Chapter 4: Christmas EEEEK

Chapter 4: Christmas EEEEK

“It’s Christmas” the children yelled as they ran through the house the next morning. Squeals and laughter, paper rattling and shouts of joy, which woke the little mouse from his slumber. Then the room began to move and he felt dizzy, “an earthquake” he whispered in disbelief. He realized that someone or something was moving his house. The children were speaking in excited tones about their gifts and how wonderful Christmas was.
Mother wanted to take some pictures of all the gifts and the children with the gingerbread house also. The little boy saw for the first time that the house had little chew marks all around it. “I think something has been eating our gingerbread house” he said. The girl saw that the gumdrop had fallen away from the back door and said
“This is strange; we never made a back door, but look.”
She plopped the house down on the table in disbelief. “We have a mouse inside our gingerbread house!” The tiny inhabitant could feel his heart about to explode; he had been found out and would most likely be taken out and executed by the toy soldier. If only he could explain that he was not a freeloader but an honest humble mouse whose only wish was to have this royal home as his own to love and care for.
The mother looked inside at the trembling terrified occupant. Compassion filled her heart as she saw one tiny tear drop from his black beady eyes. “Christmas is a time for giving and sharing” she said. “This little creature is welcome to this gingerbread house for as long as he wishes to have it.”
Gladly the little boy and girl gently carried the house and its owner out to the barn. They made a nice corner filled with straw and sang quietly as they placed the gingerbread house down in solemn ceremony. Quietly they closed the barn door and they felt the wonder of knowing that they had done a great service for a little creature and truly kept the spirit of Christmas.
Huge snowflakes fell upon their faces as they walked silently back to their home. It had been their best Christmas and they always remembered it as the year of the Christmas Mouse and the Gingerbread House.

Chapter 3: Christmas Eve

Chapter 3: Christmas Eve

The week had passed quickly as each day was filled with parties and shopping, parades and festivities. The gingerbread house sat to the side of the room on a table which was soon overlooked. The children were excited now about the presents piling up beneath the tree and only glanced occasionally at the gingerbread house.
They did remark at times that the cottony snow seemed to be patchy in spots. Somehow the gingerbread house was beginning to look a bit worn out. It even seemed a little ragged around the edges.
All the while a certain small inhabitant of a recently acquired property began to do a little Christmas shopping of his own. He would spend his evenings carefully browsing through toy boxes as if he were shopping at the finest malls. A few building blocks, a tiny doll chair and a couple of dolly tea cups just in case he had a visitor. He worked diligently to decorate his home and make it as comfortable as anyone could.
Suddenly he heard a loud rumble which startled him. He hid behind the toy box only to have the sound follow him. He rubbed his furry belly and realized he was hungry and the noise was his own tummy announcing the fact.
“How convenient that I just happen to know where the best bed and breakfast is!” Scampering up to his gingerbread house, he gathered a marshmallow and a pretzel and a small corner of the chocolate front door. “S’mores” he said and with that he curled up on the new couch and drank some hot cocoa from his tiny cup. He stretched out and sank off into a very deep sleep.

