What is your favorite Christmas book.
Twas the Night Before Christmas.
I don't remember if Mom made this book for Preston's first Christmas or his second {which was more like the first since he was 14 months old instead of 2 months old}. Anyways, she sewed it right up for him...and for all my subsequent children.
The first couple of years we had it I would pack it up with the Christmas decorations and we would only enjoy it once a year. But, one year while packing, I decided we might as well leave this book out and enjoy it all year long. It is a cloth book, so there is no worries about it getting torn up before the next year.
This is the very traditional version of the book,
"More rapid thane agles his ocrsers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name.
'Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall,
Now,dash away, dash away, dash away, all!'
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky,
So up tot he housetop the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys - and St. Nicholas, too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof."
"More rapid thane agles his ocrsers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name.
'Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall,
Now,dash away, dash away, dash away, all!'
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky,
So up tot he housetop the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys - and St. Nicholas, too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof."
This is just a great story for kids too! I can remember in second grade at Coldwater Grade School that Mrs. Booth made us memorize this ENTIRE story. To me it just seems like such a large task for a second grader, but I don't remember exactly how I felt about it at the time. However, I do remember standing up in front of the class and reciting it for the class. Strange how vivid some memories can be....
I remember the locations of Mrs. Booth's desk, the arrangement of the students desks, the back of the room...all of it! I wonder if Mrs. Booth knew how much of an impact memorizing this single Christmas story would have on me all these years later?
I remember the locations of Mrs. Booth's desk, the arrangement of the students desks, the back of the room...all of it! I wonder if Mrs. Booth knew how much of an impact memorizing this single Christmas story would have on me all these years later?
I bought a new book for my kids this year, that I hope becomes a Christmas favorite, but of course I can't write about it now....too many little eyes watching! Maybe I will write about it after the holidays...or after Christmas Eve, which is when I plan to give it to them and read it together!
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
"I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year."
- Charles Dickens, Ebeneezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol
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