Here’s your opportunity to kick off the holiday season by doing something nice. Even the most time-strapped parents of toddlers can take the time to send a Christmas card to a little boy for what may be his last Christmas.

Five-year-old Noah Biorkman has been battling neuroblastoma cancer for two-and-a-half years. He was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma in February 2007. It went into remission in August of that year, but returned in September 2008 with legions on Noah’s right arm and leg. After six different clinical trials, the cancer continues to spread.

His family, including his mother Diana Harrison Biorkman, will celebrate Christmas with him early this year – what is likely to be Noah’s last one. Noah loves Christmas cards, so his mom is asking everyone to send him a card. His address is:

Noah Biorkman
1411 Fountain View Circle
South Lyon, Michigan 48178

Snopes Verified

According to Snopes.com, DJ Ed Carter WKSR in Pulaski, Tennessee, who is an acquaintance of Mrs. Biorkman, has verified the story on the air. You can also read updates on Noah at his section on CarePages. Be warned that his mother’s blog is a definite tearjerker. I’m actually sitting here with tears in my eyes, holding my one-year-old daughter, as I read.

On Thursday, Noah received 416 cards and they continue coming in. The celebration is planned for this weekend. But it’s not too late to send a card with well wishes for this beautiful and brave little boy.

Private thoughts, prayers and well wishes for a “Christmas miracle” won’t hurt either, I’m sure. While Noah sleeps a lot, the medication that keeps the pain at bay does permit him to walk and play, as well. He is filled with wonder at the well wishes he’s receiving and is making the most of his time with his family in the ways only a child can.

About Neuroplastoma

Mrs. Biorkman describes her son’s cancer on the blog: “Neuroblastoma cancer really sucks and is a beast.” Noah’s doctors continue working hard to find a cure for children who relapse, and Mrs. Biorkman hopes the clinical trial’s Noah has taken will help them in their efforts.

Neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumor beginning in the nerve tissues – often in the adrenal glands in the abdomen — of infants and toddlers. About 650 cases of neuroblastoma are detected in the U.S. each year and most are diagnosed in children under 5 years old.

As with most cancers, the prognosis for children with neuroblastoma varies depending on how early it is detected, and how quickly the cancer progresses.

Read more about Neuroblastoma at https://www.nbhope.org

Last year, on New Year’s Eve, my family resolved to never travel at Christmas again. That lasted almost a year.

OK. Maybe I should be more specific. We drove 1700 miles one-way. Halfway there, we encountered icy roads and had to cancel a hotel reservation. Annoyed, we dealt with our online reservation system (who can withdraw funds immediately but take two weeks to refund them), and found a new place. Then, on the way back, the same thing happened again. But it was New Year’s Eve and we swore off holiday travel, knowing that flying would have been just as big a problem since the airports were canceling all their flights.

It was an easy resolution to keep since the holidays roll around only once a year. We almost made it all year without breaking the vow. But then Christmas came again. We justified the break by the fact that we were traveling west instead of east, and only 500 miles one way. And instead of being pregnant, we were dragging along an almost-nine month old baby.

That was the first mistake. A couple weeks prior, I tried to “train” her to sleep in other places by using a pack & play. Well, it was a nice sentiment, but she wasn’t buying it. So, for three nights, she barely slept at all, and I’m not exaggerating. Naps were a *little* better. I intended to catch up on a little shut-eye, but with family around that I don’t see often, I really just wanted to be with people. That was, after all, the reason we broke our old resolution. (And it didn’t help my ego that my husband’s cousin has a baby that is only 6 months old who sleeps 12 hours straight through every night! I know it’s an individual thing, but it still made me jealous.)

And then on the way home, we were going to caravan home with my in-laws who live in town with us. But my husband felt compelled to do some last-minute car maintenance, so they took off an hour ahead of us. Lucky for us, since they got turned around on the highway, 150 miles out of town… It wasn’t ice this time, but a rockslide caused by melted snow from the previous week’s winter storm. And in the mountains, there aren’t alternate routes. So they came back while we scoped out the options in town. The short story is that FOUR hours into the trip, we finally were able to leave town! And we still faced another 8 hours with a baby in the car.

