What do you do with all of the delightful Christmas cards friends and family send you? This year we got some beautiful cards, including many photo cards, and it would be a shame to throw them away or put them in a box in the basement without doing something special.
When my friend Kristin shared this idea with my Moms in Prayer group, it was simply too good not to pass along to my Noteworthy Mommy readers! Kristen and her family put all of their cards in a basket. Each day they pull a card from the basket and then, as a family, they pray for the people who sent them the card. I simply love this idea! It’s a great way to enjoy your cards one last time before tossing them or packing them away and it allows you to connect with family and friends through prayer. Since most of our cards were photo cards, my mini me will see a picture of the people we are praying for. And what a lovely way to incorporate prayer and praying for others into the home. This will be the start of another fabulous Christmas tradition. Thank you Kristin for this brilliant idea! If you have additional ideas of things to do with Christmas cards, please post a comment and share.
Last week was my mini me’s first day of first grade! As an educator I would declare first grade as the most important year for the young child. For it’s in first grade where children develop reading and writing skills. These skills are necessary for future academic success. Children come to first grade with an introduction to academics but it’s in first grade where these foundational skills are developed and refined and put into practice. First grade is where students either fall in love with learning or if they are struggling and don’t receive proper support, may begin to dislike school. Since first grade is so important it is imperative that dedicated teachers who understand the reading process and the development of the young child be assigned to teach it! It is a difficult grade to teach because at the beginning of the year some instruction looks like kindergarten but quickly shifts into more rigor and by the end of the year, looks like second grade! I often say a good first grade teacher could successfully teach all of the grades!
My daughter and her teacher, Mrs. Bernhardt.
A Dedicated Teacher– My daughter’s first grade teacher, Mrs. Bernhardt, really took the time to get to know her students before school began. She did a personal Zoom with each child, sent out welcoming post cards, wrote an introduction on her blog, had parents fill out a survey and scheduled a one on one classroom visit for each family. She picked up on the fact that my daughter loves animals and unicorns and used that knowledge to build a relationship with her before school even started. But what impressed me the most, was her open invitation to chat over the phone and discuss questions and concerns. She called me one afternoon and we chatted for 45 minutes (yes, you read that right… 45 minutes!) We talked about my daughter’s needs and she took my concerns seriously; offering suggestions and brainstorming things she can do to support my daughter this year. I know we are going to have a fantastic school year because my daughter has a teacher who genuinely cares for her well being. My daughter has a teacher who will share and model the love of Jesus with her students, build a partnership with parents and go over and beyond to ensure that the students entrusted in her care have success not only in school but in life!
Busy Bees– Mrs. Bernhardt calls her students her busy bees and during open house she had them buzz around the room and collect the following items: a sweet treat, zoo stickers and a family devotional. What a wonderful way to get the children quickly acquainted with the classroom!
Sweet Dreams Poem– At open house Mrs. Bernhardt gave each student a copy of Sweet Dreams and instructed them to open it on the night before the first day of school. Inside was an original poem to help ease any anxieties they had about first grade. A bag of confetti was included and my daughter enjoyed putting the special confetti under her pillow at bedtime so she would have sweet dreams and be well rested for the big day! A few nights later I fell asleep while reading to my daughter in bed and my daughter said, “Momma, you must have some of the sweet dream confetti under your pillow!” Mrs. Bernhardt also shared a recording of herself reading the book, The Night Before First Grade. Click here to watch the video. I
The Kissing Hand- Before my daughter went off to school as a three year old preschooler, we read the Kissing Hand and my parents helped us make homemade kissing hand cookies that we shared with her teacher. Click Here to read all about it. We continued the tradition when she entered her second year of preschool and when she went off to kindergarten last year. This year my friend, who my daughter affectionately calls, Auntie Jaime, helped us bake and decorate kissing hand cookies. We added some crosses and hearts to remind our favorite teachers that Jesus loves them and that He is with them every minute of everyday!
It’s All About Reading– Some children will learn how to read no matter how we teach them. But the majority of children need to be taught the code to reading which includes some important parts (phonemic awareness, phonics with decoding strategies, word building, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension). As a reading consultant my biggest fear is that my daughter will not develop adequate reading strategies. So when my daughter’s teacher projected the image of Scarbough’s Reading Rope during parent orientation, I was ready to jump out of my chair in celebration! Now she was speaking my language and any worries I had about my daughter receiving solid reading instruction were put to rest. (I told my husband I would be happy to give him a PowerPoint presentation on then since or reading when we got home) And when Mrs. Bernhardt announced that reading with your child would be the only homework this year, it was clear that she is a teacher, who like me, understands the importance of reading. In fact, she said although they will do science and math, she could easily teach reading all day long!
