Kid’s Craic: What Does it Mean to Be Thankful?

Kid’s Craic: What Does it Mean to Be Thankful?
By Megan Lardie

What does it mean to really be thankful? The definition of thankful is feeling or showing gratitude for what you have. 

November is the month we celebrate Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving. I cannot think of two holidays that go together any better. During this month, we should all take some time to be thankful for all that we have, and not think so much about what we feel we are lacking.

Veteran’s Day

Veteran’s Day is celebrated in the United States on November 11^th. It is a day to honor all the men and women who have served in any branch of the military in the past. It was originally called Armistice Day and was renamed Veteran’s Day in 1954.

The reason that Veteran’s Day is November 11^th is because the agreement that ended World War I was signed at the 11^th hour on the 11^th day of the 11^th month. As a citizen of the United States, you should take time to thank a veteran for their service. If it were not for their dedication to their country, we would not enjoy the freedoms that we have here.

Not all people of the world are as free as we Americans are. We should be thankful every day for Veterans. Do you have a veteran in your family? Give them a call this month and ask them to share a story with you from their time in the military. It will be a treasure you will be thankful to know for the rest of your life.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is a day that we celebrate the fall harvest and all the blessings of the past year. It is modeled on a feast that happened in 1621 shared between English colonists, or Pilgrims, and the Wampanoag people, a Native American tribe. The colonists were thankful that a Native American named Squanto had taught them how to grow corn, catch fish in the river, and avoid poisonous plants.

Squanto had also helped the colonists make friends with the Wampanoag tribe and they all celebrated together for three days. It was not an official holiday until Abraham Lincoln declared it one in 1863.

How does your family celebrate? What traditions do you have that are similar to the first Thanksgiving? Have you started any new traditions recently?

What are you thankful for?

During this past year, I have had to remind myself to be thankful for what I do have and take time to enjoy it. I am not going to lie; it has been hard. Like many of you, I missed out many things that I had looked forward to doing. As life is getting a little bit back to normal, I find myself reflecting on what we did do instead.

As disappointing as some of the lockdown was, I will always be thankful for the time that we were given. I am also so thankful for my health and my happiness, which we have learned that not everyone enjoys. Most times the “things” we should be most thankful for, are not things you can buy!

Kids Cooking in the Kitchen

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert

Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
Soften the ice cream. Combine pumpkin and other ingredients. Fold ice-cream with pumpkin mixture.

Pour into a 9″ by 13″ pan. Top with chopped nuts. Freeze overnight. This can also be put together weeks ahead.

Warm at room temperature slightly before serving so pieces will easily cut. Top with whipped cream if desired.

Literature Corner

Those Shoes
Learning the difference between needs and wants is a difficult lesson to learn for children and even adults. In the story, Those Shoes, Jeremy really wants a new pair of high-top sneakers like all his friends. Jeremy really needs a new pair of boots before winter arrives and that is all his grandmother can afford. Jeremy learns a lesson in selflessness and how to appreciate what he has.

White Bird
If you read Wonder, you will love White Bird! The character Julian from Wonder is assigned to write a report for school about his family history. He interviews his grandmother, who tells her story of growing up in France during World War II.

She shares how she received lifesaving shelter from a boy she and her friends had not treated very nicely. This beautiful graphic novel inspires gratitude for friendship, forgiveness, and how to be a hero every day.

Lardie’s Laughs
Q. Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
A. The outside.
Q. What happened when the turkey got in a fight?
A. He got the stuffing knocked out of him.

Gab in Gaelic
Happy Thanksgiving = Lá an Altaithe sona duit (pron. Law on Awl-tee-ha sun-ah ditch)