All that to say, I REALLY mean it this time when I resolve never to travel again at Christmas. For that matter, maybe I’ll never travel again with a baby.

If I told you that I spent half of Christmas Day, December 25, sewing and doing the laundry, would you believe me?

Yes, I did. Honest. The Christmas dinner had been eaten the night before (as German tradition goes), my husband was napping, while the kids were happily playing with their new toys. So I decided to catch up with the housework.

Of course, while working, I made phone calls to family and friends scattered around the globe – gosh, keeping track of those time zones can be tiring – to greet them a very Merry Christmas.

And in between, I reflected back to Christmases of childhood past. Of a large chaotic family. Of large feasts or simple fares depending on the finances of the season. Of fun, laughter, and Christmas carols. Of Christmas dinners on the terrace and Christmas lunches on the beach. Sorry for being so nostalgic but how I wish my kids could experience the kind of Christmas I had as a child.

When I moved to another country on another continent with another climate and culture, I then had to resign myself to a different way of celebrating Christmas, one that is quite, calm, and well – cold.

I am not complaining. I have many things to be grateful for. A happy home, a wonderful family, a warm house, a full pantry – and an afternoon walk around the lake with the whole family. My cup runs over (almost).

So how did you spend your Christmas?

There may be nothing quite as thoughtful as a handmade gift. My mom and youngest sister are sewing many Christmas gifts this year. Last year, my mom made me the cutest flannel nightshirt; it was red with little cups of steaming hot cocoa on it, and extra-roomy for my then pregnant belly.

Another year, my sister created the most amazing velvet Christmas tree skirt for us and my mom made us an adorable angel tree-topper. This year, when it was time to take out the decorations, baby got a hold of the angel and pulled off much of her curly, blonde hair and halo. Fortunately, I was able to fix her!

Most years, the boys and I make handmade ornaments for family members. With such a tight budget this year, handmade ornaments would be perfect, but things are much busier with baby in the picture and we haven’t gotten around to it. Last year, we made beaded candy cane ornaments, which are very easy to make:

bend craft wire in the shape of a cane
thread beads, alternating red and white (be sure to tie a knot at the bottom so your beads don’t slip right off)
then tie a festive ribbon around the middle.
You can add a standard wire hanger or a simple loop of wire for hanging.

We made similar wreath-shaped ornaments, using wire shaped in a circle, green beads in alternating light and dark green, and a bow.

We also made a couple of different ornaments from inexpensive Martha Stewart kits I bought from Michael’s. Her line of craft supplies and kits are great—I highly recommend them for any holiday, birthday or just for fun.

There’s still time for making simple projects such as these; people always appreciate the thoughtfulness and time spent, especially when little kids’ fingers did the work!

I’m looking forward to seeing the amazing things my mom and sis are crafting this year. I also love the handmade gifts the kids make in school.

Gifts made with love, “especially for you” are always the ones I treasure most. Do you have any handmade treasures you’ve received over the years? Are you making any gifts by hand this year?

There is nothing more painful than to be in a hospital during the holidays. And I’m sure it’s several times worse for kids, who would be missing all the fun and the festivities. And what about the parents/caregivers, who have to put up with the complaints and tantrums as well as go through the ordeal of seeing their loved ones in pain?

I remember a friend’s experience one holiday season when her young son had to undergo chemotherapy. Or the daughter of a friend of a friend who got the best Christmas present of all – a heart donor just days before Christmas. Although her family was overwhelmed with joy, they knew there was another family somewhere mourning for a lost loved one.

It is therefore heart warming to see how celebrities go out their way to cheer up little hospital patients. The New York Islanders hockey team visited their tiny fans at the Schneider Children’s Hospital last December 6. In the UK, stars of the premiere league team Stoke City brought cheer and laughter to children at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire this week.