A Back to School MessageFrom the Noteworthy Mommy- May you and your family have a blessed 2021-2022 school year! Whether your child is going off to preschool, beginning middle school, high school or college, I pray they have a terrific year! For the families who home school, may your school year be filled with learning and fun. And for the children who are returning to face to face school after a year or more of virtual or hybrid learning, I’m sending you prayers for a safe and successful school year!
Last week was my daughter’s last day of kindergarten at Zion Lutheran School. Although large for a Lutheran School, our school ELP-8th grade, is small compared to our neighborhood schools. She’s just beginning her early years at Zion, simply moving to a different wing for first grade and it will be eight short years until I write about her 8th grade graduation. So why am I having such difficulty writing this post?
I think the reason I’m struggling with the goodbyes has to do with my love of kindergarten. Kindergarten has always been my favorite age and stage. Kindergarten is unique, unlike any other grade. Filled with the imagination and playfulness of a young child, combined with the foundation of academic skills, it is a true unicorn and encompasses everything I love!
My mother began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher and I have delightful memories of her substituting in my kindergarten classroom when I was five years old. My dad would have made a wonderful kindergarten teacher! When they cut the fine arts program in his school district he eagerly applied to be a kindergarten teacher. He was quickly denied, as a male kindergarten teacher in the late 1960’s was seen as taboo. I guess you could say kindergarten is in my DNA!
So it probably comes as no surprise that teaching kindergarten was my dream job. That prayer was answered in my early twenties when I was blessed to teach kindergarten for six years. After that I spent a few years helping college students realize their dreams of becoming kindergarten teachers and when I became an educational consultant I was known as the kindergarten expert, enthusiastically volunteering to train kindergarten teachers over any other grade level! That brings me to the present…the 2020-2021 school year, where I was privileged to be a parent to a kindergartener. If you know my journey to motherhood, this is something I do not take for granted! Little did I know God had another gift for me. When COVID took away my opportunity to do educational consulting assignments, I was asked to be an early childhood substitute at my daughter’s school. I never dreamed of being back in the classroom, and certainly not as a substitute teacher, but sometimes God has unexpected plans for us. This school year I found myself back in the trenches during a very challenging time in our nation’s schools. I worked alongside incredible educators, coming home exhausted, emerged in paint and sticky hugs and earning a wage that paid less than the minimum. But what I gained was far more than money could buy! As I worked in the early childhood wing I was taken back to my roots, back to where my passion for kindergarten began and I fell in love once again. And during a school year where COVID prevented parents from entering the school building, I was blessed to walk among my daughter’s kindergarten class and see her engaged in activity and learning. And as a bonus, I received an intimate view of my mini me’s kindergarten experience when I spent an entire day along side her talented teacher, substituting in my daughter’s classroom as her kindergarten assistant!
Mrs. Reed…the Quintessential Kindergarten Teacher- I’ve always said that kindergarten teachers were special people and Mrs. Reed, my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, certainly falls into that category! Mrs. Reed is kind, patient, full of imagination and full of energy (one of the most important qualifications to being an effective kindergarten teacher). She is smart, creative, passionate and easily adaptable. COVID created great challenges but that didn’t stop Mrs. Reed and her assistants (Mrs. Collins, Mrs. McBroom and Mrs. Horn) from giving my daughter and her classmates a solid face to face kindergarten experience. In fact, there isn’t a thing on the “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” poster left out and I find that more than amazing considering the challenges this year brought.
The many books and kindergarten memories Mrs. Reed put together for each student. The big binder contains art work, writing samples, personal photographs and a personalized note. It put the memory books I made for my students to shame!
Mrs. Reed makes learning fun and captivating. On any given day you will find her dressed up as a baseball player, a doctor, a farmer or as her alter ego, Miss Julia (complete with a French accent, crazy wig and apron)! To this day my daughter and her classmates are unsure if Miss Julia is a real person or Mrs. Reed dressed in a costume! That’s why I love this age…one day they amaze us with reading new words, making connections and writing their thoughts on paper, all the while holding on to the magic of childhood and pure imagination! Mrs. Reed encouraged both in my daughter. She also shared the love of Jesus not only by modeling His love through her actions but by teaching her students weekly memory verses through song. What a gift! My daughter has all of the verses memorized and can easily turn to the word of God in time of comfort and need. She brought home a hard bound published book of every verse with classroom illustrations along with a personal memory book of each verse. And my daughter learned how to share God’s love with others through the kindness project and by creating God is Love flyers that she diligently distributed to every household in our neighborhood. I wish I could take credit for her actions but this amazing event has Mrs. Reed stamped all over it!