Chapter 2: An Unseen Visitor

Chapter 2: An Unseen Visitor

Having been tucked into their warm cozy beds, the children soon drifted off into slumber and dreams. All was dark and quiet in the house except for the gentle breathing of the sleeping family.
Tip-toeing ever so lightly, the grey furry mouse stealthily climbed the table that held the gingerbread house. His little heart skipped a beat as he stood gazing in delight for a moment at his dream home.
He stood upright and clasped his little paws together as if saying a silent prayer of thanks before he partook of his bountiful blessings. He was overflowing with joy. Suddenly he jumped up and began to dance a little jig, circling the stone faced soldier who never blinked or moved from his post.
“Oh Christmas Joy” he squeaked to the marshmallow snowman as he shook the pretzel hand offered in friendship. The snowman never seemed to mind either when the jubilant mouse gave him a wink and a sharp jab with his elbow right into his soft belly.
With a toothy grin he asked politely for permission to make this his new residence, only to have the toy soldier stare blankly into the air. “You’re not much for conversation are you?” said the mouse. He saluted the soldier and said, “Sir, I accept your kind offer of hospitality and I shall move in immediately. Thank you.”
His nose twitched side to side as he studied the construction of his new home. He decided to make a small entrance for himself in the back which would be less noticeable. So he began to chew away.
Each morsel was such a delight that his eyes rolled in satisfaction as he carefully gnawed the doorway. He was very tidy even though he was a mouse and never wasted a single crumb.
He dusted his little paws and decided to use just a tiny bit of cotton snow for his bedding. He picked and plucked and toted his bedding inside the gingerbread house.
Just as he was about to get into his new bed he noticed one of the gumdrops along the hedge was leaning over a bit. He tugged at it and placed it right in front of his little door. “Now that will secure my home from any unwanted pests” he said. And off he went to sleep with ginger dust on his whiskers.

The Christmas Mouse and the Gingerbread House

The Christmas Mouse and the Gingerbread House
By Cheryl Thomas

Chapter 1: The House is Made

Not so long ago or very far away, there lived a little boy and girl who had a Christmas wish. They dreamed of making a beautiful gingerbread house fully decorated with all their favorite candies.
Then one week before Christmas, Mother surprised them. She had gathered together all the ingredients for the gingerbread and helped the children make their Christmas wish come true.
They rolled the dough and cut the house out piece by piece. Quietly the Christmas music filled the background as the children imagined how the finished house would look.
The spicy scent of the gingerbread was so inviting that it beckoned Christmas to come directly in. Soon the family was gathered around the table decorating the smooth walls of the gingerbread house.
There was white snowy icing on the roof top and gumdrop hedges around the house. The windows were made of pretzels and a large marshmallow sat on top for a chimney. A fence was made of candy canes and the front door was a tiny chocolate bar. Miniature marshmallows were made into snowmen on the front lawn.
The boy ran into his room and quickly returned with a toy soldier whom he placed beside the front door as a guard.
They drizzled icing along the edges of the roof which looked like icicles. The little girl shook edible glitter all over the top of the gingerbread which made the whole house shine. They placed puffs of cotton all around for the effect of snow. All stood back and gazed with satisfaction at the beautiful gingerbread house.
Quietly across the room other eyes beheld the gingerbread house in loving adoration. No one suspected what a great impression the house had already made on the tiniest member of their household.

Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Representing the red white and blue
The colors of our flag stand out proud and true.
The white stars on blue background with red and white stripes
Remind me of these veterans, who all risked their lives.
Just so the people of the U.S. could all live in peace and be free
These are the heroes that represent you and me.
They stood up strongly, untied as one,
And kept up the fighting until they were done.
And although some have fallen, and lost their lives in war,
We pray for each one of them.
And now that their souls live on forever more,
Above in God's hands.
They watch over our nation,
And give us strength to triumph over others with strong anticipation.
So every year, when this day comes by,
Think of all the veterans that while fighting, had to die.
And remember that they were people
With fire and passion embedded inside.
They die for this country,
So remember and honor them with pride.

By Taylor Weinman

October 31 - Halloween

Whooohooo!!! It's Halloween...
Hope everyone has a fun & safe night!

October 20 - Pumpkin Legend

Are you carving a jack-o’-lantern this year?

Did you know that the jack-o’-lantern dates back to medieval Ireland? Its legend involves an Irishman named Jack who was too stingy to go to heaven and too mischievous to go to hell.

Jack had to wander Earth until Judgment Day with a lantern made from a hollowed-out turnip with a live coal inside. Children started making these lanterns on Halloween; in the New World, people switched from turnips to pumpkins.

Tip: Besides pumpkins, try hollowing out turnips, squashes, or gourds.

Riddle: How do you fix a jack-o’-lantern?
Answer: A pumpkin patch!