Sunday, May 11, 2008

Serving Eau Claire, WI and the Chippewa Valley Since 1881

Student Holiday Memories

Winners and honorable mentions

When I Was 5

By Francisco Perez-Ocotl
Grade 5 Manz School

When I was 5 years old, my mother taught me something that I never knew. She taught me to be thankful for what I have now.

The Christmas that I was 5, I wrote a letter to Santa every day for a week. It was Christmas Eve, and I wrote one more letter to Santa. I was positive that I was going to get that Game Boy.

On Christmas morning, I ran like a bullet and looked for my Game Boy. I looked all over the tree, but the only thing that I found was a pretty Barbie house. I sat on my sofa all sad and alone, then I saw my sister and she was ripping open her present like a shredder.

Finally my mom asked me, 'What is the matter?'

I told her, 'I wrote to Santa each day for a week and I didn't get anything but my sister has what she wanted.'

Then my mom told me, 'My son, you have to be thankful for what we have now, so you don't need to be sad.'

From that day forward, I always asked Santa for the other kids who do not have families to have a good Christmas Day!

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When I Was Born

By Emily Surges
Grade 4 Locust Lane School

Ten years ago, it was Thanksgiving Day, and my mom, dad and sister went to Grandma's house for dinner.

My sister, Sarah, was 2 years old, my mom was 23, and my dad was 24. Me, I was in my mom's belly.

Grandma made the turkey, and my Aunt Max made the rabbit. There were lots of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn cake, biscuits, and don't forget the cherry and pumpkin pie! Well, that's what they tell me anyway.

My mom was really hungry so she started eating right after praying. Her stomach had been hurting her, but she had been to the hospital with false labor already that week so she was ignoring it.

Then her stomach started to hurt worse, but she kept on eating. Daddy says she was sitting at the table holding the edge of the table and saying, 'I WANT MY DINNER, I'M NOT IN LABOR,' every eight minutes or so.

When she finished with her pumpkin pie, she started to hurt badly. So, Daddy tried to rush her to the hospital, but she insisted on going home and having a shower to clean up first.

Daddy says he was scared of the pain being false labor again and he didn't want to go to the hospital too early. See, they had a car accident almost one month before I was born. Someone rear-ended them, and Mommy had been in false labor ever since. So, they had been to the hospital four times in the past four weeks.

Finally Daddy got Mommy to the hospital, and I came out about an hour later. The nurse did most of the work because the doctor thought it would take a while because it usually does, so the doctor wasn't there yet. He was having his Thanksgiving dinner.

A hospital doctor had to fill in for the final 10 minutes, and then I was born.

Now, Mommy was not real happy; she was in a lot of pain. They told her that she had waited too long to come in, so they wouldn't have time to give her an epidural, which I think takes the pain away, so I was giving Mommy a hard time from the moment I was born!

Now, I sure don't remember being there, but my Mommy and Daddy tell me the story. Now when it is my birthday, they all sing: 'Happy birthday to you, gobble, gobble; Happy birthday to you, gobble, gobble; Happy birthday, dear Emily; Happy birthday to you, gobble, gobble!'

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The Christmas I Got a Brother

By Janaya Gohde
Grade 6 Altoona Middle School

You know how for Christmas your parents get you toys and clothes, but have any of your parents given you a little brother? Well, mine did.

It was November 2003, and my mom was telling us that Christmas was just around the corner so she needed us to start making our Christmas lists.

I got right to making my list. As soon as I was done, I handed my mom my list. She started looking it over for misspelled words. When her eyes hit the bottom of that page, I swear she had the world's biggest laugh attack ever.

After she was done laughing, she said, 'Sorry, but you're not getting a little brother.' After my mom told me no, I stomped to my room.

I thought for a while. When I walked back into the living room, I asked my parents if they could adopt a little boy. Again they told me no.

'Why?' I asked.

Well, for one reason, we aren't having any more kids, and two, it cost too much money.

Fine, then I won't have a little brother. After that time, I didn't talk to them for the rest of the night.

After that day, my mom kept craving food and she had to go to the doctor's for that. Finally, after three to four weeks of going to the doctor's, my mom was told she was pregnant. All of us were so happy.

My sister, Tori, couldn't wait to see her new sister. She said the baby was a girl.

The last time my mom went to the doctor's, we were all going to see what kind of gender the baby was. When the doctor was looking, my mom closed her eyes and plugged her ears. When the doctor said it was a boy, my mom screamed. We all started jumping up and down. So, after that day, our house was full of baby toys, clothes and lots more.

A lot of months passed after we found out the baby was a boy. I was at my basketball practice when all of a sudden my sister and my grandma came to pick me up. I cried, 'Why?'

'Because Mom is in labor,' shouted Tori.

'And we need to be there,' hollered my grandma.

When we finally got there, my new brother was lying on a table with a tube down his throat. At first I thought he was dead, but then he started to move. After about 20 minutes, they told us to come and cut the cord from his belly. When we cut the cord, blood gushed everywhere.

After that, my mom had to get surgery. When she got done with that, they settled her in and she got to see her new son. The doctor asked my mom what his name was.

'His name is Ezekiel Benjamin Gohde,' she said. 'But we will call him Zeke.'

That's why Christmas is special to me.

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Christmas on the Range

By Cherish Nelson
Grade 7 South Middle School

I lived on a horse farm in West Virginia for eight years of my life, and this is the story of my most memorable Christmas on the range.

It was Christmas Eve, and it was snowing outside like crazy. My younger sister and I were getting ready for bed. I was in my white nightgown, and my sister was in her pale pink nightgown. After we said our 'Good nights' and 'Merry Christmases,' we headed for the bedroom that my sister and I shared.

But my sister changed course and headed to the kitchen. I decided to follow her. When I reached the kitchen, I noticed paper and colored pencils scattered everywhere. I asked her what she was doing. She said she was making paper dolls.

'This late at night?' I asked.

'Yeah' she replied.

'Why'?'

'It's easier to work at night, and nobody interrupts you at night.'

'What are you going to do with the paper dolls?' I inquired.

'I'm going to send them to the people with leukemia at Leukemia Care.'