From pop corn words to phonemic awareness to literacy stations. From caterpillar to butterfly, pumpkins, leaves and flowers. From Zero the Hero, The Snowman, favorite authors (Eric Carle, Jane Brett and Louis Ehlert) building, creating, questioning, and singing to themed centers, dress up days, Bible stories and everything in between; my daughter had an amazing experience! Mrs. Reed, thank you for a wonderful year. You are the quinentisessional kindergarten teacher and are more than I could have ever prayed for in a teacher for my daughter and for her Noteworthy Mommy!
Now my daughter has experienced the last day of her magical kindergarten year and she is moving on to a new stage in her educational career. I know she is ready because we have seen her grow exponentially! So bring on the rigor of first grade and all the challenges, friendships, and experiences awaiting! While the Noteworthy Mommy may stay in kindergarten forever, I rejoice that my mini me has taken off her training wheels and is prepared to roll into first grade!
Thank you Mrs. Reed for a successful kindergarten year even with masks and COVID!
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! How vastly different this Easter was compared to last year! Although we had to make reservations at church, participated in Easter worship on Saturday night, wore masks, and were unable to gather with my in-laws, it was a glorious celebration! Through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior we find hope.
I know my Easter message is a bit late, Easter Sunday has come and gone after all, but don’t forget, it is still Easter. Easter begins with the resurrection of our Lord and extends through Pentecost, so that gives me 50 days to send my readers Easter blessings! Below is a fun Easter activity that kids of all ages will enjoy. Easter Sunday has passed but we continue to celebrate our risen Savior!
Alleluia Shakers– My church has a special tradition of Alleluia Shakers during the Easter season. A basket of Alleluia Shakers for the young members of our congregation are usually found at the entrance to the sanctuary and the children enjoy shaking them every time they hear or sing the word Alleluia. COVID has prevented us from having the basket of shakers at church so my daughter made her own. We decorated a plastic egg and filled it with rice to make our shakers. CLICK HERE to learn how to make a shaker of your own. We are taking them to church throughout the Easter season and proudly shake them in celebration of the good news that Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! We made extras to share with our home bound friends as part of our Live Generously ministry.
As we begin to see the other side of the pandemic, may you safely gather again with family and friends, rejoice in the fact that favorite activities are being reintroduced into your life and never forget the lessons the past year has taught. Some things may stay forever changed but one thing will never change… Jesus loves you!
The Kindness Project– My daughter’s kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Reed, started a weekly kindness project last month. She gives her students a kindness challenge to accomplish every weekend. Some challenges are easy like, “say something kind to your parents” or “call someone and say hi.” Others require a bit more effort like “thank a pastor,” thank the school administrators,” “do something kind for a friend” or “send a card to someone.” All of the challenges are age appropriate tasks to develop a servant heart in the lives of young students. So imagine my surprise when one of the challenges made me reach outside of my comfort zone and transformed my heart forever.
The challenge seemed simple enough, “do something kind for a neighbor.” I thought we could pick our neighbors down the street who have a daughter Lillian’s age or do something nice for the Rogers family, two houses down. They go to our church. But when I asked my daughter which neighbor she wanted to pick she enthusiastically chose our next door neighbors who own Pikachu and Benji, two dogs she absolutely adores! The dogs owners are friendly but we don’t know them very well. They don’t speak much English so our communication with them has never gone beyond a neighborly wave and a nod. Why did my daughter have to pick them? Will our next door neighbors understand why we are giving them homemade cookies and a drawing created with crayons? (what my daughter decided she wanted to give our neighbors) Why couldn’t my daughter pick someone familiar?
Then I thought… What would Jesus do? Would He play it safe or reach out to the unknown? Although this kindness task would force me to step out of my safe haven, I knew I had to assist my daughter and complete the kindness challenge with our next door neighbors. When we rang the doorbell and they didn’t answer, we left the goodies on their door mat. A few days later we saw them in the yard and they waved an enthusiastic thank you and I could tell they were greatly touched by the huge smile on their faces! My heart was overjoyed!