However, we don’t have to be celebrities to spread Christmas cheer. There are many ways big and small to help out hospital patients during the holidays. When I was in college, our choir went to sing Christmas carols at the nearest hospital every weekend before Christmas. I know this California-based guy M who goes home every December to his home country, the Philippines, to distribute toys at the pediatric ward of the country’s biggest public hospital. This year, my kids and I sorted out toys and books they’ve outgrown to be donated to Starbuck’s book drive for the Zurich Children’s Hospital. I only wish we can do more.

Check out your local hospital and see what you can do to help out this Christmas! Every little thing counts!

The Winter Solstice is December 21, bringing with it a different significance to many people. An American school child may remember that it is the shortest day of the year, the first day of winter. To the ancients it was the most powerful day of the year, of great astrological significance. Pagans did (and still do) view it as a day for celebrating renewal. The early Christian church saw it as an enemy to be conquered.

To be sure, they did conquer it. In fact, the church was so successful at overtaking the pagan customs, and wrapping them in new clothes, that you may celebrate the Winter Solstice and not even know it! The following Christmas traditions are, in fact, lifted wholesale from various Winter Solstice celebrations.

Gift giving:
Although Christians give gifts to represent the gift that God gave his people (Jesus), the Romans gave winter gifts long before Christmas was started. The Roman holiday of Sigillaria was celebrated by giving children rings and seals.

Yule Logs:
Burning a yule log was seen by the Scandinavians as a way to fight off the cold and dark, as well as to bring good luck. Oak represents the waxing (or, coming) solar year, and holly represents the waning (or, closing) solar year.

Mistletoe:
The Scandinavians are also responsible for bringing us the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. In Norse mythology, the god of evil (Loki), gave the god of winter (Hoder) an arrow made from mistletoe. He used the arrow to kill the god of the summer sun (Balder). His mother was so happy that she kissed everyone who passed under the tree. Her tears of joy became the berries on the plant.

Candle Lighting:
Candles are used symbolically for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations. It is a custom started by the Romans, who lit candles to convince the sun to shine again and to ward off evil.

Bell Ringing:
Christmas celebrations often include bells—ranging from bold church bells in steeples to tiny silver bells on shoes. This idea came from Pagan celebrations, which were noisy affairs, including bells and other noisemakers intended to frighten away evil spirits.

Christmas trees and other greenery:
Germanic cultures celebrated the solstice by lighting an evergreen, the “tree of life”. The Romans decorated their homes with green plants, as did European pagans, believing their magic powers enabled them to live when other things died. Many Christians use evergreens as a symbol of eternal life.

In Europe, many pagan cultures constructed megaliths as part of Winter Solstice worship. Although Stonehenge is NOT likely a place of worship for the solstice, it is the best-known example of this type of engineering. One place in Ireland, known as Newgrange, was built for this purpose. It is so perfectly aligned that even thousands of years later, the rising winter solstice sun shines through a “key hole” and down a passageway to illuminate an engraving (the triple spiral) on an upturned stone. Nothing in contemporary religious celebrations mimics this feat. And since they could not integrate this aspect of winter celebration into their culture, the medieval church simply ignored these ruins and let them fall into obscurity.

Of course, many non-religious people continue to enjoy Winter Solstice festivities today. Do you celebrate the solstice? Whether it is instead of or in addition to a modern religious holiday—tell us how!

For preggy moms who are panicking on how they’re gonna don their supermom apron when it won’t even fit over their expanding belly, forget about it.  The Christmas party you’re hosting, the numerous presents you’ve wrapped, the baking marathons you’re planning, it’s ok to take it easy or say no them.

Remember that you’re energy may not be up to the same gear you’re used to.  You’re probably tired more often, and may even be getting less sleep if the little one’s kicking up a storm in vitro.  This is not the time to over-reach and over-stress.  How can you dial down the flurry of activities this season often brings?

