Explaining Being Thankful to a Preschooler & A Thanksgiving Craft

I wanted a craft to do with the girls but that wasn't to labor intensive since their attention span is pretty limited.  I love countdown projects to help teach numbers so that is what I decided to do.  I cut out 7 leaves using a template (printed on cardstock) that I found online.  If you need help finding one just google leaf template under images and you'll find a bunch of templates from which to choose.

I let the girls choose the colors of scrapbook paper that they wanted and then I traced the leaves and cut them out while they played pre-k and pretended to read Thanksgiving books that we've been reading together.

They put the stickers on the leaves and then we talked about what it meant to be thankful.  That is not an easy concept to explain to a 4 and 2 year old.  It took me days to come up with the right words.  Why is it that the simplest explanation is sometimes the hardest?  Last month Emmy's preschool collected food for the local food bank and I had talked with the girls about why we were collecting food and I had introduced the topic then.  I've tried to keep it simple.  We had talked about basic needs and what we need to live.  I explained to them that we have lots of things that we should be thankful for, things that make us feel good and even safe.  Emmy's pre-k was scheduled to have a trike-a-thon to benefit St. Jude's so we've also talked about how being healthy is something we should feel thankful for also.

When we did this craft, I asked them what things made them happy. I used some prompts to such as things they liked to do or things they liked to play with or people that they liked to be around. 

On the back of the leaves I wrote the girls' responses.  Some of their responses were:

• Mommy and Daddy and Ryan (of course)
• Grammy and all of their friends and Alex and Thomas (their cousins)
• being able to dance (Madison said somersaults, not surprising for the little monkey that she is)
• food especially marshmallows and cocoa (which I am not sure count as a food group)
• their dolls
• Emmy said her teachers (how long will that last, I wonder???)
• playing tag
• their house and their room
• playing in the leaves
• scarves and gloves (which are even more fun to play dress-up with)
• blowing bubbles
• bicycles and cars

And then they lost interest and wanted to hang the leaves.  I just used some ribbon I had laying around, clothespins, and removable hooks which I had in a drawer on which to attach the ribbon.

Here is the finished product:

Each day we're taking down a leaf and reading what they are thankful for.  For Thanksgiving, we'll either hang them all back up or make them into napkin rings by making a ring with a strip of paper to put around a napkin and then gluing a leaf on each ring. 

How have you explained thankfulness to your child?  What do you have to be thankful for this holiday season?

What I Have to Be Thankful For

It's Turkey Day! It's finally here. This is one of my favorite days of the year from a gastronomical standpoint. 


Growing up my family occasionally got together for Thanksgiving but after my dad died we were more likely to go out to eat at a restaurant than actually eat a home cooked meal.  That was okay because in typical teenage thinking that meant I didn't have to help clean up after dinner.

Thanksgiving for my husband's family is a huge holiday feast.  When we get together it may be a few days before or after Thanksgiving but there is always copious amounts of delicious food.  This year it is only my husband's mom who will be here along with a family friend and my family. We will have another "Thanksgiving worthy" holiday feast  with Bob's family before Christmas when both of his sisters are in town.

Not one but three turkeys to be cooked this year.  One on the grill, one in the smoker, and one in the turkey fryer.  This is the only time of the year where I surrender my kitchen and become the sous chef of sorts.  By the end of the day, we will be stuffed like the turkeys.

I have crafts for the girls ready to keep them occupied and a holiday video at the ready.

Another reason for this being my favorite time of the year is because we get to celebrate our blessings. I know, I know, we should celebrate our blessings all year long but how often do we ever really verbalize what is in our heart (besides to our significant others and to our children)?

What do I have to be thankful for? 
1. My happy & healthy family.  This is something we to often take for granted.  Last Thanksgiving my grandmother had a series of small strokes and my grandfather had a major heart attack.  We are thankful that they will be with us again this year. 
2. A full pantry.  Many people are not so lucky.
3. Sleeping in even if it is just for fifteen minutes.  Being able to roll over and put the pillow over my head  if I want to is what it is all about.
4. Black Friday.  Maybe it is my competitive nature coming out but I love to drive to the store, maneuver through the crowds to get deals, and then drive home with my loot.  Satisfied is how I feel at breakfast.  That is not to say you will see me at the mall after Black Friday because you probably will not.  That is usually my last or almost last shopping trip.  Usually I am done. If I need anything else I will be at Target at an off-peak hour doing my shopping.
5. Contentment.  Loving life and what I have in my life is a blessing.  Being able to see it and appreciate it is doubly so. When we're younger we often take our lives for granted. 

Happy Thanksgiving!  May we all have much to be thankful for and many blessings to count this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to write a short note before Thanksgiving. My daughters are asleep and my husband is out with a friend. Our houseguests will not be here until midnight so I wanted to take a few minutes to jot down some thoughts before the holiday craziness begins.

What am I thankful for? My healthy family who is safe thanks to the people who serve in the armed forces and protect our great nation. I am thankful for the fact that while his pay has been reduced due to the tough economy, my husband still has a job. His job allows us enough leeway financially that I can still stay home with our beautiful daughters. I am thankful for all of the family and friends in our lives who love us unconditionally. I know that through whatever may happen in our lives there are people who will cheer us on in the good times or give us a hand up in the bad times. I am thankful for the sun that rises in the morning to signal a new day for I truly believe each day is a gift. Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has read my ramblings for the last few months and for your support. Thank you and have a wonderful Turkey Day!

Joy

What To Do With Turkey Day Leftovers

1)After Thanksgiving sandwich
I had this at a restaurant several years ago and I always have at least one with Turkey day leftovers. On sourdough bread layer mayo, turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I know it sounds a little weird but it tastes sooo good.

2)Have a salad bar instead of having a big bowl of salad for everyone to share so that you can use the leftover veggies for other things. I can't take credit for coming up with this one. I read it in our local paper and thought it was a great tip.

3)Pasta salad
Use your leftover veggies from appetizers (we sometimes have a tray of veggies and dip for before dinner) or the salad bar. I usually just throw whatever veggies I have in the fridge with some pasta and Zesty Kraft Italian dressing for a quick meal or side dish.

4)Share the bounty
We always send guests home with food. You can also give it away to neighbors.

5)Browse online
There are some great recipes online that call for Thanksgiving leftovers. Some examples include: Emeril's Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepard's Pie, Associated Content Online has some great ideas for leftover turkey, uses for cranberry sauce are on iVilliage, and even Martha Stewart has some great ideas for using sweet potatoes, turkey, and mashed potatoes.