'Wow, that's really nice.'

I wanted to help her. It was really sweet that she was thinking of people with leukemia. So, I asked if she needed help.

She said, 'Sure.'

We worked on the paper dolls, and at 11:31 p.m., we picked up and got ready to send them to Leukemia Care. We put them in a big, brown, oversized envelope.

We walked the quarter mile in the freezing cold to deliver the paper dolls, then we walked home to see if Santa had come. At 12:21 p.m., we got home.

Santa hadn't come. We crept to our room, careful not to wake up our aunt, who was sleeping two rooms down. That night we slept like babies.

I dreamt about the kids with leukemia and how excited they would be when they received their paper dolls.

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The Sweet Sound of Music

By Meghan Lieffort
Grade 8 Colfax Middle School

Some of my memories are of gifts that I have received, but the greatest gift was one that I gave.

My great-grandmother loved music. She never missed any of my piano recitals.

In May of 2005, she was diagnosed with cancer. The news broke my heart. It was the beginning of December and she was not feeling well.

We were trying to think of a gift that would put a smile on Grandma's face. The gift was easy: a special recital just for her. My piano teacher, mom, sister and brother helped plan the event.

The day finally came; we didn't tell my great-grandma what we had planned. It was a surprise. We were all at my piano teacher's home when she walked in. The smile never left her face the whole evening. She absolutely loved it.

We were all in tears when the final note was played. We all knew in our hearts that this would be the last recital she would attend.

It's hard to believe that this was a year ago, but it's a day 1 will never forget. Sometimes the greatest memories are ones that cost nothing. This memory will hold a special spot in my heart for the rest of my life.

I dedicate this story to my great-grandmother Mary, whom we loved so much.

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Silent Night

By Katie Estrem-Fuller
Grade 11 Chippewa Falls Senior High

They swirl around me like feathers floating in the air, graceful like ballerinas. We love them. We hate them, but in the end, we must take them for what they are: beautiful.

This phenomenon of falling snowflakes is taking place this very night on Dec. 24, 2006. I am making my way inside my church, Trinity United Methodist Church, to face my father's last Sunday as the pastor of this church that I have grown up in.

My family has been very fortunate to be able to stay in Trinity for 11 years. In a Methodist church conference, most pastors only stay at a church for a couple of years and then move to a different church.

We moved to Chippewa Falls when I was 5 years old, and I spent most of my childhood doing things at the church. I love this place and can't imagine my life without it.

It is Christmas Eve. My mom and I usually arrive at church early to spend time with my dad and have a light dinner, which is followed by the candlelight service, which is always the most meaningful part of my Christmas.

People, dressed in their best clothes, have begun to arrive. I sit at the piano in the grand hall and play all the Christmas songs that I know. The ebony and ivory keys sit before me as I try to play smooth as ice cream to hopefully get people in the mood for this wonderful evening.

Once I have exhausted every song, I walk to the sanctuary to listen for the last Christmas here. We sing the typical Christmas carols, but I sit there in anticipation for my favorite part of the service, 'Silent Night,' sung by candlelight.

My dad begins the sermon and all I can think about is how I will never see him up there again doing a sermon like this. He will retire in June and be finished serving as a pastor in the Methodist conference.

My eyes have begun to burn and I feel a tear slowly roll down my cheek and fall onto my sweater. I brush it away, hoping no one saw it, but I know my mom, who is sitting right next to me, saw it. I know she understands what I am feeling because she is going through it too.

The sermon is over and my favorite part has begun. We all take out our candles and turn to our neighbors to receive the 'light of Christ.' The lights turn off and all you can see is the candles brightly shining upon everyone's faces. 'Silent Night' begins and I feel a peace in the room.

I feel at home. This is my home.

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By Ryleigh Prochnow
Grade 7 Colfax Middle School

As we all gathered in the car at 4 in the morning on Dec. 9, 2006, we felt anxious and excited to go to Jamaica.

We left our home and went to Minnesota to get on our plane. We couldn't sleep at all because we were too excited. My dad was even excited. Before getting onto the plane, we met with the whole family to talk and brag about how lucky we were to be going to Beaches, the best resort ever.

After the five-hour flight to Jamaica, we were there. The ocean was so blue and clear you could see every little fish.

One day we decided we should all go snorkeling. The guide told us not to touch any of the fish or plants in the ocean because we would either make them sick or kill them. I thought that I was going to kill the reef, so I started to cry.

When I got back on the boat, my cousin cheered me up. She made me feel like I could accomplish and do anything I wanted. I wanted to go back out there and see all the beautiful fish again. So, the next day we did just that. This time was worse.

There were jellyfish everywhere! I got stung so many times and it hurt so badly. My cousin thought they were air bubbles. When I told her they were jellyfish, she didn't believe me. When it was time for everyone to get back onto the boat, she finally got stung.

The food is so great there. You get free ice cream, sandwiches, fries and pizza. Plus, it's all you can eat. They had this chocolate fountain you can dip fruits in, and it tastes so good. I went to that chocolate fountain all the time. I hogged it from everyone.

There is a restaurant there too that we ate at. It was Japanese. They cooked right in front of us. Our cook was really funny. He made jokes and made shapes out of the food. He made a heart out of the rice. The food was so good and it was good for us.

We played a lot of games there too. There was a big chessboard that Cassie, Kayla and I played on. I lost against them. We also played water volleyball. It was so fun. We invited random people to come and play with us.

Sometimes we played adults against kids, and we won. The adults all whined and said that we cheated, but we didn't. They are just sore losers.

Cassie and I went parasailing. It was unbelievable! The ocean looked so peaceful. I wanted him to drop me into it. We also went bargain shopping. One of the sellers said that one day I would be rich and famous.

That is my favorite holiday memory because I was with my family and I got to see what other families were like there. I think I am very blessed to have them. I will never forget that trip.

By Mikayla Hogan
Grade 11 Chippewa Falls Senior High School

Thanksgiving 2001. This holiday isn't my most memorable because it was my favorite. It's my most memorable because of how out of tradition it was.

