Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

"Mommeee...Grammy's talking weird again! She's callin me 'ye thankful'!"

The Kinder Arts newsletter just arrived and I was immediately drawn to the number of projects designed to help our family count its blessings.

Susan Futch has directions for Blessing Boxes made from milk cartons to show what you are thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. (I don't see why any small box wouldn't work just as well)

Karen Rowley shares a fun and educational Thankful Turkey.

Amanda Formaro walks us through the steps of making a Handprint Thanksgiving Tree.

And, if you're feeling really thankful - and ambitious! there are two Thanksgiving Quilts to choose from -
one from Yamilka J. Sena
and another designed by Mindy Shupak.

So Come, Ye thankfuls -
Let's get busy!

Thanksgiving With Daddy And Lisa

Statistics are saying that more than 40% of our children have experienced the divorce of their parents.
A statement. A statistic. But not the end of the family story. Life goes on just the same - except it's not the same. Everything is different. Different than everyone planned. Different than everyone hoped. Different than everyone expected.
Adjustments, compromises and accommodations must be made for those differences.
Must be made because regardless of what else may have changed, our common goal remains the health and happiness of our children.

The holidays are a time that require many compromises and adjustments. Every family has their own way of making the holidays special for their children. Today we celebrated our way.
Maya helped me prepare an early Thanksgiving dinner to share with her father and their friend Lisa. I hope that this day will provide a happy memory for a precious little girl.

My Grandmother's Name Is Karen

Names are an interesting topic for children - both their own names and the idea that the adults they know by titles - Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, Grandpa, even Great Grampy!- all have their own names.
Try using these questions as a conversation starter at your Holiday meal:

What does my name mean?

What is the story of how my name was chosen?

Does anyone else in our whole family (from the past or present) have my name?

What other interesting names are there in our family?

Ask the children what they might name their own children someday. Why do they think that might be a good name?

Does anyone in the family wish that they had a different name? What is it? Why is it a better name?

It's fun to learn the meaning of everyone's first name.
Here's a link to a database of over 30,000 names. Just enter your name in the search box to find out what it means!

Older children will want to take the idea a bit further (we hope. Or they're rolling their eyes in boredom by now and wishing they could be excused from the table to do anything else other than this...)

Older children will also be interested in the meaning and possible origin of their last name.

About.com maintains a Last Name Meanings and Origins Glossary for your last name. The glossary includes last name meanings and origins, plus research links, common last name spelling variations, and surname search tips for last names of English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Jewish origin, including the 100 most popular U.S. surnames.

Can't find your last name in the Last Name Meanings Glossary? Submit your surname to Ask a Genealogist and the editor will try to research its meaning and add it to the Last Name Meanings Glossary. Last name site submissions are also welcome for sites primarily devoted to one of the included surnames.

And finally, dress up your Thanksgiving table. Print, clip, fold and add a name to these Thanksgiving placecards from Kid's Turn Central.

Free November Calendar And Famous November Birthdays To Celebrate With Your Children!

Your Free November Calendar is available at Miss Mary's wonderful site -
Miss Mary.com. Click Here to download your calendar and for the opportunity to sign up for Miss Mary's free newsletter - Miss Mary's Gazette.

Here's a list of famous folks born in the month of November. Why not have a bit of educational (shhh...) fun with your children researching and celebrating the people and their birthdays?

November 1, 1871 - Stephen Crane
11/2/1755 Marie Antoinette
11/3/33 Michael Dukakis
11/4/16 Walter Cronkite
11/5/11 Roy Rogers
11/6/1854 John Philip Sousa
11/7/1867 Madame Curie
11/8/00 Margaret Mitchell
11/9/34 Carl Sagan
11/10/1483 Martin Luther
11/12/1840 Auguste Rodin
11/13/1850 Robert Louis Stevenson
11/14/1765 Robert Fulton
11/15/1887 Georgia O'Keefe
11/16/52 Shigeru Miyamoto
11/17/44 Tom Seaver
11/18/23 Alan Shepard, Jr.
11/19/1831 James Garfield
11/20/08 Alistair Cooke
11/21/66 Troy Aikman
11/22/1744 Abigail Adams
11/23/1888 Harpo Marx
11/24/1853 Bat Masterson
11/25/81 Barbara and Jenna Bush
11/26/22 Charles Schulz
11/27/17/Buffalo Bob Smith
11/28/43 Randy Newman
11/29/1898 C.S. Lewis
11/30/1835 Mark Twain

Happy Birthday!!!