• Organize a pot luck party instead of keeping up the tradition of having everything home-made by you.  Your guests will understand, and if anyone gripes about the missing favorite dish you ALWAYS cook, remember that it’s a compliment.  Smile and say “next year, maybe”.   If they really annoy you, don’t invite them next year .  You may want to stick to ONE dish courtesy of you this year.
• If you know your family won’t rise to the occasion of bringing edible food to the potluck, cater.  Call up your favorite restaurant and have them cater the dinner.  Yes, it may be more expensive, but you’ll have your feet up right before the guests arrive instead of running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.
• Ask for help.  If you do want to stick to a feast, ask your friends, grandma, mom, aunt, to help out in the kitchen.  Same goes for gift-wrapping those hundreds of presents, running errands, trimming the tree.  They would most likely be delighted to help you.
• Pace yourself with the shopping.  Or buy the presents online.  Don’t try to get all the shopping done in one day.  If you have a pretty short list and think you should get it done in one day, go on a weekday.  Whatever you do, don’t shop without drinking plenty of fluids, taking a rest once in a while, and eating right.
• Make sure you keep your sanity-maintaining routines.  Whether it’s prenatal yoga, meditating, scrapbooking, girls night out; take the time to nurture yourself.  Your needs don’t stop because it’s the holidays.
• Keep up with the nutritious meals and snacks.  It may be tempting to eat all those sweets that seems readily available in bowls dispersed at work, at your friends’ and family’s home, and the ones your baking.  But always keep in mind that you’re eating for two, and that the second person is counting on you to make good decisions regarding what they take in.

The number one rule of all this holiday season is to HAVE FUN.

Week 2’s winner was Ryan Patrick !
Runner-up: Gabriella and Giovanni
Runner-up: Mika Lynn

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until January 14 we will be accepting entries for January’s contests. January’s theme is Winter Fun!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

During the busy holiday season, I’ve found that when you need to order specific gifts for kids, like board games, video games, and sports jerseys, it’s best to save yourself the hassle of running around. Instead, place an order online. With these gifts, it’s not the thought that counts—the kids have already done the thinking.

Save your precious time for more interesting things—that is, of course if you’re a shopper, like me. I rummaged through toys at a discount store and found a couple of quality gifts for our baby and my baby nephews. Babies don’t have Christmas lists, so we get to have fun picking out things that will make them laugh, smile or squeal on Christmas morning (and, hopefully interest them for a long time afterwards).

Despite a tight budget this year, Santa is still coming to our house. We’ve decided to skip some gift exchanges between adults. I just have to give something to my sisters, though. I’m spending less on them than usual but putting a little extra thought into their gifts. I bought them soft, snuggly slipper socks, small Yankee candles in a jar and plan on buying them each a box of yummy tea, maybe a holiday flavor or something to help them relax and unwind (they’re busy moms, too). I’ll put it all in a little basket with a tag reading: “Have a warm and cozy winter!” Smaller, thoughtful gifts can have a big impact.

Also, instead of filling the kids’ stockings with a bunch of junky toys, I’m trying to fill them with useful things, for the most part, like Chapstick for my older son who’s always complaining about his chapped lips and sticky notes.

Does anyone else have any tips for smart shopping on a budget this holiday season?

We have never been in the habit of using credit cards to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. We’ve given more when we had more, and given nothing when we had nothing. As my father said to us during our last Christmas with him, “Your presence is my present.” But most of us know it’s really FUN to give our kids Christmas gifts, and it’s really hard to see just a present or two under the tree.

But the pinch is being felt all around the world this year, and even the North Pole has had to cut back. Malls and other spots where St. Nick usually pops up can’t afford the $125 an hour commanded by the gents with real beards (who knew they made so much?). The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas–an honest to goodness real union–says bookings are down about half of their usual number this year. Many Santas are commuting long distances to find work. And even when Santa does show up for portrait sessions, many consumers just can’t afford little luxuries like that this holiday season.

Like I said, in my home, we’ve had our ups and downs when it came to gifts. There was a year I gave my husband a new razor and a pair of long underwear; our son got a couple matchbox cars and a new big box of crayons. It’s going to be another one of those years. We’ll be forced to put into practice what we say we really value–time together as a family and celebrating the significance of the religious holiday. Because, in my home as in many others, Santa has been RIFfed this year.