My mom scheduled a trip for late November; she started the planning long before the tragic events on Sept. 11. When it came time to travel by plane to Florida, it would be safe to say I was a little spooked.

We left for Disney World on a Tuesday, nine days before Thanksgiving. We were planning on staying for a week. That would get us back to good old Chippewa Falls for our traditional Thanksgiving celebration.

After our seven great days at Disney World, we were all prepared to journey back home, but in the months after Sept. 11, things were still crazy at all the airports. It ended up that we wouldn't be able to catch a flight home until late Thanksgiving night.

For the next two days, we hid out in a cheap motel, just chilling in our room. It got to be Thanksgiving Day. We were bummed that we wouldn't be at my grandma's house for the great feast she always puts on, but we knew we had to get out of that motel and find somewhere to get our grub.

We left the motel and drove around town for what seemed like forever. Soon we found that there weren't very many restaurants open on Thanksgiving night. We drove past an open Denny's, but a past food poisoning incident for my mom shot down that opportunity.

We kept driving and we came across a restaurant. It was called Uno Chicago Grill. My family walked in and we were seated rather quickly. It was probably because there was absolutely no one else in the entire restaurant.

We asked to see a menu; we were hoping to find some kind of Thanksgiving meal. We settled for a pepperoni-stuffed crust pizza. Needless to say, my sister and I were quite disappointed with pizza. I mean, come on, pizza opposed to turkey, potatoes and pie?

My mom wouldn't take our pouting and told us to pretend we were eating turkey. That was a tough thing to do because pizza doesn't taste anything like turkey.

We caught our plane ride home and returned to Chippewa early Friday morning. When we got to our house, something on the doorstep caught my eye. There was a huge plate filled with turkey and potatoes!

Our neighbors had noticed that we weren't home and saved some of their Thanksgiving feast for us.

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Surprise in the Tree

By Maddie Tosseth
Grade 6 Altoona Middle School

You know the German tradition of hiding a pickle in your Christmas tree? Well, at my house, instead of hiding a pickle we hid a golf club.

It all started on Christmas Eve of 2005. That year, my mom had a great idea of giving my dad a fairway driver (a golf club) and hiding it in the Christmas tree.

We were on our way to church to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. It was a beautiful Christmas. Snow was falling, Christmas music was playing, and the church was decorated with bright red poinsettias. Throughout the church service, I couldn't stop thinking about all the wrapped presents under the Christmas tree.

When church ended, we headed straight for our house. Once we arrived at home, my brother, my mom and I went to work. While my brother distracted my dad, my mom and I quickly hid the golf club in our Christmas tree. We hid it sort of in the middle of the tree. It was pretty easy to find.

After we ate dinner and cleaned up the mess, we took a couple of family pictures. I took one of my mom and dad with my grandma and grandpa. Then my grandma took one of my mom, dad, brother and me. Then my mom took a picture of my grandma, grandpa, brother and me.

When we were all finished with our family photos, we sat down and took turns opening presents.

My grandma went first, then my grandpa, then I went, then Seth, my brother, then my mom, and last was my dad. Once everyone was finished opening all their gifts, it was time for my dad to open his big present. There was one catch. He had to find it first.

We gave him one clue about where it was. We told him that it was in the tree. He started looking and after about 10 minuets ticked by, he still had not found it.

So, we gave him another clue. We told him that it was toward the center of the tree. It took him another 15 minuets to find it. When he finally found the golf club, he had the funniest expression on his face.

I will never forget that Christmas and how it took my dad about a half-hour to find that golf club.

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Skateboard From Santa

By Molli McNulty
Grade 3 Robbins School

It was Christmas, and I was so excited to go to sleep. The second I woke up, I thought about Christmas Eve.
Then I raced downstairs and saw a little skateboard that was shaped like a goldfish. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had wanted a skateboard for a long time. I wanted to scream in a good way.

I asked my mom if I could try it in the house, and she said OK. Then I tried it!

I was so happy because I've always wanted to learn how to skateboard, but I didn't have a skateboard. But now my dad can teach me.

For the rest of the day, I rode my skateboard inside the house. I knew my parents probably wouldn't get me one, so I knew it was from Santa. My mom wouldn't find a good one and that's why I believe that Santa is real.

To me, Christmas isn't about all the presents I get. But I thought the present that I got was cool because I've never gotten a present like that before.

My dad started teaching me how to skateboard, but my skateboard didn't turn very well. My dad told me to try one of my switchboards because they turn better and this would help me learn how to control my skateboard easier.

I thought about trying my switchboard, but I didn't want to because then I wouldn't be using my new skateboard. I really wanted to use my awesome skateboard.

I think my skateboard is a great present for me. I thought that was one of the best Christmases ever.

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Dreaming of a Doll

By Abbi Jibben
Grade 5 Manz School

Today of all days, I just had to get up early. I did not want to, and I repeat I did not want to wake up, but just as every other day, I woke up at the sound of my mom yelling at my sister to leave me alone.

If you are thinking 'but she is leaving you alone,' then you are wrong. When I opened my eyes, I could clearly see my sister's play makeup-caked face.

I wanted to tell her that soon enough she would be able to wear real makeup and look way better than she did right now, but I decided against it, turned around and murmured, 'I'm sleeping.'

Obviously my sister heard my muffled remark. 'No you are not! You liar!' she exclaimed, and then changed the subject.

'Well, never mind that. I was thinking maybe when you woke up we could go downstairs and play the ‘Nancy Drew' computer game. Are you up for it, or will I have to play it alone?'

When I agreed, we traveled silently to the door of the basement. There, we were caught during our marvelous sneak-sprint down the stairs.

To my dread, our mom was at the bottom of the stairs holding an overflowing basket of laundry. She dropped it at the sight of us girls in nightgowns with the 'Nancy Drew' computer game in our possession. Her hands rose to her hips.

'And what are you girls doing?' She flicked a curl of hair out of her eyes.

My sister and I looked at each other and then turned back to our mom.

'We ... well ... um, we ... um, were ... um, going to, well, um,' my sister stammered.

I knew I had to take over. 'We were going to play on the computer if that's OK,' I said softly and then looked down silently. My sister did the same. My mom's eyes softened.

