost without him or her and that you’re sorry for the selfish things you did that year, and you’ll be better next year.

Christmas presents rarely fit and rarely are to your taste. They sit in your closet and collect dust forever.

But gifts in this special, sacred time of love and caring to your family, your friends, and your neighborhood – those are never forgotten. They bring peace of mind for years.

And I seem to recall from my vanished youth that this is the holiday of the prince of peace, not the queen of diamonds.