'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the famous narrative poem by Clement Clarke Moore, is my favorite story, ever. When I was nine-years-old, my 4-H groups presented it at our holiday pageant, and each of us were responsible for reciting a few pages. I learned my lines by heart, and loved the lyrical story so much, I ended up memorizing all 28 lines of the poem, and so began my love affair with memorizing poems, book excerpts, bible passages, which would last my lifetime.  When my little sister was born, I read and recited 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to her. I'd tell it to myself if I ever had trouble falling asleep. And then when Maya was born, it has been one of my greatest Christmas joys to share this special story with her. It might be counterintuitive to love this story so much while proselytizing that Santa is not real, but there's just something about this story that is so beautiful, with its meter and rhyme pattern, alliteration, and imagery.  The nearly 200

As I've rocked Mateo to sleep in my arms for the past few weeks, I've found myself singing to him Christmas carols. Those traditional songs we'd sing at midnight mass: Away in a Manger, Hark the Harold Angel Sings, The First Noel. Did you ever think about how the songs we sing to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus sound so much like lullabies? Christmas Eve is going to look quite different this year, without the large gathering of family we're accustomed to, without children's holiday pageants, without breakfast potlucks, without midnight mass. I feel almost as if I'm reciting a new edition of How Corona Stole Christmas...      “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before."  The underlying mess

Often referred to as the most wonderful time of the year, these days between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be filled with magic for kids of all ages. Each family has their own holiday traditions that might go back generations, or might be new experiences that you create each year. As we blend our backgrounds and cultures to build our bilingual family, making new traditions and paying homage to old traditions is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.  For these few story times before Christmas, we will be reading some holiday-themed books. I love this story, Good Night Christmas, because it recounts common holiday traditions here in the US, many of which our family takes part in. Cutting down a fresh Christmas tree is one of my favorite childhood memories, and now it's even more special for Maya and Mateo, because we cut a tree from our own backyard! I also remember fondly driving around town as a little girl, enthralled by the house with lights. Now when we are out abou

We started a new tradition this year and counted down the days until Christmas by unwrapping a book each night. Some are brand-new, some are well-loved, and many I found for sale for $1 at the Holliston Public Library. Making holiday memories is simple with the adage: something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to READ! Since we don't celebrate with a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve or opening a mountain of gifts on Christmas morning, this was a simple way to incorporate the joy of gift giving and receiving in our holiday season. It was like an advent calendar--each evening after bath and pjs, I placed a wrapped book for each child under the tree and they got to open them and sit with me and read them before bed.  Maya, Mateo, and Sofia eagerly opened their new or new-to-them books, and this special holiday tradition is something I plan to do in years to come. Next year, I'll use this same Christmas library, and slowly reveal a beloved book each

It is our evolutionary instinct to love babies. Their big eyes, chubby cheeks, sweet smell and cooing sounds make them irresistible to most grown ups. But what do babies love? Babies love to snooze, snuggle, and suckle. And they love to look at pictures of other babies! So in this week's story time, we read a bilingual book that features all the things babies love to do. S cientific research shows babies' cuteness sets off a potent protective mechanism that ensures survival for otherwise completely dependent infants. When grown humans see babies, they are triggered to have a  hardwired, primarily maternal, caregiving response, and researchers are now learning that cuteness actually sets off unique brain activity. But as babies grow and develop, they need much more than food, water, and shelter. Once these basic needs are met, the next step is to develop baby brains, and research shows the best way to do this is to read to them. That's why we share a story time each week wit