'Well ...,' she paused.

'Please,' Ellie, my sister, and I said together.

'All right, but just five minutes,' she responded. Ellie and I bounced downstairs and we each planted a kiss on her cheek.

When our computer time was over 31 minutes and 47 seconds later, we went upstairs, and guess what we had to do?

Work. Loads and loads of work. Not pretty.

After that, we went shopping. Now, that was pretty. There were lots of lights, for the best day of the year was today.

I looked around with a sinking heart. A smiling person was holding the happiest kid in the world. The kid was holding an American Girl doll.

All of a sudden I felt an overwhelming sensation. I wanted an American Girl doll, and I should be able to get one. But when I thought about asking my mom if I could get one, I saw the price tag — $208! That was like two whole years worth of allowance!

But I wanted one of those dolls so bad! I'd never had anything like it. I mean, sure, I had dolls, but this was special.

We looked at other things in stores, but I couldn't get the doll out of my mind.

When we got home, our dad was already there, and we decorated our tree. Did I forget to mention that it was Christmas? For sure, it's the best day of the year!

'But not this year,' I thought glumly to myself. I wanted that doll so bad that I was getting fidgety.

Finally it was time to open presents. Ellie and I both had very fat boxes in front of our tree, and at the same time, we dramatically took off the lids and wrapping.

My frown turned into a smile when I peered inside the box. No coloring books, no bug magnets, just a beautiful doll was in my box. I looked closer.

It was an American Girl doll.

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Millions of Lights

By Jadelynn Zhang
Grade 3 Robbins School

One cold night, my dad and I went to the Christmas Village at Irvine Park. My dog, Lucky, came too. On the way to it, I fell asleep.

My dad finally stopped the car. I opened the car door. It smelled like cookies.

I saw not one, but millions of lights. I have never seen this many Christmas lights before. My eyes got wide open. Lights were everywhere. I also saw Rudolph, Comet and other reindeer.

Storyboards, wooden figures and fake houses were up. Lights lit up the storyboards and the wooden figures. My dad looked at his watch. He said it was 7 o'clock. Not many people were left. It was peaceful and quiet.

I was astonished as more lights came on. I thought it looked delightful with more lights. Now, every step I took, I saw lights. Maybe it did kind of exasperate me. But otherwise, I thought it looked beautiful.

I just wish my mom, June, and my little sister, Iris, came to see it. They would have loved to see glittery lights. It was close to Christmas. Will they ever see it?

My dad took a few more photos. He likes photography. I really want to see the photos he took.

When I went back to the car, I wondered, maybe my house can be like the display.

But I think it will take up a lot of electricity. Hopefully that won't happen. Well, when my dad drove out, I saw the same bridge I saw when I went in the park.

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Bear Exhibit

By Avery Aurand
Grade 5 Altoona Middle School

One day at my cabin, we all were kind of bored and wanted to do something exciting and fun, even though it was one of the holidays at our cabin. My mom and dad didn't really want to go to the city, so we went to a small town called Elle.

My Nonni and Poppy estimated for it to be a 30-minute drive, but it was two hours! We drove through a town with busted houses and buildings. Finally we stopped by a huge green sign saying 'Bear Exhibit, Come On In!'

I got out of the car and stood there staring. Two hours for this? My family was already ahead of me, so I ran up to them. I clung onto my mom's hand as we all walked in the immense bronze doors.

Right as we walked inside, my brother was already at everything! The exhibit was pleasant and quaint with the stench of bear all around.

First I walked to a room that had forest wallpaper. A stampede of younger kids were sitting all around, drawing, climbing or just plain screaming. So, I left and went to the gift shop. It was full of hats, pajamas and food.

My favorite of these was a pair of pajamas. They were red with black moose all over them.

I eventually got uninterested with that and moved on to a cartoon scene with lots of magazines and reports on bear attacks and hunting hanging from black hangers. I didn't really like that exhibit. (I don't like hunting!)

Next, George and I went to see the bear cage. In it was a real black bear. It was the mother because the baby came out next.

We walked up on a ramp where the bears — mother and cub — were right beneath you. My brother and I kind of were goofing off when my brother kicked his Croc shoe into the bears' cage!

I couldn't believe it. My mom saw the shoe on the bottom and started laughing. She came up and hugged my brother and repeated, 'We'll get your shoe back, honey. The bear won't eat it.'

We went to the front desk right next to the gift shop. We asked the clerk if someone could get it. He called on his walkie-talkie for a bear keeper.

Everyone was crowded around the window when the bear keeper snatched George's shoe right out of the cage. She came out and handed him the shoe. My brother and I blushed when everyone was staring at us.

This will surely be one trip I won't forget.

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Christmas Crash

by Haley Stowell
Northwoods Elementary, Grade 4

Crash! An ordament fell from the tree. Hunter, what did you do that for? yelled by mom. My brother had knocked an ordament off the tree. My parents were angrey. Little did they know that later that night there would be many more crashes than one little ordament.

Later on I came across my faveorite ordament. It was a blue snowman with glittering sparkles.

I hung it in the front for the whole world to see. I also hung it high enough so my pets couldn't reach it.

Finally we were ready to put on the star. My brother, Nick, lifed me up and I placed the star on top. We pluged it in.

Then my family addmired it like it was a golden statute.

Meanwhile my dad walked downstairs.

All was silent as we sat on the couch still glaring at the tree in amazment.

The silence broke as the tree crashed to the ground. My heart filled with sorrow and my eyes filled with tears.

Hunter saw me and tried to cheer me up by singing Christmas carols and making funny faces. It didn't help much.

When my dad heared the crash he zoomed upstairs. He triped on the last stair.

Lights and glass were everywhere! My favorite ordament was smahed into pieces. The sight made me cry more.

My parents picked up the tree and all the ordaments. The glass was pointy like needles.

After I stoped crying something popped into my head. Where was Santa going to put the presents? I cryed again. Christmas eve was 2 days away!

Soon after that my mom drove to Wallgreens and got more ordaments and a new star.

The rest of the night we decorated the tree again. We were laughing, smiling.