A few weeks later our doorbell rang and our neighbors’ son was at the door with a very special surprise! He was home from college and had a special delivery for my mini me… a stuffed dog that looked like Benji (their dog) and a handwritten heartfelt note that he had written for his parents. It was touching to learn that a small act of kindness meant so very much to them!
All of this happened because of the kindness project initiated by my daughter’s kindergarten teacher and my daughter’s huge heart. As a mother I am hyper focused on all of the things I want to teach my daughter that I never stopped to realize all of the wonderful things I’m learning from being her mother! And what a blessing it is to send our daughter to a Lutheran School where she is growing academically but more importantly learning about Jesus and how to serve others. An authentic friendship has developed between our families and I am thankful my daughter helped me reach out to someone new. I learned that when you show kindness and love to others, language is no longer a barrier!
If you had asked me in March if I would give up playing with my musical groups, terminate travel, give up my educational consulting job, go without live musical theater, stop singing in the choir, limit my visit with friends and spend Christmas without my parents, in return to spend more time with my family of three at home, I doubt my answer would have been an enthusiastic YES! Although 2020 was filled with its fair share of challenges, struggle and loss, as I look back on the year, it was also filled with many blessings. And spending more time with my family of three is at the top of the list! When all the distractions of my usually busy lifestyle were taken away, it left time for me to focus on a few things… the two people who matter more to me than anything else in the world, my loving husband and our little girl. Don’t get me wrong, there were days and still are (a new year doesn’t make the struggles go away) that I long for nothing more than a night away by myself but in 2020 my eyes were opened to prioritizing my life and putting my family and my faith ahead of everything else.
I almost feel ashamed that it took a pandemic for me to figure out the obvious but I’m grateful that I finally understand what is important. I have tremendous respect for Dan Presgrave, a brilliant conductor, teacher and the founder of the Saint Louis Wind Symphony, which I am a member. He was headed down a very dark path, constantly searching for something to give him a “fix” and then he found Jesus and his life was transformed. He became a pastoral counselor, writes a weekly Christian blog at http://meetpastordan.com/blog/ and created a Christian counseling program for veterans. When he resigned as principal director of the Saint Louis Wind Symphony, I was shocked. How could such a talented man, who devoted his entire life to music completely walk away from such a passion? Now I get it. Now I understand. Although Dan still appreciates music, through Christ he has completely prioritized his life and now he has peace and happiness that was only found when he put Jesus first.
My mother-in-law recently asked me what thing I missed the most in 2020? I think she was surprised when I shared that I didn’t miss anything. That wouldn’t have been my answer in March when we were in full shut down or even the months that followed. But once I began to concentrate on the gifts God has given me instead of what was taken away, I found an inner peace that has brought tremendous joy even during this difficult year.
My daughter’s amazing kindergarten teacher has her students write in a thankful journal every week. The entry for the weekend after Christmas asked the children why they are thankful for Christmas? My daughter looked at me and said, “That’s easy. There’s only one answer…Jesus!” Tears of joy filled my eyes because my young daughter understands what is important. I pray that she continues to put Jesus first.
Without my faith, my church, my talented pastors, my family and most importantly, Jesus, I would have never survived 2020. I don’t know what waits ahead in 2021 but I know that Jesus will get me through. He will continue to walk beside me through the joyous times, the hard days, the unthinkable and all of the days in between.
I close this New Year message with hope for you and your family. Patrick Swierczek, a childhood friend, posted this on social media and the words accurately depict my wish for you in 2021.
Christmas is almost here and for two generations this sweet book has helped my family of three get ready. Originally published in 1970, The Sweet Smells of Christmas, by Patricia Scarry, was one of my favorite childhood secular Christmas books. I discovered a few years ago that my husband had a copy of the book as a child and enjoyed it just as much as I had. When my daughter was a toddler my mother-in-law bought her a copy so she could have one of her own and it quickly became one of her favorite Christmas books.
I got lost in the pages with Little Bear and his parents and scratched the fragrance labels so many times that bare paper was revealed. My favorite smells were the hot chocolate and the orange. My daughter’s favorite smell is the candy cane and like me she fell in love with the scratch and sniff pages.
Like Little Bear, my childhood Christmases were magical. As an adult they still are! You easily could have replaced me with Little Bear as my house smelled of cookies lovingly baked by my mother and grandmother and I accompanied my dad each year as we carefully selected and cut down a fresh pine tree. Our tree, along with our entire home, was decked from top to bottom with Christmas cheer! There were years that carolers visited our home and filled our hearts with their angelic voices. And like Little Bear, Santa Claus always brought me more than a little girl could possibly wish for!