The baby, of course, doesn’t give a hoot about presents. She’ll be delighted by all of the bright paper she can chew and the curling ribbon she’ll try to strangle herself with (see my post about her dangerous obsessions. Thankfully, we had already planned ahead buying a couple things for our son (who turns 12 TODAY), but that book and CD is all he’ll get. And I’m just about finished making homemade gifts for my extended family. It’s a challenge to find things to make that people will use and appreciate, but that’s a post for another day. We won’t be buying gifts for each other this year, nor for my husband’s office mates or for our friends and neighbors. Yet I don’t think the holiday will suffer.

Looking back, no one in my home was disappointed in “The Year of the Razor.”And this year, I don’t think my friends will be offended that they don’t “get” anything. Maybe we all need a lean year to help us remember that it isn’t about the gifts. Maybe we should put the man in red on a long-term leave of absence.

As we carry down from the attic and unpack the decorations and ornaments from Christmases past, my husband and I reflected on some holiday family traditions we had each celebrated as children and that we wish to continue with our family together. With our first baby’s arrival at the beginning of last year, she’s now old enough to start to understand what the holidays are about. And now, with a new baby just days from entering the world, we’re ready to go all out to make the season extra special.

We both had memories of baking cookies in the kitchen with our mothers and grandmothers, putting up and decorating the Christmas tree and sharing steaming mugs of spiced cider, but neither of us has any lasting keepsakes of these holidays, except for some old photographs and a few holiday cards.

Because of this, we decided to set our own holiday traditions for our children that will give them lasting keepsakes that they can hold onto and take with them. When my husband and I first began dating, we would select a tree ornament each holiday that would commemorate the past year. Sometimes it’s silly (a Christmas pickle ornament – a German tradition), sometimes it’s serious (a key to symbol the purchase of our first house), but it is always something that’s meaningful to us as a couple.

We’ve now extended this tradition to our children. Upon our daughter’s birth, we began to buy two ornaments for the tree – one to celebrate her, and one for us. On the year of her first Christmas, we purchased a cross to symbolize the blessing we had received, as well as a small silver frame in which we put our first family portrait. This year, we will have two babies at Christmastime, so we will choose three new ornaments – one for us as a family and one for each of our children. They will all hang on our Christmas tree each year, and, when our daughter and son all both all grown up and on their own, we’ll pack them up and pass them on to the two of them. That way, they will each have with them a collection of meaningful ornaments that they can hang on their own trees. We think it’s a great way to start a new tradition and to give our children something to symbolize all the love and joy that they have shared with us.

Do you have any new traditions you’ve started since becoming parents?

Week 1’s winner was Marek Barrie !
Runner-up: Ethan Cole
Runner-up: Cassidy Veralyn

The Grand Prize winner was Thomas George !

Thanks to all the babies (and their parents) who participated in this weeks round.

From now until December 14 we will be accepting entries for December’s contests. December’s theme is Christmas & Holidays!

The contest is free so enter your babies picture today! Or just vote for your favorite. (Anyone can vote)

At the end of each preliminary week one (1) winner is chosen and will be awarded a prize package. The winners of each preliminary round (3 total), as well as two (2) runner-ups from each round are automatically entered into the Final Round. The winner of the final round is awarded the Grand Prize.

Round 1: 1st through 7th
Round 2: 8th through 14th
Round 3: 15th through 21st
Final Round: 22nd through last day of the month

Click Here for more information.

My maternal grandfather was raised Jewish.  There is a funny story about how my grandfather took my grandmother out to dinner on one of their first dates and he warned her to not let his aunt know that they had eaten any foods that weren’t kosher.  When my grandmother met his aunt she proudly announced that they had eaten a delectable appetizer of shrimp – which, by the way, isn’t kosher – and my poor grandfather just hung his head and waited for his aunt to read him the riot act.

Although he doesn’t consider himself Jewish anymore as far as religion goes, my grandfather is culturally Jewish.  Both my uncles had Bar Mitzvahs and matzo ball soup is common fare at my grandparents’ house, but as far as their religion goes they are Christian.  It’s an interesting combination when the Christmas decorations come out and there’s a menorah right alongside the nativity scene.