Even though the amazing tree fell, everyone was still merry.

That day I learned it didn't matter if you had a good or a bad tree. It matters if you have a great holiday or not.

It was the greatest Christmas ever!

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Spruced up for Christmas

By Ali Konz
Grade 7 South Middle School

When I was little, I was a little stupid. But, I loved Christmas, and I loved Santa.

When I was 3, I was so happy because it was December, which meant my mom's side of the family was coming. I didn't know what day in December Christmas was, but every night I took a paper link off my chain to mark it.

Well, that sounds confusing, so let me explain. On Dec. 1, my mom and I took strips of paper, taped them in circles and connected them to make a chain. Every night before I went to bed, I tore off one of the papers.

Finally, there were only two paper links left, which meant tomorrow was Christmas Eve.

I lay down in my big bed and waited for morning so I could see my cousins. When I woke up, I had to get ready to see my family. When they finally got to my house, I was so excited.

My cousin Moriah walked in the house. She's 11 months older than me, but we were almost like best friends. We played together all day and tried to decide if we would sleep at my house with my parents or sleep at the Plaza Hotel with her parents.

We decided to stay at my house and then go swimming at the hotel the next day.

That night after my mom read 'Rudolph' to me and Moriah, we thought it would be nice if we looked really nice for when Santa came. So, we got out some small scissors and gave ourselves some nice haircuts.

Well, we thought they were nice, but they were horrible. When my parents walked in, they were so mad.

I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was cut really short. So, I stopped and went to bed.

On Christmas morning I opened one of my smaller presents and saw that it was coal. I didn't realize that I had done something wrong until I got the coal, so I cried. Now, I laugh about the whole thing.

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A Pretty Warm Christmas

By Julian A. Velasquez Lenis
Grade 12 New Auburn High School

A couple of weeks ago, it snowed for the first time since I came to America. I was so amazed because that was the first time I saw and touched the snow in my whole life.

Many school people were surprised to learn that in Columbia, where I come from, it doesn't snow, and they wondered how Christmas would be without it.

Usually at the end of November, my dad tells me that it is time to 'turn on the Christmas,' which means that I have to climb to the attic and take down the Christmas stuff.

After that, my sister, who always comes to visit us during this season, and I put together our big artificial Christmas tree in the living room and a nativity scene in the lounge.

After Dec. 1 you can see a lot of lights adorning the house facades. Although my parents usually don't decorate our house, they like to go in the car and look at other houses.

From Dec. 16th to the 24th, almost every Catholic home makes a preparation for the birth of Jesus called The Christmas Ninth, or 'Novena' in Spanish, because it consists of nine days of a series of short prayers and songs to Jesus.

After the last day's prayers, although there is not a typical food for that day, there is a big dinner with our closest relatives while we wait for midnight.

My sister Monica always insists to my mom that we open our presents before 12 o'clock, but my mom never lets us. At that time we gather next to the tree and open our gifts by turns.

When I was a child, like many other kids, I used to believe that little Jesus brings the presents to our tree. Although we have heard about Santa Claus, the one who delivers the kids' gifts in Colombia is little Jesus.

On Dec. 31, a great part of my family come to my home where my parents make a barbecue at noon. At night, we all eat traditional Christmas dishes such as lentils, grapes, natilla (a custard dish) and buñuelo (a fried ball made of flour and cheese that is similar to bread).

That night after the countdown for the new year, you can hear a lot of fireworks. People make big dummies, called 'Old Years,' filling them with gunpowder and sawdust, and burn them right after 12 o'clock to symbolize that the old year is gone and a new one begins.

On Jan. 6, on the Wise Men day, we usually put the Christmas decorations in the attic for the next year, and our relatives return to their respective homes.

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Bear Encounter

By Caleb Anczak
Grade 6 Altoona Middle School

It was a frosty, icy, brisk Christmas Eve. My cousins and I were waiting to open presents.

We were getting bored, so we decided to play Hide N' Seek. I was going to hide with my cousin Nick. We always were doing stuff together at family holidays, birthday parties, etc., probably because he was the closest in age to me out of my cousins.

We thought that the woods would be a tremendous hiding spot — a gigantic mistake.

We made our way through the woods. We were pretty sure that my cousin Kayla was done counting. We were surrounded by pine and oak trees. Nick found an enormous oak tree. We decided we should hide out there.

It was a long time waiting for someone to find us. We basically just sat under the tree. We started to get bored.

So, I thought we should make a snow fort while we waited. By that time, someone was bound to find us. I had no idea that we had only another hour of daylight, that my mother and my uncle were worried sick about us, and that the game was done in less than 10 minutes.

The snow fort was crude and lopsided, but it had a roof and was warm. That time that we spent in the fort was fun. We played games like Eye Spy, and Rock, Paper, Scissors.

That arctic-cold Christmas Eve in that fort was the best one I can ever remember. The pumpkin pie that I was so worried about getting a slice of now was no longer of the essence.

My eyes stung from the arctic waves of winds that blew through the cracks. I tried to patch them as best as I could, but it was no use. The sunlight was disappearing, and we needed to get back.

My blood went cold. There, 14 yards away, was a grizzly bear. I was only 6 years old at the time and didn't know that there weren't grizzlies in Wisconsin.

'Nick,' I whispered very quietly.

'Yeah?' he replied.

I waved the follow sign to him. He got the sign and started following me fast but cautiously. The bear did not move, but I was sure it was watching us.

My instincts told me to run as fast as I could, but I tried to remember how fast grizzlies could go. Nothing came to mind. We probably made it 10 feet when I heard a crash.

I turned around to see that Nick had crashed near the water of the lake. I picked him up, and we got moving. We made it past the bear, and we were 100 yards away, home-free now.

We opened the door excepting to have a bunch of warm welcomes. We were greeted by scolds instead. Then it turned out Christmas wasn't so bad.

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Christmas Stitches

By Austin Haglund
Grade 7 Durand Junior High School

My dad and I had just come home from getting our haircuts. While we were walking up the cement steps in our garage, I slipped on some ice.

