"Head...Shoulders...Knees and...SOCKS!"

Well it's official - I'm a Jewish mother. 

As you all know, this week we are celebrating Chanukah.  Candles, presents, Latkes, songs, dreidels, fun. 

When I went to pick up the boy from school last Friday, one of his teachers (who happens to be Muslim) asked me when Chanukah started.  They wanted to teach the kids about holidays other than Christmas.  So I told her the start date, and told her I'd see what we had to bring in to teach the kids about Chanukah.

On Monday, the head teacher of his class asked me if I could bring in stuff about Chanukah - a book, coloring pages, she wanted to make a food dish w/the kids.  So we brought in Av's "Blue's Clues Chanukah" book (did you know that Orange Kitten is Jewish - now you do) and suggested frozen latkes w/applesauce for the kids.  I explained that you don't pronounce the "C" in front of Chanukah (she'd never seen it spelled that way before).  Unfortunately I haven't yet had the chance get all the kid dreidels & gelt.  As one of my friends recently put it - Chanukah is awesome - food, gambling, & presents - what's not to love?

When I was the same age, and also the only Jewish kid in my preschool class, my parents asked the school if the kids would learn about holidays other than Christmas.  Even though it was a secular school, they said "Oh yes!"  So a few weeks later, they called my parents to tell them that the school's theme this year would be "Christmas around the world" but my class would be "Chanukah".  Nice.

So my parents contacted the local JCC for educational materials that would be preschool appropriate.  Someone from the JCC came in w/my parents to teach us all about Chanukah.  My parents made latkes for the class, played dreidel.  It was all good.  There was one boy in the class who was plain clueless, my father recalls that this kid just had a blank look on his face.  Until it came time to light the Chanukiah.  At that point his face lit up - he got it.  And as soon as they were done lighting the candles - he exclaimed at the top of his voice "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"