Now as parents, my husband and I get the joy of seeing and smelling Christmas with our mini me. There were Christmases where we yearned for a little one to hold so dear so even though we are spending a Christmas in quarantine, away from the rest of our family, we know we have been blessed! It will be different from past Christmases and we will dearly miss being with grandparents but we rejoice knowing that everyone will be healthy and safe. Like the bear family in the book our family of three will have a Christmas filled with love. And the best part will be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, the greatest gift any of us could ever imagine!
This past Sunday marked the beginning of Advent, the liturgical season where Christians prepare and anticipate the coming of Christ by celebrating His birth on Christmas and looking forward to the day we will see Him again. This year Advent is going to look a bit different and I’m going to dearly miss some favorite church traditions like Advent By Candlelight, Family Advent Night and Advent services led by school children. As the pandemic continues, our traditions are forced to be altered and a little bit of sadness creeps into a season usually filled with cheer.
Instead of concentrating on what is missing this year, I am focusing on the gifts God has given me. More quality time with my family of three has allowed us to try new activities and as a result, the beginning of new traditions. Without the parties and added distractions, I am taking more time to study God’s word, beginning each day with an Advent devotional that is deepening my relationship with God. And the extra time I’ve gained from cancelled events has allowed me to slow down and clearly see the many blessings God has given. And that fills by heart with hope and joy, which is truly what Advent represents.
Advent Wreath– Christians have adopted the tradition of lighting candles during Advent to observe this as the time of the coming of Christ who is the light of the world. One tradition is lighting an Advent wreath at church and at home to mark each Sunday in Advent. This Advent tradition dates back to Germany and the Lutheran Church following the Reformation. Today Advent wreaths are made out of evergreen and are shaped like a circle to represent eternal life. The Advent wreath we use at church and at home has five candles with three of the candles being blue or purple in color to match the liturgical colors. The candle lit on the first week is blue and represents hope. The candle lit on the second week is blue and represents peace. The candle lit on the third Sunday is pink and represents joy. On the last Sunday of Advent a blue candle representing love is lit. The candle in the center is white and is know as the Christ candle. It is lit on Christmas or Christmas Eve.
Advent Family Devotionals– This year my family of three are doing two different Advent devotionals, “The Way in the Manger” and “Jesus’ Family Tree” (Praying through Advent with the Jesse Tree). We begin our devotional by lighting our Advent wreath and singing the following song..
“Light One Candle”– Light one candle for hope, One bright candle for hope. He brings hope to every heart He comes! He comes! **For verses 2-4, replace hope with peace, joy, and love.
The tiny Advent wreath above was created by my mini me during her first year of preschool. Carefully crafted out of clay and decorated with green paint and birthday candles it is very special to us.
Advent Calendar With Pastor Rouland and Rupert the Dog– Our senior pastor is making daily Advent videos where he leads viewers in singing “Light One Candle,” reads a scripture verse and reveals a new ornament for his Advent tree. My daughter squealed with delight when Rupert the Dog makes a special appearance. Search for Zion Lutheran Church St. Charles on You Tube or click here for a video link.
Chocolate Advent Calendar– When I was little I always had a chocolate German Advent calendar. In fact, the German Club at my high school sold them. The tradition continues with my daughter and everyday we guess what shape the chocolate will be, hunt for the number and then rip open the little window and enjoy the sweet treat hiding inside.
Advent Tree– We’ve had this Melissa and Doug wooden Advent tree since my daughter was a toddler. My daughter loves adding a magnetic ornament to her tree everyday. It’s the perfect countdown to Christmas
This week it’s all about turkeys! From tasty turkey treats to reading turkey books to building a trap to catch a turkey, our family of three are having some terrific turkey fun!
Turkey Treats– We started the week by making these yummy cinnamon roll turkeys for breakfast! We used pumpkin flavored cinnamon rolls and followed the baking directions on the container. When they were cool it was time to transform the rolls into tasty turkey treats! We used bacon for the feathers (bacon makes everything yummy), candy corn for the beak, candy eyeballs (found at craft stores) for eyes or you could use chocolate chips and pretzel sticks for legs. Our family of three gobbled them up!
Turkeys on Parade Mini Book- When I taught kindergarten I wrote this turkey mini book, Turkeys on Parade, for my students to color and read. The book helps young readers learn the words “on” and “the” along with the color words brown, yellow and orange.CLICK HERE to download your own copy of the book.
