Writer Wednesday -- In Honor of a Snow Day

Winter Fun

Gloves and hat and boots and coat,

Loop a scarf around my throat.

Ready for cold winter fun,

Out we go to snow and fun.

Build a snow slide up so high,

Up we climb then down we fly.

Angels snowy dot the yard,

All around our fort they guard.

Watch for snowballs flying past,

Run and dive, be very fast.

Tromp inside, get warm, get dry. 
Back outside, there's more to try.

© August 2008 Rebekah Hoeft

Sweet Hopeful Hymns We Sing

Yesterday and the day before, I posted about Susanna Leonard Hill's Annual Holiday Contests.  Today, guess what?  I'm posting about Susanna Leonard Hill's Annual Holiday Contests. 

This entry was from last year's contest--a Twelve Days of Christmas-esque Christmas hymn homage.  Say that 12 times fast.

Again, not a winner.  Again, fun to write.

Sweet Hopeful Hymns We Sing

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing:
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing:
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
Lift Up Your Heads
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
Hark the Glad Sound!
Lift Up Your Heads
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
Come, Expected Jesus
Hark the Glad Sound!
Lift up Your Heads
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
In the Bleak Midwinter
Once in David’s City
Come, Expected Jesus
Hark the Glad Sound!
Lift Up Your Heads
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
Away in the Manger
In a Little Stable
In the Bleak Midwinter
Once in David’s City
Come, Expected Jesus
Hark the Glad Sound!
Lift Up Your Heads
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

In the days before Christmas, sweet hopeful hymns we sing
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Joy to the World
Away in the Manger
In a Little Stable
In the Bleak Midwinter
Once in David’s City
Come Expected Jesus
Hark the Glad Sound!
Lift Up Your Heads
Savior, Come
Come, Emmanuel
Preparing for the Advent of Our King.

©2016 Rebekah Hoeft

Sneaky Snoop: A Cautionary Christmas Tale

Last year, Susanna Leonard Hill, blogger and author of the Punxsutawney Phyllis books (among others) hosted her 6th Annual Holiday Contest.  It was a challenge to write a children's story of 300 words or less using the basic concept of the 12 Days of Christmas.  

Super fun.  And challenging to use that form to tell an actual story.  In 300 words or less.  

Better than 250, which is this year's challenge.  You can find more info about this year's challenge here and my entry here.  Hurry if you want to enter--your story is due by 11:59 p.m. tonight!

This was one of my entries from last year-not a winner, but fun to write anyway.  Possibly hard to sing correctly.  Also, I should point out, 292 words---waaayyy under the word limit!  Though I might have been pushing it using whoopity-whoop as one word instead of two.

Sneaky Snoop: A Cautionary Christmas Tale

Ten days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Found a gift that made me whisper, “Whoop!”

Nine days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Eight days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Seven days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Wooden slingshot!
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Six days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
SIX PAIRS OF SOCKS??!
Wooden slingshot!
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Five days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
New underwear.
SIX PAIRS OF SOCKS?!
Wooden slingshot!
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Four days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Ugly scratchy sweater.
New underwear.
SIX PAIRS OF SOCKS?!
Wooden slingshot!
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Three days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Rocks wrapped so nicely.
Ugly scratchy sweater.
New underwear.
SIX PAIRS OF SOCKS?!
Wooden slingshot!
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

Two days before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Two lumps of coal.
Rocks wrapped so nicely.
Ugly scratchy sweater.
New underwear.
SIX PAIRS OF SOCKS?!
Wooden slingshot!
Yellow yo-yo!
Bright bicycle!
T’was a gift that made me whoopity-whoop!

The day before Christmas, I snuck a sneaky snoop:
Found a note from Mother,
It said, “You think you’re sneaky,
But you are not really.
Your gifts are all rehidden
Might not find them until
FIVE DAYS FROM NOW!!
It’ll be fun
Since you like
Hunting for your gifts
Merry Christmas, son! I love you, sneaky snoop!”

©2016 Rebekah Hoeft

Susanna Leonard Hill's 7th Annual Holiday Contest - Travelin' Blues

Susanna Leonard Hill, author, blogger, friend to the groundhog, and lover of chocolate, hosts a writing contest a few times a year at her blog.  I've entered a couple of them and find her challenges very...challenging.  Because there's a word limit.  A teensy-tiny limit.  

This year, her challenge is to write a children's story of 250 words or less centered around a holiday surprise.

250 words.  She thinks that is better than her Halloween challenge that was 100 words or less. 

Yes.  250 words is better than 100.  But still. Fitting a complete-ish story arc with a main character-ish into 250 words is a wee bit of a challenge.  

I  wrote and cut and felt cruel and my poor little story was screaming but I showed no mercy and did the necessary and ended up with a 250 word story.  Whew.  

Don't you feel inspired and full of Christmas cheer after that?

Happy Christmas.

Travelin' Blues

We’re travelers.  

Mom writes books about different cultures.  We’re home for a bit while we catch up with friends and school work.  Then -- off again!

The only time this is a problem is Christmas.  Every year, a new place.  I just want to be home.

This is how it goes before Christmas:

“Mama, can we go home for Christmas?”

“Not this year, Kels.  This year we’re going to [insert name of faraway country].”

And then we’re off. 

I’ve gotta admit we’ve been part of amazing Christmas celebrations.

When I was seven, fireworks and ice cream in Brazil:  spectacular!

Thirteen desserts in France.  YESSS!

A sauna on Christmas Eve in Estonia:    interesting?!

Last year, two Christmases.

Iceland in December:  books and pretty fried bread.  Perfection.

Ethiopia in January:  4:00 a.m. candlelight procession.  Intense.

This year, I’ve had it.  I wanna go home.

We’re in Australia.  I say, with grump:

“Mom.  Let’s go home for Christmas.”

She just gave a tired smile and kept typing.

Grrr.

Today we’re off to wherever we’re going.  Don’t care where.

We’re late, rushing to get settled with our flight standbys:  earbuds, neck pillows, books.  Mom pulls out a gift bag.

“Open it.”

I know it must be her buttering me up for another traveling Christmas. 

As the flight attendant says “...and then straight to the States,” I read the words “DTW” at the end of the printed itinerary that was in the bag.  Detroit.  Michigan.  Home.  Heaven on earth.

“Surprise,” Mom says quietly.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

©2017 Rebekah Hoeft

Edited:
I was a finalist!!  Out of the 10 finalists, I came in...10th.  

😁

I was very happy to recieve  a set of "What's the Story" cards from Susanna--thank you!!  

There's a desription and pictures of them on her site here.  You can order them by emailing her.  They would be great for classrooms or for writers who sometimes need a little push to get started.  My package also arrived with chocolate, because Susanna.