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December
December is Learn a Foreign Language Month. Teach your children how to say hello in five languages. Try these:
French: Bonjour
German: Guten tag
Hebrew: Shalom
Hawaiian: Aloha
Spanish: Hola

4 National Dice Day
Help children learn basic math skills by playing with dice. Try to add the numbers on dice. Line up dice in sequential order. Or compete for the biggest roll. (Prevent choking. Please don't leave children unattended with dice. Buy special large dice at a toy store.)

25 Christmas Day
Make holiday placemats for your family feasts.

You'll need:
1 large sheet of construction paper per mat
Tempera paints: white, brown, red, black, green and yellow
Child's paintbrushes or Q-tips
Paper plates
Wet wipes (for cleaning hands)

1. Create: Pour paint on paper plates for easy access. Help children make simple Christmas designs such as a Christmas wreath, snowman, angel or reindeer.

* Easy Reindeer: Coat child's hand in brown paint and stamp upside-down at the bottom of page with all fingers spread. The four fingers serve as legs, the thumb as the head. Add a dot of red paint with a Q-tip on Rudolph's nose. Paint antlers, eyes and mouth for detail.

* Christmas Wreath: Use green handprints around a circle to create a wreath, and paint red dots in the greenery as bright berries.

* Angel: A white upside-down handprint, five fingers together, can serve as an angel's gown. Then paint a head on this heavenly cherub.

* Snowman: A balled fist stamped in white paint makes nice round snowmen parts. Use a paintbrush to paint eyes, mouth, nose and buttons.

2. Preserve: When the paint is dry, take their creations to a business supply store and laminate each paper front and back to seal the placemats. Be creative and enjoy decorating your family's table with your children's artwork this year.

take tym 4 u
Windy, frosty, cuddly, cozy … November's bristling temperatures invite comfort indoors. It's the time of year made for sprawling before the fire, reading by candlelight and baking endlessly. Sometimes crunched between the Thanksgiving menu and holiday merriment, a mom's heart can be forgotten.

Here are some ideas to help you have fun amidst the extra "to-dos" of the season. Take time to renew as you head into the holidays.

Mom Alone
Many holiday celebrations involve special food, so why not brush up on your culinary art with a cooking class? Meet new people, get creative, learn something new and be ready to wow family and friends with some delicious dishes. Check with local restaurants, specialty cooking stores or community colleges for classes.

Date Nite
Bundle up and head outdoors for a snowball fight or sledding! Or put on your slickers and cuddle close under the umbrella on a wet evening walk. This kind of fun is sure to get you and your spouse laughing out loud. If you prefer the warmth of the indoors, check your newspaper for choral concerts and special holiday performances put on by local high schools. You'll get to enjoy a live show, young talent and the typically free admission!

Girls' Nite In
Boost your options of favorite holiday foods and enjoy a night with the girls while you swap your favorite recipes. Ask each guest to bring one holiday hit, be it cookies, cider or butternut squash stew, complete with a recipe card. Share some holiday traditions around the table and take time to mention what you're thankful for in your friendships with one another. After guests leave, make copies of the recipes and deliver them to partygoers. It's a night that will live in your kitchen for many seasons.

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