The new year is near, and although I have seen this a fair number of times, Saturday night will mark the first New Year’s Eve party for my niece Stormi, 4, and nephew Aaron, 5. My mother and I are throwing the party Saturday night.
The idea first struck me while trying to think of Christmas gifts for their parents. I decided, what most parents of tots really want is a few hours of rest. So now we have two little ones to entertain. And I started the way I always start when preparing for something new — with a book.
Children’s books can help explain the holiday to youngsters. A wonderfully helpful librarian pointed me toward three: “Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas” by Bail Piernas-Davenport, illustrated by Marion Eldridge; “We Celebrate New Year” by Bobbie Kalman; and “The Night Before New Year’s” by Natasha Wing.
Next I needed some videos they had not watched before. I came up with “Where the Wild Things Are,” an older animated version of the classic Maurice Sendak story, and a Mickey Mouse version of the “The Three Musketeers.”
Food we covered with the classic kid favorites of spaghetti and meatballs with a little sparkling juice to add a little bit of fun. Anticipating they won’t make it to midnight, we will celebrate our new year around 9 p.m. Whenever and however you celebrate, we at the Herald Democrat wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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Happy birthday Friday to Gary Sewell, twin Becky Sloan, Robert Ford Carter, Opal Nichols, Samantha Wilson, Waymon Wilson, Katie Williams, Mark D. Martin, and Jack Henderson, all of Denison; twin David Franklin of Tennessee; Billie Jean Rush, Rex Thomas, Carla Anderson, and Alexis Blanton, all of Sherman; James Clyde Cooper, and Susan Mitchell both of Pottsboro; John Nelson Holt of Ralston, Okla.; Richard Franklin of Dallas; Lois Ann Sellers of Sadler; Nelda Sanders of Dixie; Kathan Shannon of Arlington; Lillian Scruggs of Lewisville.
Happy anniversary Friday to Charles and Roylene Winchester of Whitesboro, 57 years; Bill and Betty Roberts of Sherman, 50 years; Jerry and Pam Green of Sherman, 45 years; Ricky and Carolyn Gaddis of Sherman, 22 years.
Happy birthday Saturday to Carol Duke, Valerie Freels, Susan Kullin, and Cody Palmore, all of Denison; Joannah Cowart, Ray Vaughn, Charles Kennedy Broome, Celia Schuster, Gary Myers, and Ja’Zmyn Fuller, all of Sherman; Matt Braddock and Susan LaFollett of Van Alstyne; Morgan Walker of Tom Bean; John Anderson Minter of San Antonio; Erica Harper Brown of Frisco; Jennifer Chancellor of Whitesboro; Polly Hughes of Collinsville.