I fell and hit the bottom of the doorsill. My bottom row of teeth went right through my lip and my tongue. My dad hurried over and asked me, 'Are you okay?'

He picked me up and took me into the house and set me on the counter.

My mom, panicked as usual, rushed over to me and asked, 'What happened?'

She grabbed a wet towel and put it to my mouth. The blood was running down my chin.

My dad said, 'Lean over the sink and open your mouth.' So I did, and blood just rushed out. Then something just flopped out of my mouth.

My mom asked, 'What is that?'

My dad suggested that I bit my tongue in half. My mom told me to put what was left of my tongue on the towel. By the time I did, my dad looked a little dizzy, and I thought he was going to be sick!

My panicked mother called the hospital and told my Grandma Beverly to meet us at the entrance of the hospital. By the time my dad picked me up off the counter, took me into the garage and put me in the car, my mother was frantic.

I remember Mom starting the car. We were off to the hospital; I can still hear my mom telling me not to fall asleep. I was crying and all I wanted to do was spit this thing out of my mouth. My mom told me I couldn't because it was my tongue. Then I freaked out and wanted to go home.

After we got to the hospital, Dr. Rucker told my mom that he could not do anything for my tongue. We had to drive to Eau Claire to Sacred Heart Hospital for the doctors there to sew my tongue back on, so my mom made my Grandma Beverly drive to Eau Claire.

On the drive I fell asleep in my mom's lap.

When we finally got there and got settled down, Mom told me I was going to get my tongue sewn back on. It was 3 a.m. I got out of surgery at about 4:30 a.m.

When I woke up, my mom and Grandma Beverly were there to take me home.

My mouth hurt, and my tongue felt like it was 10 inches thick. It was wrapped in a dry sock. The doctor in Eau Claire told me that I could not go to school and I could only eat Popsicles for the first two days. Just think, I got out of school, but the hard way.

When I got home, it was 9 a.m. My dad hugged me and asked if I hurt. Then I heard my sister laughing because my tongue was too big for my mouth. When I wanted to talk, I would sound funny.

Mom put me on the couch. I looked over at the Christmas tree and asked, ' Is Santa Claus still going to come?'

All my mom would say is, 'We'll see.'

That was one Christmas I will always remember because I could not eat my candy canes or any of the Christmas cookies. Still to this day, when I bite my tongue, I think of that.

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Thanksgiving Emergency

By Ryan Cramer
Grade 2 Locust Lane School

I have a half-good and half-bad life, but the worst thing happened to my dad. On Thanksgiving Day, my dad had a brain aneurysm.

My sister, my friend and I were having a snack, then my mom came running out and got a bucket. When she was running back, she said, 'Go outside!'

I was worried that my dad was throwing up. Then my sister had to go in for something. When she came back, she said that my dad was throwing up. Then my mom had to take him to the hospital.

The hospital could not take care of his brain aneurysm. My mom called from the doctor and wanted to talk to my sister. She said that my dad took a helicopter ride to Rochester, Minn., and the good thing is that Rochester's hospital is the best hospital in the United States.

She told us that he is in good hands, he's telling jokes, and he is feeling good. He's going to be there for two weeks.

My dad was really lucky that he survived his aneurysm. At Thanksgiving, we didn't eat a lot because we were so sad. At Thanksgiving, there were three people missing; Dad, Mom and my uncle. My uncle was missing because he had to drive my mom. It was the worst Thanksgiving ever.

When my dad got out of the hospital, we went to the Holiday Inn Express and spent the night there. We watched the movie 'Vacation.' The next morning when we got up, we watched 'SpongeBob SquarePants.' Then we went and had breakfast.

Now he is back at home, back to usual, all safe and sound.

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My Christmas in Norway

By Evan Dexter
Grade 5 Altoona Middle School

When we were driving to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, I had a feeling that this would be a Christmas to remember. I had my backpack, my Christmas list and my Christmas stocking, so I was all set for our trip to spend Christmas with family in Norway.

We flew to Oslo, Norway, then went to a station to get an overnight train to Bodo, Norway. As we traveled north, the landscape got snowy and mountainous. There were musk ox grazing the last little bit of grass available on the rocky mountains.

We traveled through villages where we could see faint flickers of candles. There were no goats on the sod rooftops like we had seen on a summer trip to Norway, but there was a beautiful coat of snow to take the goat's place just for the winter.

The train kept traveling north in the darkness, and finally we crossed the Arctic Circle. I felt like I was close to the North Pole! Pretty soon I knew that my magical train trip was winding down.

From Bodo, we got on a small plane for a flight to the island where my cousins live.

Because it was just two days before Christmas, the first thing we did was eat a snack and then go cut the Christmas tree. They decorate their trees on Christmas Eve, or lille juledag, as they call it.

On Christmas Eve, we went to church. I remember falling asleep, but I woke up when the pastor was walking down the aisle with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

He walked right up to my sister and handed her the flowers. He was speaking Norwegian, which my two sisters and I don't speak fluently. Well, you could easily tell she was very stunned and speechless, but she managed to give a little chuckle, and then the pastor realized she didn't understand him and he carried right on with the sermon.

When the sermon was over, we rode back to their house on a special kicksled called a sparke. Like any other kid, I got very restless until we go to sing Norwegian songs and dance around the Christmas tree and open presents. Then we laid our Christmas stockings on the fireplace — they don't hang them up like we do — and stayed up late playing games and talking.

On New Year's Eve, we watched fireworks explode in the distance. We were up until 1 a.m. watching fireworks and playing games.

When we were in bed for the last night in Norway, I was sad, but I hoped that more magical trips would come my way. That was my Christmas in Norway.

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Work in Progress

By Benjamin Foster
Grade 3 Flynn School

My favorite holiday memory is last year's Christmas. I got a K'NEX roller coaster, and I also got a Star Wars Starfighter. Only I got the Obi-Wan Starfighter. My brother, Kyle, got the Anakin Starfighter.

My mom, Denise, got a jewelry case. My dad, Mark, got a radio, but all he listens to is Jazz Cafe. It's very cool so it's not too bad.

