Not Just for Snowmen

A Great Gift for Grown-Ups

Christmas is great for kids.

But it can be stressful, too.

Buying presents for grown-ups is no easy task. First they have just about anything they'd want. Second, anything they don't have is too expensive for my allowance.

Here's a gift sure to please.

A card.

But not just any card. A card that you've made by hand.

Here's what you'll need: colored construction paper (I like dark blue or red); a healthy pine tree that won't mind you taking a few clippings; scissors; glue or rubber cement; a pen (if you can find one of those pens with silver or gold ink, all the better); wax paper.

1) Fold and trim your paper to approximately 812" by 512", then fold it in half length-wise. Now you have a card.

2) On the front page, write a cheery Christmas message, like "From Me to You A Little Christmas Spirit."

3) Gather your evergreen trimmings and arrange some to resemble a Christmas tree on the inside right side of the card.

4) Once you've come up with a basic design that you like, it's time to set the greens in place. Starting with the top pine cluster, apply glue or rubber cement to the back side and set it in place. Move down your tree, gluing each piece in place.

5) Once all pieces are glued, set a sheet of wax paper over your tree and cover with a heavy book to glue everything in place.

6) After an hour, the glue will be dry. Write a note and sign your own one-of-a-kind card.

Re-Frosting Freddy

Freddy the Snowman came to Chesapeake Bay for a little pre-Christmas reconnaissance for his friend Santa Claus. His mission: double-check which boys and girls have been naughty and which have been nice.

Unfortunately, neither Freddy nor Santa bargained for summer-like weather along the Bay.

Now Freddy is melting fast!

What's worse, Freddy has with him Santa's magic list - you know, all the names of the good boys and girls.

Without that list, Santa will have to skip over all of the Chesapeake Bay rather than pass on a present to an undeserving child.

Can you save Christmas on the Bay and, starting in the center of the maze, help Freddy find his frosty home?

Kids' Calendar

Build a House and Eat it Wed. Dec. 16-Kids ages 6+ piece together delicious and pretty gingerbread houses to take home for the holidays. The Chocolate Box, 126-B Mayo Rd., Edgewater. $25; rsvp: 410/721-2282.

Chow Down Pizza with Santa Sat. Dec. 11 (7-8:30pm)-Kids ages 6-10 down a few slices of pizza while hanging with the big guy himself. Don't forget your list. Southern Community Center, Appeal. $6, rsvp: 410/586-1101.

Narf Cookies with St. Nick Rsvp by Dec. 11 for Dec. 18 (6:30-7:30pm)-Kids ages 2-10 stop in and meet Santa for a jolly good spot of milk and cookies w/the jolly old elf himself. Mt. Hope Community Center, Sunderland. $4: 410/257-6770.

Make Treats for Santa and Rudolph Rsvp by Dec. 11 for Dec. 18; by Dec. 14 for Dec. 21 (1-2:30pm Dec. 18; 4-7pm Dec. 21)-Kids ages 3-5 (Dec. 18) and 6-11 (Dec. 21) get ready to welcome Santa down the chimney by baking cookies for him and cutting carrots for Rudolph. Mt. Hope Community Center, Sunderland. $8: 410/257-6770.

Better Babysitting Sat. Dec. 12 & 13 (2-6pm)-Kids ages 9-12 (Dec. 12) and 13+ (Dec. 13) who want to babysit find training in the YWCA workshop Mother's Helpers. Learn what your responsibilities are, child development, safety and fun things to do. Ages 13+ also get info on dealing w/difficult situations and marketing. Bring bag lunch or snack and something to write with. YWCA Building, 1517 Ritchie Hwy., Arnold. $25 w/discounts: 410/626-7800.

Eat & Meet Sat. Dec. 12 (9-11am)-Bring your wish list, an appetite for all your favorite breakfast foods and your photogenic smile to Breakfast with Santa. The visit, photo and food are all free; donations of non-perishable foods and toys for USMC's Toys for Tots are welcome. Mariner Health, Glen Burnie: 410/766-3460.

Winter's Wonders Sat. Dec. 12 (10-noon)-Kids ages 6-9 discover the amazing adaptations that let woodpeckers and other year-round resident creatures stay thru winter. For example, woodpeckers can actually hear bugs behind tree bark. Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Port Republic. $3; rsvp: 410/535-5327.

Kids' Christmas Symphony Sat. Dec. 12 (1pm)-Bring the family and get taken in by the merry music of the US Naval Academy Band as they play popular holiday tunes and pop up with more than a few surprises - including one visitor from the North Pole. Mitscher Hall, USNA. Free: 410/293-0263.

Learn How Critters Adapt Sat. Dec. 12 (1-3pm)-The frigid winds of winter are coming; maybe even w/mounds of snow. Discover how animals deal w/winter's harsh weather via hands-on fun and hiking. Afterwards, warm up w/hot cocoa and make a snowy craft to take home. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Lothian. $2.50 w/discounts; rsvp: 410/741-9330.

Old Time Christmas Sat. Dec. 12 (1-4pm)-You mean there was a time when Christmas had no video games, radio-controlled cars, basketballs, videos and other cool stuff? Egad! See what kids of long ago enjoyed for their Christmases and why they might not have been so unlucky as you may think. Take a tour, create crafts and enjoy refreshments as the folks of Belair Mansion fill you in. 12207 Tulip Grove Dr., Bowie. $15; rsvp: 301/809-3089.

Holiday Rap Sat. Dec. 12 (2pm)-Listen to the rhythmic raps of area kids as the winners of Banneker-Douglass Museum's Black History Rap Contest are revealed. Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St., Annapolis: 410/974-2893.

Read a Tree Sat. Dec. 12 (2-3pm)-Rings tell more than age. Peer into tree innards as you learn dendrochronology - the science of learning about a tree's history from its rings. Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Port Republic. Rsvp: 410/535-5327.

CD Switcheroo Sat. Dec. 12 (3-6pm)-Have a CD or 2 that you don't want anymore? Bring what you've got to the CDs Swap and trade them off for something new. Southern Community Center, Appeal: 410/586-1101.

Sleigh Mail Thru Dec. 15 (9-9)-Drop your letter in Northeast Community Center's specially marked mailbox and make sure Santa gets your wish list. Chesapeake Beach. $20: 410/257-2554.

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VolumeVI Number 49
December 10-16, 1998
New Bay Times

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