Surprise Santa
December 5, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under GG's writing, Pencils Down
In honor of the holidays, I am sharing the story of a special Christmas from my childhood ~
Surprise Santa
Place yourself back in time when you were very young and Christmastime felt magical. The world seemed to transform into an ever-jovial, bright and sparkly place. And it wasn’t just because your mother exchanged every single household item (including the shower curtain and dinner plates!) for its Christmas counterpart, but because the WHOLE world was more fun. Yes, even school was a happier place. As Christmas loomed closer, the anticipation of Santa’s visit guaranteed tummy butterflies and lingering wide-eyed moments in bed before sleep. Christmas Eve night included gazing out the window, guessing which bright star might be the Big Guy himself.
Year after year, my parents – like many loving mothers and fathers – gently told my brother and I that we couldn’t wake up in the middle of the night before Christmas lest we wanted St. Nick to take back all the presents. Being the very abiding daughter that I was, I took that very seriously. On one particular Christmas dawn, my 10th Christmas to be exact, I was the first to wake up bright and early just before 6:00 a.m. I gleefully hopped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall to gain a first glimpse of the goodies under the tree. My plan was to sneak my own peek, wake my bro, and then we’d both barge in our parents’ room. Well, it didn’t quite work that way as I had a surprise that literally stopped me in my slippered tracks. My glee instantly turned to shock as I stood still as a statue and stared at Santa Claus in what I thought was the middle of his delivery. I felt my heart leap; I couldn’t move any closer than the end of the hall. In the living room a few feet before me stood a tall-as the-tree Santa, dressed in his beautiful red suit, his big bulky black boots, his long white beard . . . and he was reaching into the tree. Oddly, he was standing as still as I was but I interpreted that as his shock in being discovered. I stood there for a very long moment not sure what to do; furthermore, in the rather dark room, I looked around and swore I saw three little elf heads peeking out at me from around the corner. It was then I conjured up enough strength to run back to my room as fast as I could, jump back in bed, and cry.
It didn’t take long for my mother to hear me sniffling. She concernedly whispered to my father, “Why is T crying on Christmas?!?” When she came in to ask me what the matter was, I exclaimed between flowing tears that “I woke up too early and Santa was there and he was mad that I saw him and now he’s taking all the presents back!” My mom started to chuckle and told me she heard the opposite - that Santa wasn’t mad at all and, in fact, left an extra big surprise this year. I hesitantly followed her back to the living room. The figure in the red suit was still there but my mother turned on some lights and revealed the big “surprise:” a life-size Santa stand-in (and I do mean life-size!). I gasped and ran to touch him. Oh . . . ummm, those elves I saw – they were my imagination playing tricks on me. I was so relieved and excited again. Christmas was back on!
Mom & Santa two Christmases ago!
Mom and I decided to turn off the lights, hide in the foyer, and wait to see what my 4-year old brother’s reaction would be when he woke up and wandered in. I was sure we were in for a show!!! It wasn’t long before we heard his footed-pajamas slipping down the hall. He too stopped at the end of the hall like I did – but that’s where the similarity in our reaction ends. You see, here’s exactly what he did: he rubbed his eyes, muttered, “Oh, that’s nice,” instantly spotted my mom and I and asked, “When can we open the presents?” I let my imagination run wild and here my little bro intuitively knew otherwise!! How did that happen?!
The following year I eventually discovered the truth about Santa and learned how my parents acquired our unique Christmas novelty. My father was the manager of an A & P grocery store at the time. Pepsi-Cola donated the Santa to him. He displayed it a couple weeks before Christmas and drove it home Christmas Eve day (quite a feat, considering how big Santa is and how many family members we had over that night for our annual Eve bash!). Since then, he’s come home with more interesting friends such as a big black scaredy cat and a wart-nose witch. But, none of them brought the memories that our Surprise Santa sprung.
Santa has been part of numerous memories since then. For instance, during Santa’s 2nd year, my father performed “surgery” as Mr. Claus was tired and didn’t want to stand any longer. Given the special signficance behind the statue, my father would not let Santa ”retire.” Instead, he enlisted the help of our neighbor but, being the silly guy that my dad was, he decided it would be more fun to bring Santa to our neighbor’s house rather than have his friend come to our home. My father rolled the top down of his convertible, “sat” Santa in the passenger seat, drove to our neighbor’s house, honked the horn and waved to him with his red-suited friend. Mind you, this was the middle of winter AND this particular neighbor lived across the street only five houses away.
The neighbor's get an extra treat every year!
Surprise Santa still makes an appearance each Christmas, much now to the delight of my little niece. His beard has been shampooed, his suit’s been dry cleaned and his body has been re-secured with heftier stilts but he still stands strong. Christmas brings out the inner child in us all that is so important to channel once in a while. I continue to get giddy when I decorate, the world still feels cozier this time of year, and I recall the memories when I look at Surprise Santa. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!!! Let the magic of Christmas brighten your days!