Oh, by the way, my roller coaster is not done yet. Well, I'm almost done, but I do have a wish. I wish I could finish it.

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Wink of his eye

By Blake Olson
Grade 3 Manz School

One of my favorite Christmases was at my Grandma Pam's. I was 7 years old. We were waiting for Santa to come while we read a story about a polar bear and Baby Jesus.

We put glitter and oatmeal on the grass for the reindeer, and it glittered like the stars in the sky.

Finally Santa came! We were so happy that we jumped up and down. But the two babies cried because they were afraid of Santa.

And then he gave us all a nice gift, and he left really quick with a wink of his eye. That was one of my best Christmases ever.

But it's really not about presents. It's about Baby Jesus!

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The Christmas Bell

By Claire Pszeniczny
Grade 4 Pedersen School, Altoona

It was the night before Christmas. We rented the movie 'The Polar Express.' I watched the wonderful movie full of action and surprises.

That night I dreamed about the wonderful gifts I'd get: a chocolate Santa or a Webkinz stuffed animal or even an ornament.

I woke up the next morning and looked out my window. I could hardly see through the frosty, cool, sparkling window.

I ran into the living room. There were my parents, sitting and waiting while drinking creamy, chocolaty hot cocoa.

All of a sudden I spotted all of my presents. I could hardly get under the fat, glittering tree. I finally got under the tree and got all of my presents. I ripped off all the paper and got the most beautiful gifts I'd ever dreamed of!

When I thought I had cleaned out the sparkling tree, out of the blue I spotted one more present.

The little gift was wrapped beautifully. I carefully picked it up and shook it. It sounded like a little bell. I carefully opened the top and found ... a little bell with a little, old leather strap. I thought, 'Why would Santa give me a bell?!?'

Then I remembered the story, 'The Polar Express.' What Santa had given me was a real bell from his sleigh!

I treasured that bell so much because the meaning behind that bell is when you shake it, you can only hear the beautiful sound if you truly believe in Santa. I don't know about you, but I can hear that bell every Christmas!

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Christmas Morning!

By Elliott Morning
Grade 2 Immaculate Conception School

I will always remember the Christmas when I was 6 years old. We got a toboggan. We went to a big hill. We went to the top and then slid all the way down.

I also like Christmas because Jesus was born. We celebrate by putting up lights and a Christmas tree and by decorating Christmas cookies. We put out some of the Christmas cookies for Santa and apples or carrots for his reindeer.

When it's morning, we race downstairs and see a million presents!

That's why I love Christmas. I bet Santa loves those cookies too!

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The New Tradition

By Emma Fentress
Grade 3 Robbins School

We made up a thing called 'Christmas Gifts,' in which you have to be nice to your brother and sister for four weeks straight.

We get two warnings and then we get a strike. A warning is a reminder, and a strike is an 'X.' If you get one, then you'll lose your present for that week. If you get two strikes, then it takes away the next week's present too, and so on until the four weeks are over.

We can win back presents too. If we have all four strikes, we have to be perfectly nice to each other. That means we can't get any warnings or any strikes for four days.

If we don't get any strike for all four weeks, then we get a bonus gift! That means we get five gifts instead of four.

We just started this year. So far, I have got zero warnings and zero strikes. That's a good score.

I really like it, really I do. It is a good way to connect the family. I think it is a great tradition for all families.

All the money from it will at least add up to $100 or more. It is a good way to get something that you really want. It should be really nice too, something that you should be nice the whole year for.

This is such a nice thing that we're going to do it for all the holidays. We're going to have fun.

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Christmas Memories

By McKenna Elizabeth Erickson
Grade 3 St. James School

It was Christmas Eve and I was still awake because I couldn't sleep. I heard footsteps on the roof.

As Santa dropped off the presents and left, I saw Rudolph's nose! I saw his bright red nose through the white curtains.

I jumped out of bed and saw my presents under the tree. I got my brother, Logan, up, and then we ran to wake up Mom and Dad. We opened our presents.

Mom and Dad went back to bed. Mom said, 'Go back to bed!'

We said, 'No, we want to play with our new toys.'

Then I saw the note Santa left. It said, 'McKenna, I hope you like your new room!'

Logan and I went downstairs and opened my new room's door. I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw the purple sparkly canopy and the Bratz beaded door hanger that I had wished for.

Mom and Dad got up because they heard us downstairs. They looked in my new room. Dad said, 'WOW!'

It was so exciting to have a new bedroom thanks to Mom and Santa.

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Deck the Halls With ... Liquid?

By Olivia Spiegel
Grade 11 Chippewa Falls Senior High School

'OK, who flushed the toilet?'

What a dumb question, right? After all, who cares, just as long as someone did?

For once in my life, that question's answer was my key to opening the door of misery — even if my answer, 99 percent of the time, is the one you'd want to hear. But not this time.

'Ummm ... yeah?'

Never on Christmas Day had I felt such guilt, when I squeaked out those two tiny words.

I had just completed chowing down probably the yummiest meal I shove down all year. After that task was completed successfully and fully, I made my way to the tiny living room that occupied itself with a tree that seemed three times as big as the room itself.

'PRESENT TIME!' screamed somebody.

Yes, it's like this every year: total chaos regarding the presents piled 10 feet high, circling that big old tree. That tradition will never die. And unfortunately, that year I was guilty enough to allow it to grow.

'Wait! I gotta go ...!'

And off I went, sprinting the 10-foot dash up the stairs and into the nearest bathroom. It's too bad this sprint, which would have earned me praise at a track meet later on in life, did absolutely squat for me on that joyful holiday.

Maybe, if I had been only 10 seconds slower, I would have caught a glimpse of the flaming red sign smothering the door and containing the five most important words ever put into a single sentence: 'DON'T FLUSH THE TOILET.'

FLUSH.

Oops. Too late. Too bad for me that it was on the way out of my grandparents' lovely bathroom that I came across such an alarming display.

'What have I done?'

Drip. Drip. Drip.

'You hear that?'

'Why's my foot all soaked?

'WHY IS THERE WATER EVERYWHERE?'

Uh oh. I'm screwed, or dead. Either one would have been better than alive, on Jesus Christ's birthday.

