Page 16 of Hearing Little Hadley

Hadley handed her picture to Nanny J and put the red glitter crayon back in the basket. Rudolph’s nose was so pretty and red.

“This is beautiful, Hadley. I’m sure Master Finn will be so proud of your hard work,” Miss Phoebe said, putting the coloring page into Hadley’s cubby.

She smiled around her pacifier. She did hope Finn really liked it.

“Alright, boys and girls, let’s all go sit on the carpet for Circle Time,” Nanny J said.

Hadley stood and pushed her chair in before tiptoeing to the carpet.

Mindy giggled and mimicked her. Hadley could tell by her playful smile she wasn’t being mean, though.

Both girls sat on the carpet. Miss Samantha and Miss Phoebe joined them too. Hadley liked that the grownups sat with them.

Nanny J sat on a stool in the middle of the carpet. In her hands, she held a pink stick with bells on the end.

“Lori, it’s your turn to adjust the Christmas Countdown.”

Lori stood and rushed to the bulletin board where a red paper chain was hung. She ripped off one piece at the end.

“How many rings are left?” Nanny J asked her.

Lori counted. “Six!”

“Wow, so it’s only six days until Christmas!”

Excited whispers filled the room. Hadley wondered if she and Finn could make a countdown chain like that for their room.

“This is our talking stick, friends. When it’s pointed at you, you may speak, but if it’s pointed at someone else, you need to have your listening ears on,” she explained, still holding the pink stick.

Nanny J pointed it at Nate.

“Can you tell me what holiday is coming up?”

“Christmas!”

“Good job!” she praised.

“What other holidays are happening besides Christmas?”

“Hanukkah,” Lori said when the listening stick was pointing to her.

“Great job, Lori. I have so many smart friends in my class!”

“Any more?”

The pointing stick chose Mindy next. “Kanaza, Kanwai, no Kwa…”

“Kwanzaa, very good, Mindy. I like how you kept trying.”

“Thank you, Nanny J.”

“What are some things we see during the month of December?”

This time the talking stick pointed to Hadley. She flipped to her weather cards and tapped snow.

“That’s right, Hadley. It does get colder around December and we see more snow. Had you seen snow before visiting Rawhide Ranch?”

Hadley shook her head.

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