Wednesday, November 25, 2009

A pre-k take on the meaning of Thanksgiving

My youngest kids' have been learning about Thanksgiving at preschool all week, and today was the main event: pajama day and a party, with a traditional Thanksgiving "dinner."

When we arrived this morning, bearing stuffing and rolled-up slices of turkey from the deli (much easier to serve in a classroom!), I noticed a list on the wall near the cubbies. Every line was a different color, and it was topped with bright orange letters: "I Am Thankful For..."

I expected a rundown of toys and TV shows, but it seems that my daughter's pre-k classmates have taken the literal meaning of Thanksgiving to heart. Almost all of them said they were thankful for their family -- mom and dad, siblings and pets. My little girl said that she's thankful for "my big sisters and brother," which makes me feel like we might be doing OK with this blended-family thing.

The meal was provided by the parents, of course. Because if we followed the "instructions" written up by our pre-kindergarteners, we'd be laughing too hard to eat. Here's their take on how to make Thanksgiving dinner (thanks to their teachers for letting me share it!):

First, you'll need to go to the farmer's market to get a turkey. Once you've picked a fat one, bring it home and put it in the oven. Turn the dial up to 10 and leave the turkey in the oven for 8 minutes.

You'll also need to make a pumpkin pie to go with the turkey. To make pie, get the can with the slice of pie and and cream on the front. You can find it at Market Basket. Mix the can with powder, sugar, and baking soda. Put the mixture in a pie dish and put it in the oven with the turkey, for the same amount of time (8 minutes).

While you're at Market Basket, buy corn, beans, squash, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and stuffing. Put the stuffing in a bowl or on the turkey.

While the turkey and pie are cooking, set the table with silverware, plates, napkins, and cups.

If you have time, you might want to make some turkey decorations with paper and paint to put on the table. Take your time and do one load at a time. If you get confused, just look on the fron or the back for directions.

Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sounds delicious to me. Happy Thanksgiving! What are you and your kids thankful for this year?

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