December has arrived with all the pomp and circumstance of the holiday season. Find ways this month to treasure and enjoy family, despite the busyness of a sometimes-hectic month. Read books together, watch Christmas movies on television, sing Christmas songs, answer the phone like Buddy the Elf with “What’s your favorite color?,” bake all sorts of holiday goodies, share your wealth and time with someone in need, play games outside and inside, and enjoy each beautiful day.
In addition to the big celebrations of the month, incorporate some of these holidays into your festivities and have the best December ever.
National Sock Day – It’s time to clean out the sock drawer, find those mismatched ones, replenish the stock, and purchase some extra socks to share with someone in need. Work as a family to organize each person’s sock drawer. When you find a lone sock without a match or one that’s seen better days, create a puppet or two or six and put on a puppet show later.
First, add a couple of buttons near the toes with a needle and thread to be eyes. Stitch some red felt in place for a mouth, and stitch some yarn on the tiptop for hair. With other mismatched socks, let each person wear a sock on their hand and plan to dust the house together, maybe even with some Christmas music playing in the background. Once you’ve had all that fun, take a family trip to the store to buy new socks for the family.
Purchase extras and deliver to a homeless shelter, women’s shelter, or church pantry for the needy.
Santa’s List Day – Write Santa letters together and drop in the mail in plenty of time to make it to the North Pole. Once you’ve dropped those in the mail, consider visiting Santa in person, just for good measure to share a few wishes as well. And make sure to choose one evening to drive around as a family to enjoy Christmas lights in neighborhoods and front yards. End the evening with a cup of hot chocolate, too.
World Choral Day – Sing Christmas carols together at every opportunity to celebrate this holiday. And make sure to take in a holiday singing event this season, which might mean gathering some neighbors for Christmas caroling, visiting a church Christmas production, watching a Christmas special on television, or traveling to another town for a Christmas musical.
Gingerbread House Day – Last month’s fun with the family included a celebration for Gingerbread Cookie Day. Gingerbread is still the rage through the end of the December, so make plans to create a gingerbread house with your family.
And, in honor of my new picture book, “A Gingerbread House,” that just released a month ago, why not share your gingerbread house creations with me on my Facebook page? I’d love to see your masterpieces.
After you’ve decorated those aromatic houses with delectable sweets and treats, read some of these other gingerbread house books, too. Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun, How to Catch a Gingerbread Man by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton, The Gingerbread Man by Carol North, The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo by Laura Murray, The Gingerbread Man with pictures by Karen Schmidt, The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst, The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires, The Plan for the Gingerbread House by Darcy Pattison, Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett, Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett and Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett.
National Flashlight Day – Go for a night walk with your favorite people and let each person carry a flashlight. Listen for night creatures, like deer tiptoeing through the woods or owls hooting in the forest or frogs croaking in the ditch. Once you’re back home again, and snuggled in fuzzy pajamas, drink a glass of warm milk and make shadow puppets on the wall using flashlights.
Even though November is past, keep counting those blessings throughout the end of the year and celebrate family as one of your greatest blessings. Enjoy everything about December, remember the reason for the season, and wind up the year with incredibly-fun family activities and memories.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender is excited that her children’s picture book, "A Gingerbread House," released just in time for Christmas.