My daughter and Santa quite a few Christmases ago!
I Spy a New Word!
November 8, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Other noteworthies, Pencils Down
A colleague just shared this fun yet surprisingly useful site with me moments ago. I LOVE to make up my own words myself (I had a major case of truckitis last night) so I was inspired instantly. Fortunately for you, GG guests, I am going to practice some friendsourcing today. There will be no peanut-buttering allowed and if you stick around long enough, you might find yourself in a peep culture. Confused? Go to this site to decipher my new words!!
GG challenge: Use at least 3 new words that you find on this site today in conversation!!
And before you go, be sure to stop by Words of Whimsy to see some of GG’s own creations.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have some chairobics to take part in while watching football players posterize each other.
Have You Ever Been Cubed??
November 4, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Books, Other noteworthies, Pencils Down, Reviews
Shhhhh . . . Keep this a secret . . . Don’t tell a soul about this post . . . Read on only if you are ready to be enlightened, tickled and shocked. 
Begin if you dare!
WARNING: For maximum validity, enlightenment, and fun, do NOT read down to the bottom until you have completed the exercise in its entirety!!!
The Cube - compiled by Annie Gottlieb and Slobodan D. Pesie
This is the tone you will encounter when you open the book The Cube . . . Keep the Secret. It is a self-awareness game I play with my students on the day before a holiday. I’ve been using this book for many years now, and I’ve yet to encounter a class in which the students are not in awe of its accuracy. When we’re done with the game, I ask the students to write either a one-page analysis of their findings from the game or a descriptive piece illustrating their landscape. Never is there a complaint for this assignment. I also have fun with this at family gatherings!!
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Readers are asked to picture a desert landscape. In the desert landscape are five specific elements: a cube, a ladder, a horse, a storm and flowers. The idea is to write down and describe the very first image of each that arrives in your head to achieve the most accurate results. Each element represents something about the reader – therein lies the secret. I’ve always been good at keeping secrets so I’m going to make you wait until you have the book itself in your hot little hands to find out what each represents.
Reasons the Newspaper Won’t Die
October 23, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Listing through Life
Many newspapers faced their demise this year but I’m hopeful that we can still count on tucking the folded black and white newsprint under our arm as we scurry off, on catching a glimpse of the cover stories as we wait in the dentist’s office, and on spreading out the paper on a leisure Sunday morning. It would be a great loss if we lost this important form of media.
Top 10 Reasons for Reading a Newspaper*
1. My newspaper has never crashed, gone down, or flashed animated ads at me.
2. Anywhere I travel, my newspaper goes with me. I don’t need a laptop or a wireless connection or a PDA.
3. I can read my newspaper while standing, while eating, while riding a train, but not while driving my car . . . which is just as well since I should be paying attention to the road.
4. If I read a story I like, I can tear it out and save it, and not have to pay to read it 30 days later.
5. I don’t have to sign in or customize or register or remember passwords to read my newspaper. And I often enjoy articles in my newspaper on topics I wouldn’t normally think I’d be interested in.
6. My newspaper has high-resolution pictures and type on large pages that load almost instantly, making it easy to browse and enjoy.
7. My newspaper is cheap, recycable and easy to replace. If it’s lost or stolen, it’s no big deal.
8. My newspaper is not made of unrecyclable toxic materials.
9. If my newspaper makes a mistake, the correction is posted with an explanation. It’s not sneakily applied to the original story after I’ve read it.
10. I can read my newspaper sitting outside on a nice day in the sun, even if a breeze is blowing, because I know how to fold a newspaper.
11. My newspaper is never late. I can always count on it in the early morning hours.
12. My newspaper has something for everyone: cover stories, editorials, sports, entertainment, health, etc.
*Adapted from Kelly Gallagher’s Reading Reasons
You Don’t Say!
September 9, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under GG's writing, Pencils Down, TLC Speaks
ORIGINALLY TAKEN FROM A HANDOUT WE’VE USED IN OUR ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW. MY COLLEAGUE, MRS. JENNIFER KRAUSE, COMPILED THESE WILD, WACKY WORDS 
Says is one of those overused words. The Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words. To this may be added around 9,500 derivative words included as subentries. With all these words, why do we overuse the general, imprecise ones?
GG note: Please do no utilize “goes” to replace the verb “says.”
FOR EXAMPLE: He goes, “I don’t like that anymore.” → I hear this colloquial-type conversation from my high schoolers. ‘To speak’ is not even a published definition of goes; the closest definition is ‘to utter a sound’ as in The gun goes bang.” Luckily, I don’t think you’ll have a problem coming up with varied words here. Enjoy!:
What other imprecise words need replacing?