I know the very moment that I decided that I wanted to share some of this culture with my own children.  My son was a newborn and my grandparents were visiting.  My son was cooing and gurgling like newborns do, and my grandfather leaned down and started singing a Yiddish song about a rabbi and a hat to him that I had never heard before.  My son quieted while my grandfather sang, and it was such a lovely moment that I distinctly remember tears coming to my eyes.

There is only so much I can teach my kids about the Jewish culture because I was never exposed to it too much.  We’re a Christian family so we celebrate Christmas, but I would love for my kids to know about how people in our family’s past celebrated Hanukkah.  The problem is that at my kids’ tender ages I don’t think they realize that anybody believes anything differently than what they learn in Sunday school.  Does bringing other religious beliefs into the mix at such tender ages confuse them, or broaden their horizons?

I’m not saying we’re going to convert to Judaism.  I’m saying that I want my children to have a connection to our ancestors that might otherwise be forgotten if I don’t make an effort to keep it alive.  Then again, maybe I’m just full of mishegoss to think that I can mingle the family traditions of the two faiths during the holiday season.

Any suggestions?

I truly believe that the Holidays are for kids.  I remember as a young child, we had lots of good family traditions that sends me to Nostalgia Lane every time I remember them.  From going to bed and being woken at midnight to let me know that Santa was there at the house leaving the presents!  Did I want to catch him?  Me and my brother and aunt (1.5 year older than me) would run to catch him but of course, we were always a few seconds too late.

Then there was the new outfits for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.  The New Year’s Eve outfit would have polka dots to bring lots of prosperity for the new year, and I’d always match with my aunt.

The menu rarely changed from year to year, and the same comforting faces showed up for the festivities. Christmas is a terrific time to spend time with family.

As we grew older and moved away, these traditions were sort of lost as well.  I still have a good time during the holidays, but that sense of expectation, of tradition is missing.  And it’s something I want to start with my daughter. It’s important to me because much like I had such great memories of childhood holidays, so too do I wish for my daughter to have the same.

• Buy her a new ornament for each year.
• Get a monogrammed Santa stocking hung up for her.
• Get Christmas decorations up as soon as the calendar hits the first day of December.
• Make Santa come alive for her.
• Teach her the Christmas songs I learned and loved as a child.
• Watch Christmas parades…I have never been to on! This is one I can start as a tradition with my child.
• Generally make the holidays the best time filled with warmth, comfort, and love.

Happy  Holidays!

We’ve become a military family recently. It was unexpected but after really looking at the special position being offered to my husband, who knows many different languages, we had to go for it. Daddy will be here for Christmas, but on the cusp of the New Year, he’ll be leaving for boot camp.

I am trying to focus on the quality time we are blessed to have before he leaves. I plan to take lots of videos of him and our little girl playing together so I can play them over and over for our daughter while he’s gone. She just loves watching videos of herself. I’m sort of glad she’s still too little for his absence to affect her much, but I know somehow it still will, as he is a very hands-on dad.

I’m not looking forward to it, but I’m lucky to have him for Christmas this year. I’m not so sure that’ll happen next year, as he may be in Iraq. How do other families do it? Military or non-military, when the other parent is away for such an important time of the year, there is surely something lacking. Even now, despite my best attempt to get into the Christmas spirit, I am still “off”.

All I know is that I’ve got to keep a chin up and a cheerful attitude, so that my daughter can feel how special this time is. I must impart to her that even when Dad’s away, he’s with us in spirit.

Enjoy the holidays everybody, and cherish your loved ones. Not everyone spends their Christmas with friends and family. And some of them spend it in enemy territory.

Most American children know the Christmas story, or at least the legends surrounding the celebration-i.e., Jesus and/or Santa Claus and his reindeer. But while you go about your Christmas preparations, you may want to also inform your kids about other holidays celebrated this season-or at least be prepared to answer their questions. For me, I had to take a crash course when my then-five year old son and I were in the post office one holiday season. He saw some Kwanzaa stamps and wanted to know what that was. I didn’t really know, so I had to look it up. And while I was at it, I also decided to learn about Hanukkah.

If you are a non-religious family, studying the cultural and religious practices of others is still a great way to learn about the world around you. For Christians, it can serve as a platform from which to reinforce your own faith, values, symbols and celebrations.

Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday celebrated by some African Americans from December 26 to January 1, was initiated in 1966 and may be observed in addition to faith-based holidays.

The name ‘Kwanzaa’ comes from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits”. Based on African harvest celebrations, the holiday serves to introduce and reinforce seven principles of African culture. In English, they are:

• Unity
• Self-determination
• Collective work and responsibility
• Cooperative economics
• Purpose
• Creativity
• Faith

Each day of the week long festival includes a family gathering, a re-dedication to one of the seven principles, and the lighting of one more of seven candles. Celebrants enjoy a feast on December 31 and a Day of Meditation on January 1, intended as a time to recommit to all the values that Kwanzaa celebrates.
All of the objects and decorations used in Kwanzaa festivities are highly symbolic, especially the colors: black (representing the people), red (representing the blood of their struggle) and green (representing the hope of the future). Gifts given to children are often handmade, and are supposed to be books or cultural symbols, an intentional rejection of other commercialized holidays.

Chanukah, or Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day holiday observed by Jewish people, beginning on the 25th of Kislev (December 21st-29th, 2008). Some Messianic Jews also celebrate the birth of Jesus, but rarely does a religious Jewish family recognize Christmas.

Hanukkah, meaning “dedication”, commemorates a successful coup in 165 BC against Antiochus Epiphanes, who had defiled the Temple and prohibited the Jews from observing their religion. A small band of rebels finally recaptured Jerusalem, and the Temple was rededicated-on the 25th day of Kislev.

Upon reentering the temple, they found only enough purified oil to burn the eternal light for one day (ritual purification of the oil takes seven days), but “a great miracle happened there”-the oil burned for eight days, thus, the traditional explanation of the eight days of Hanukkah.

Jewish families give gifts and money, pray blessings, eat foods fried in oil, play the dreidel game, and light one more candle on the menorah, a candelabra with 9 candles (eight to remember the miracle, and the ninth—the servant candle-to light the others).

When you tell your children about Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, it’s also a good time to make sure your children know why your family celebrates the way it does. Maybe you can tell them this year about the real St. Nicholas, or where the twelve days of Christmas came from. Why do we have Christmas trees? What’s the reason we give gifts? Why do some people celebrate Christmas on January 7? It’s easy to skip over the symbols and traditions of Christmas, and unfortunately, our children often learn more details about customs foreign to them.

Above all, don’t forget to enjoy the holiday however you like best. It should not be a burden, but a delight. And a terrific way to spend time with family and loved ones.

Last Thanksgiving wasn’t this complicated. This year, there’s me, my son, my boyfriend, his three kids, his ex-wife, her boyfriend, his ex and his kids, boyfriend’s dad, his girlfriend, boyfriend’s mom, her boyfriend, then there’s my ex-husband. (That sentence simplified: many divorced couples, new relationships, many kids from broken homes, not everyone is on civil terms yet) Can you imagine this is going to be awkward? Although I miss my family, I’m kinda glad they live on another continent right now! Currently, there is no plan as to which kids are going to be at who’s house, with which one of their parents, and who is going to be cooking?

While it’s always bad when families break up, some of the worse times can be during the holiday season. It hurts to remember past, happy Thanksgivings that will never happen again. Or it reminds everyone of dreadful holidays filled with fighting. The holiday season is presented to us as filled with magic and wonder, and cute children’s movies with loving parents and happy homes, and children are asked what they want, what they wish for, and as well as a Nintendo Wii and skinny jeans they really wish their mom and dad could both be with them.

When I was a kid, I remember being shuttled between two or three different houses on Christmas day (and most other holidays) so all the relations, grannies, aunties etc.. could be visited because everyone insisted they had to see people on Christmas Day (or else.)

My son is just a toddler so I’m glad he’s too young to have memories of horrendous Thanksgiving days. This is my first Thanksgiving as a single mom and I know that this year is going to be difficult, and probably for a few more years to come.

