Holidays are for families

Thanksgiving is not a solo experience. Everyone should be involved in the wonderful task of creating a table where you gather to celebrate family. From the smallest hands to the most wrinkled smile, there is a task for all.
Dining in style

When my children were small we didn’t have a dining room. Wanting the holiday to feel different and special, my husband suggested that we move dinner into the living room. Our living room was not exceptionally large. When we moved the table there was not much ‘wiggle’ room. The table sat squarely, looking a bit crunched, couches on either side seeming to push the chairs snugly under the table. We looked at the tight space, smiled and agreed. “This is pretty special.” After that first holiday, the kids looked at their dad excitedly every time a holiday rolled around. They knew it was time to move the table.

Setting the atmosphere
I love the essence and the magical flavor of Thanksgiving. Light a candle that smells of cinnamon or pumpkin. No candles? Slice apples in a pan with a bit of cinnamon. Cover with water and simmer. The aroma will offer warmth and will serve to relax.

Table ‘cloth’
Set a table that screams ‘we are special.’ You may have a beautiful table cloth. Save the cloth for later. Just for fun, purchase a giant inexpensive plain paper tablecloth from a card shop. Send kids outside searching for the most beautiful leaves. Show your children how to cover the leaves with a sheet of paper. Ask them to press crayons over the top and then trace the leaves. Cut out the new beautiful leaves and tape or glue them to the paper table ‘cloth.’ Kids will have fun creating rainbow colored leaves for their Thanksgiving table.

Centerpiece
A thanksgiving idea: place individual framed photos of everyone in your family in the center of the table. (You can purchase inexpensive frames at Dollar stores. When your kids ask why the pictures are there, just smile. After sitting down to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, direct your family to the photos. Remind them that these pictures are the people you are most grateful for on this holiday and every day. Your family will love it.

Name cards
It is always fun to make place cards. Children may stylize each card. Ask them to find a picture or to draw a picture that describes why they are grateful for each person. Place the picture on the corresponding place card.

Napkin rings
The rings we cut out of construction paper and glued together to make long strings for a Christmas tree will also work as a napkin ring. Use different colors. Add colored yarn to make each ring unique.

Setting the table
Use the holiday to show your children how to set the table for a formal family dinner. Fork on one side and knife and spoon on the other. Place a beautiful glass (they don’t have to match, eclectic is always in fashion).

Another wonderful Holiday
The room smells of wonderful Thanksgiving spice. Autumn leaves decorate a table that is magnificently set for the most wonderful people in the world, your family!
Enjoy!

I knew I was loved

My name is Mary Helen Black. For the past 16 years I have published kids newspaper, a monthly publication that is distributed to 30,000 families through the elementary schools in Spokane, Washington. Kids newspaper gives a shout out to all that is excellent in the schools, our community and the lives of the families who live here. I am honored to report that in our fine city by the river, there are many people who care about the most important members of our community, our children.

This is to the end of that which I will write about. It is also the beginning of the words that you will see. My job is valuable. I hold the title of publisher dear. The most important role that I will play on this planet of ours is that of mother. Children are our hope, they are our future. As parents, we hold the power of the universe in our hands. Our children, because of our guidance, may walk the planet touching others with compassion and kindness. It is in our tender care that children learn to love and how to give love in return.

I am blessed to count the four most wonderful people I have ever met my own dear children. My kids are older now. The times of diaper changing, late night feedings and the daily fight for my own survival have become part of my family’s history.

My son is a proud Idaho Vandal. He played football for the team. A proud mother of this vandal, he would often remind me that football wasn’t everything. He had talents other than those I saw played out on the field. As I sit today, I am reminded that during those games, those exciting times as his biggest fan, football seemed to be everything.

While driving to the University of Idaho I was given a treasure of time to talk with this son of many talents. I talked with him of our lives, and how amazed I was to have four incredible children. I asked him why he thought that my four children were so good, so kind, and so compassionate! They have courage to take huge steps in life. They are equipped to match failure with even greater success.

The words he said to me are words that I hold dear. With a warm smile he said that every day he was hugged by his father and by me. Every day he was told that he was loved more than anything and anyone in the world. Every day he faced the world knowing that the two most important people in his life loved him without reserve and without condition.
And so today, hug your child. Tell your child he is loved more than anything or anyone in the world. Hold him tight and tell him you are blessed to be his parent. Send him out to the world knowing the most important thing in the world, he is loved!

It does not matter that you are the best parent every day.

It matters that you tell your child of your love … every day!