OVER THREE HUNDRED WAYS TO SAY “SAYS”
Aaccuses acknowledges acquiesces adds admits admonishes advises affirms agrees alleges allows alludes announces answers apologizes appeases approves argues articulates asks assents asserts assures Bbabbles bits barks bawls begins begs believes bellows berates beseeches bleats blows up blubbers blurts blusters boasts booms brags breathes breaks in Ccackles cajoles calculates calls carols |
cautionschallengeschants
charges chats chatters cheers chides chimes chips in chokes chortles chuckles cites claims coaxes comforts commands comments complains concedes concludes concurs confesses confirms consents consoles contends contests continues contributes coos counters coughs cries criticizes croaks croons cross-examines cures curses cusses Ddebates decides declaims declares defends demands denies describes |
determinesdictatesdiscusses
drawls drones Eechoes elaborates emphasizes entreats enumerates enunciates exaggerates exclaims exhorts explains explodes expostulates extols Ffalters fears frowns fumes Ggags gasps gibbers giggles gloats goads grins groans growls grumbles grunts guesses guffaws gulps gurgles gushes Hhastens to say hesitates hints hisses hollers howls |
Iimitates implies implores informs inquires insinuates insists interjects interposes interprets interrupts interrogates intimidates intones Jjeers jests jokes jabbers Llaughs lectures laments lies lisps Mmakes known magnifies maintains marvels mentions mimics moans mocks mourns mumbles murmurs muses mutters Nnags nods notes Oobjects observes offers orders |
Ppants perceives persists persuades pesters pipes up pleads points ponders pouts praises preaches predicts prevaricates proceeds prods profanes proclaims professes promises prompts proposes protests purrs pursues puts in Qquavers queries questions quibbles quips quotes Rrates rails runs on rants raves recalls recites recounts regrets reiterates rejoins remarks remembers reminds remonstrates |
renouncesrepeatsreplies
reports reprehends reprimands requests resolves responds resumes retorts reveals roars rumbles Ssings sings out scoffs scolds scorns screams screeches sermonizes shouts shrieks shrills shrugs sighs slurs smiles smolders snaps snarls sneers snickers sniffs snorts sobs soliloquizes sooths specifies spells speaks spurts sputters squawks squeaks squeals stammers starts states storms |
stressesstrugglesstutters
submits suggests swears sympathizes Ttaunts tantalizes tattles teases testifies thinks threatens tells Uurges utters Vvaunts ventures voices volunteers Wwails wants to know warns wavers whispers wonders worries Yyearns yells yelps yowls |
Watermelon Seeds of Wisdom
June 29, 2009 by GradingGirl
Filed under Other noteworthies, Pencils Down
(from moreno101 on flckr)
Before yesterday, when I thought of watermelons I thought of summer picnics. Well, I was perusing through my mail, anxiously trying to pass the time before I picked my daughter up at the airport when I came across an article on the book Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life by Wally Amos. The book utilizes the word ‘watermelon’ as an acronym for a guide to life. As I point out in my Memory Mastery 1 post, acronyms are a great way to remember things. Thanks to the acronym below, I will never think of watermelons in the same way! Now when I see those juicy pink slices or pesky black seeds we like to pick away, I will be reminded that we all have the will to live our lives from our highest selves. My time waiting was well spent! Now it’s your turn . . . enjoy and get ready for your mouth to water. I’ve italicized my favorite parts ~
W – Whatever you believe creates your reality. Believe that life is a positive experience and it will be.
A – Attitude is the magic word. Your greatest asset is your attitude. Be positive regardless.
T – Together everyone achieves more. There are no limits to what we can accomplish together. I am more than I am but less than we are.
E – Enthusiasm is the wellspring of life. There is no limit to what can be accomplished with enough enthusiasm.
R – Respect yourself, as well as others. When you begin to respect yourself, your whole world changes.
M – Make commitments, not excuses. There is overwhelming power in the words “Yes I will.”
E – Everyday can be a fun day. Fun is the lubricant that keeps life moving forward. Laugh a lot.
L – Love is the answer. Whatever the question, love is the answer. It’s the greatest force in the Universe.
O – One day at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. All of life happens in increments of one.
N – Never give up or become a victim. You are guaranteed to lose if you give up. Winston Churchill was right. ”Never, never, never give up.” It works if you work it.
Grading Girl says this is a FUN reminder to not be overwhelmed by events. Let ‘watermelon’ remind you that you are larger than events. It’s an awesome feeling to realize that we have the power to create and change events simply by what we believe.
GG’s Bonus Nutrition Tidbit: Watermelon is composed of 92% water and packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. It is also a key source of lycopene – the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & potassium.