I found this page of tips for single moms at Thanksgiving, and most of the advice can apply equally to dads too. It reminded me that although it’s going to be hard over the holidays, the reason for this holiday is giving thanks. And I’m so, so thankful that I have people that I love and care about, we can afford to make dinner, we have a cute, warm little apartment, and most importantly, that I have a wonderful healthy son who I love more than anything. I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for him.

We’ll get through Thanksgiving day. At least it will be interesting, and maybe there will even be some fun moments.

Wishing everyone a happy, safe, and fun Thanksgiving!

Do you remember shopping at Sears when you were a kid? I am dating myself now, but I remember shopping for clothes at Sears when I was a child. My mother would put our clothes on ?layaway? until she could pay off the total amount of the bill.

Layaway, for those of you who?ve never heard of it, is somewhat like a reverse credit card. When you buy items on credit, you immediately get the item, but then you must pay back the balance and a hefty fee (interest) for the privilege. Unlike credit purchases, with a layaway account, the store keeps the merchandise until you?ve paid off your account in full. The fees to open an account are minimal, either 15% of the purchase price, or around $5-$15, depending upon the laws in your state.

Several years ago, Walmart stopped layaway accounts, and it was a sad day for many frugal shoppers. I figured that the concept had died for good, kind of like rotary telephones.

While talking with a sales associate at Sears last week, I found out that on November 17, 2008, Sears and Kmart will again have layaway accounts! I was thrilled because our local store had a great sale on winter coats which began on Friday. In addition, I?d found online coupons which I could use at the store to further discount the price of the coats. Even though I didn?t have the money outright to take advantage of the sale, I could use the layaway option and get the sale price. The online coupons I?d found would more than cover the layaway fees too!

This year, many families are dealing with strained budgets, lost jobs, and limited credit. As the holiday season is fast approaching, those budgets could get even more strained. You?ll have to ?do the math? for your particular situation, but a layaway account could help you to manage your holiday expenses.

Have you ever had a layaway account? Will you be using layaway this holiday season when purchasing toys for your family?

During the holidays, it’s normal to feel some amount of nausea. It can stem from anxiety, stress, or actually eating some fruitcake. However, with children in the house, there’s always another possible cause.

A virus!

That’s been the experience this year in the Hughes household. The first one to come down with a particularly nasty five-day strain was our youngest, seven-year-old Drake. It hit him three days before Christmas.

Do the math. Yes, it was a bit of a “wet blanket” Christmas morning this year, and as a parent, there is absolutely nothing that will shatter your heart into a million pieces than looking down at your child curled in the fetal position in his bed on Christmas morning, after he’s seen what Santa brought him, and hearing him say “Dad, it sucks to be sick on Christmas.”

Everyone in the family has now had this over the last two weeks, with my wife being the final victim over the last two days. This has led to every single one of our family holiday plans falling apart, from Christmas to New Year’s.

Just remember…there are some things that, as a parent, you simply cannot plan for, nor can you make them better. Also remember that what your family does together is important, but if all you share is activities, then the bad times will be even worse. You have to be a family, not just a group of people that hang out together.

Drake told me today “Y’know Dad…it’s been a great Christmas!”…we must be doing something right. And that makes me feel better than any family dinner we could have attended.

Because you start seeing children who used to love Fisher Price go crazy over iPod accessories. I remember when my nephew Richard would argue with me over whether it was “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Christmas.” It wasn’t really an argument because he was only three, but in his mind, everything else was “Happy:” “Happy Easter,” “Happy Birthday,” and “Happy New Year.”

Now I see the same kid and he’s excited over his Ohio State gear and watching his mom-taped wrestling matches. His sister is tapping into her inner Cheetah Girl and is so over Dora the Explorer. My youngest nephew is playing reading games with my daughter. The time really flies. What really freaks me out is when you see those relatives you only see at Christmas. Newborns are now walking. Toddlers are talking to you about school. And *gasp* there are teens and tweens chillin’ where there use to be kids running through the house like maniacs.

And I’m not old.

So what does it mean to the Moms, Dads and Granparents when the children are grown, the grandkids are grown and the great-grand children are moving toward starting families of their own. I guess it means you’ve lived a good life.

Any age epiphanies today?