Oh The Excitement! - Thanksgiving Contest!

Hurray, hurray!  Today's the day!

The Thanksgiving Contest is officially open!  Post your 250 (or fewer) word kids' Thanksgiving story, beginning with "They were supposed to go to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, but the blizzard came in fast..." (poetry or prose is fine, and the opening phrase counts toward the total word count) and add your link to the link list.  We'll all have a great time visiting and reading your stories!  (Note that if you choose to write in poetry/rhyme, you have permission to tweak the opening sentence to fit your meter/rhyme scheme, or you can begin with that sentence and then continue in rhyme.  And if you'd like to participate but don't have a blog, just copy and paste your story into the comments and make sure I have a way to contact you!)

The contest is open from now until the end of Thanksgiving Day, and this post with the link list will remain up during that time.  (You will recall that the powers that be (me) decided not to run Would You Read It this week because we will all be too busy cooking, traveling and visiting to give it the attention it deserves, so there will not be a new post on Wednesday.)  Once the link list closes, my assistant judge and I will select three finalists, who will be posted next Monday Nov. 28 for you to vote on.  The winner of the contest will receive their choice of a $15 Amazon gift card or a hardcover copy of Melissa Sweet's new picture book, Balloons Over Broadway in time for the holidays!

Here's my totally wacky just for fun sample (250 on the nose!) :)  You'll just have to imagine the pictures... :)

The Bloopers Thanksgiving

They were supposed to go to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving, but the blizzard came in fast.

“Our bicycle built for five won’t make it through this snow,” said Dad.  “It’s time for Plan B.”

“Thanksgiving won’t be the same without Grandma and Grandpa,” cried Bridget, Babs, and Ben.

“Now, now,” said Mom.  “We’ll still have fun.  Go and suit up for our happy day.”

Bridget, Babs, and Ben raced off to don their favorite finery.

“Bikini, tankini, and trunks!” said Dad.  “How festive!”

“Your bunny suit looks great, too, Dad,” said Bridget, Babs, and Ben.

Bridget, Babs, and Ben put their colored eggs under the Thanksgiving Tree and hung their American flags by the coat rack with care.  They made cookies in the shape of four-leaf clovers.  They helped Mom carve a scary face into a giant rutabaga and they stuck it on top of the June Pole in their living room and danced around it to welcome spring, which was just 5 short months away.

Then, though the blizzard blustered and blew, the whole family bellied up to the barbeque pit to enjoy their feast of baked beans, beef du jour, berry juice with baby blue umbrellas, and bananas flambé.

“Children,” said Dad, “Didn’t Mom barbeque beautifully?”

“Thamsgfh Mohsdf!” said Bridget, Babs, and Ben whose mouths were brimful of barbequed banana and beans. 

At bedtime, Bridget, Babs, and Ben snuggled into their bathtub.

“Plan B was fun after all,” said Bridget, and they stayed up all night playing Battleship.

I can't wait to read all of your stories!!!  Readers, please check the comments section below.  Some people are entering their stories there!

And don't forget to tune in Friday for Perfect Picture Book Friday, entering it's second week!

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G   E V E R Y O N E!!!