As I slowly made my way down to my doom, I witnessed the most horrific event ever witnessed on Christmas Day, or at least in my family, anyway.

The plush floor that had once been home to our presents was well on its way to being home for all the fish in the sea. Water, or what I prayed to be water, smothered the walls like a giant Niagara, and poured down from the ceiling like rain.

My grandparents' house had become a home of tears. Tears from what carelessness mixed with presents at Christmastime can bring. All the presents, the laughter, the chaos gone. Everything down the drain.

'OLIVIA! Did you flush that toilet?'

'Umm... yeah?'

My Christmas was gone in a flush.

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How to Not Assemble a House

By Megan Ward
Grade 12, Chippewa Falls Senior High School

Everything started out well. We had bought everything that we needed for construction. It was going to be a family event, and everyone was required to help.

How were we supposed to know that everything would go so wrong?

The fact that we didn't wait for the contractor to finish his other business was the first thing that we did wrong. Being the modern women that we are, my sister, mom and I thought that we didn't need him right away to build the house; we would build it ourselves.

We were sadly mistaken.

Pouring the foundation for the house was no trouble. We even got the walls of the house up without difficulty. It wasn't until we got to the roof that we began to encounter snags in the house's construction.

First, a corner of the roof broke off in transit to our house, and that had to be repaired. At best, the repair job could only be called shabby. Everything went downhill from there.

Slowly and tentatively, we got the roof attached to the house, but it wouldn't stay. As Mom started to put on the shingles, individual pieces of the roof began to give in to gravity and fall towards the earth. Desperately, my sister and I tried to hold the pieces together, but we were failing.

Finally, in strode the contractor, who was finished with his other business. He told us that it was a lost cause and to abandon construction of the house because we hadn't waited for him.

Being stubborn, we continued to try to save the house from the destruction that we had made of it. Seeing this, the contractor lent a hand even though he knew that it would do no good.

With the roof failing, my mom put the door and front window into the house anyway. It was the only part of the house that actually looked decent.

We finally gave up after another 10 minutes of trying to keep the roof from answering the call of gravity. When all was said and done, we had a roofless house but a door and circular window that looked very good.

Gumdrops make excellent windows. Yes, this poorly constructed structure was supposed to be a gingerbread house. We attempted to make it look like the picture on the box, but we failed.

Oh, how we failed.

'On the plus side, we have dessert,' said my dad (the contractor).

My mom replied in turn, 'What does that say about our family when we can't even put a gingerbread house together?'

My reply to that was it didn't say anything. Sure, we can't put together a gingerbread house that came in a kit, but we had fun trying to do that, and I would do it again to have some more fun.

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At Christmas

By Julia Carpenter
Flynn Elementary, Grade 3

As the wind whips my hair, I step on the doorstep covered in ice. The doorbell rings its lovely tune, starting my Christmas out perfectly.

My grandma, Lana, answers happily, letting us in. I quickly hop out of my winter clothes and bounce into the living room.
We are the first ones here! I stand on the green couch and look out the window, eagerly waiting for my relatives to come.
Soon, everyone is here, and dinner is ready. It is delicious! Now the yuletide log is served. (The yuletide log is chocolate cake with ice cream in the center.)

Now, every year we play a game called Left and Right, where you pass bags left and right when you hear them in a story Grandma reads. Ron (Grandma's brother, or sister's husband) usually gets coal in his sack. You aren't allowed to peek!

Soon, all contestants for The Pickle Game grab their flashlights and run to the tree. The Pickle Game is when you have to find a pickle ornament in the tree.

My dad is helping me a little bit, but I am looking a lot too. My dad and I found it at the same time! I, for some reason, got the chocolate-bag prize instead of Dad and I getting it.

Now, when we do presents, we use an order like oldest to youngest. I get a nice, shiny present, to find inside some fashion plates and other little gifts.

As I knew from the beginning, it is a perfect Christmas Eve. Now, what will happen tomorrow?

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Christmas in a Crowded Room

By Emily Widstrand
South Middle School, Grade 8

Most people would be apprehensive about buying Christmas presents for people they didn't know. I know I was.

When I walked into ShopKo with the rest of my Girl Scout troop, I admit that I wasn't so keen on spending some of my money on complete and total strangers.

Our Girl Scout troop had decided to 'adopt' a homeless grandmother and her grandson for Christmas. What this meant was that our troop was to go shopping and buy some Christmas gifts for people who normally couldn't afford them.

So, we got into the store and into the commercialized 'spirit of Christmas.' We bought many clothes for the grandmother and some fun toys for the child.

I was glad to help, but I didn't know yet if my money had been well-spent. I found out about a week later when we went to deliver the gifts to the family.

The motel room was small and dimly lit. It smelled of disinfectant soaps, and cans of soup were stacked haphazardly in the corners. A minuscule radio was blaring crackly Christmas carols, the only sign that Christmas was in fact coming to this motel room.

Our troop stepped inside, and any space that there was became crumpled between our bulky winter jackets. There was no room to move, and we had to stuff ourselves up against one another so the boy could test out a new toy.

A silence followed in which the boy picked up a ball and dropped it through a waist-level hoop. Then he broke into excited giggles, and everyone let out a breath that we didn't know we were holding.
At that moment, as the chatter resumed, I knew that it didn't matter if the gifts weren't exactly perfect. Any gift was a good gift to this family who had had a run of rotten luck and without our help wouldn't have been able to afford Christmas.

No, that isn't right. The Christmas spirit cannot be bought. It is created by love and the joy that comes with spending time with family and friends.

I'm sure that these people that we had helped were extremely happy with anything we had to offer, including time together in a cramped motel room. And do you know what? I was happy too.

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Crisis Christmas brings closeness

By Shantel Seefeldt
North High School, Grade 9

It was the snow glistening Christmas eve of two thousand- six. My parents had just left to do some last minute shopping and my dad started to complain about having heartburn. When my parents came home, my sister and I were aloud to open one of our presents that is marked with a star. Like every year, the present is a brand new pair of pajamas. After my sister and I got dressed in our pajamas and cuddled up in our so