How to Catch a Turkey– My daughter is doing virtual learning this week and her teacher read the class the book How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. This fabulous book about a turkey who is running loose in school right before a Thanksgiving play will get you thinking about how to catch a turkey! My daughter’s teacher asked her students to make a turkey trap. My daughter wondered what turkeys eat, thinking that by putting food in her trap she would entice a turkey. We predicted that turkeys eat bugs but after investigating online we found out they also eat grass, maize (corn) and nuts. So we went outside and gathered acorns, grass and used the maize from our Thanksgiving decorations. She also gathered some leaves to make a nice bed. My daughter built a cage out of blocks and added a water jug and she is ready to catch a turkey!
Turkey Dances– Who knew there were so many turkey dances online? If you need a brain break or want to plan a Thanksgiving dance party check out the following….
Turkey Disco Dance– This turkey disco dance, by The Learning Station, will get everyone in your family moving! CLICK HERE to view.
“T” Turkey Dance– This turkey dance by Go YOYO is full of fitness and fun! CLICK HERE to join YOYO in doing her hip hop turkey dance.
Gobble Gobble Turkey Wobble– This Noteworthy Mommy loves Koo Koo Kanga Roo and the duo has a catchy turkey dance that I know you and your family will love!
Turkey Trouble– We watched the book Turkey Trouble by Marc Maron being read online and then made a disguise for our Terry the Thankful Turkey so he won’t get eaten for Thanksgiving dinner! My daughter came up with the disguise and used a tape measure to make sure his costume would fit! CLICK HERE to read the book online.
There are so many fun things to do this time of year! Even if you only have time to do one activity, you will be making some wonderful Thanksgiving memories. I hope you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving. Although our celebrations may look different this year, don’t forget, there is always something to be thankful for!
Our family began a new Thanksgiving tradition this year with Terry the Thankful Turkey. My daughter was thrilled when she discovered Terry the Thankful Turkey on our kitchen table in early November. (I put him out for her to discover on her own) She immediately asked me to read the book that accompanies Terry and we both fell in love with this gracious little guy.
Written in bouncy rhyme, the book, “Terry the Thankful Turkey,” created by the talented Marcela Osello, introduces the young reader to the many things Terry is thankful for. The beautiful illustrations surround the reader with visions of autumn and reminds us that we can find joy in the simple things like the falling leaves, clouds in the sky and sitting down to enjoy a delicious meal with loved ones.
At the end the book the reader is instructed to be like Terry and share what they are thankful for. They can be thankful for something, someone or someplace.
Throughout the autumn season, Terry encourages the reader to write or draw something they are thankful for on the included thankful pad. Fold the paper and stuff it in Terry’s zippered tail. By Thanksgiving Day, Terry will be stuffed with messages of gratitude. My daughter asked me if we could take Terry to our family lake house, where my family of three are gathering with my parents and in-laws for Thanksgiving. Terry the Thankful Turkey will become part of our Thanksgiving tradition when we unzip Terry on Thanksgiving Day and share all of the things we are thankful for with our immediate family.
I love Terry the Thankful Turkey because he is much more than an adorable stuffed animal and a catchy book! Terry the Thankful Turkey is interactive, promotes literacy and teaches gratitude. As an educator, Terry is something I wish I had to share with my students when I was a kindergarten teacher. When I saw how much my five year old is enjoying Terry, I knew he would have been a huge hit in my classroom! I was shocked, when, without prompting, my daughter wrote and drew a picture of something she was thankful for on the thankful pad. She carefully unzipped Terry’s tail (great fine motor practice) and joyfully filled him with words of gratitude. Terry the Thankful Turkey is something the entire family can enjoy together for years to come and a tradition that will be passed to future generations!
Without prompting, my daughter writes and draws something she is thankful for.
You can purchase Terry the Thankful Turkey on Amazon or by visiting his website, www.thankfulterry.com. Follow Terry on Facebook and on Instagram at thankful_terry. Don’t forget to #thankfulterry with photos of you and your family being thankful with Terry!
Although this unprecedented year has been filled with struggle, loss and anxiety, it has also been filled with reinvention, creativity and innovation. I encourage you and your family to be like Terry the Thankful Turkey and take the time to count your blessings. And remember, no matter how hard life gets there is always something to be thankful for!
My mini me loves Terry the Thankful Turkey so very much that she drew his portrait at school.
Noteworthy Mommy 