22 days of Christmas (or 10 days)

Every morning on my way to work, the carpool and I try to find the Christmas songs between the commercials.  If you listen to regular radio, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you hit it right, you can enjoy 15 solid minutes of commercials followed by a Christmas song.  That was us this morning. We were driving along, eating our Eggo Waffle, chocolate chip, if you must know, because an Eggo Waffle is part of a healthy breakfast.  Of course, the other part of my healthy breakfast remains unprepared in my refrigerator.  Nonetheless, we traversed through the treacherous drivers, hoping for a song to help us get in the right frame of mind for the day.  During the commercial time we were talking about mutual friends who are delighted the music is going strong on local radio, and the other friends who plainly state that they can only take so much of "Feliz Navidad" and wish the music would go away.  This got us going on "Feliz Navidad".  Honestly, how can 13 words make up a song?  And yet, every year, those 13 words are played more times than one can possibly enjoy.  (Which for me is twice in a season, for you, your tolerance may be more.) The nonsensical conversation drifted around the car, until FINALLY the strains of a song started to play.

Wouldn't you know, it was "Feliz Navidad"!  We just giggled and sung along.  13 words rang loudly and perked up the inhabitants of the carpool.  (Of course, you realize I can only hear it one more time this year unless you want me to just explode.)

It got me to thinking about communication.   Could I express my thoughts in thirteen words using two languages?  And, if I could, what would the 13 words be?  Can I get my class to express their thoughts using more than 13 words?  I'm pushing my students to expand their vocabularies, not just for the purpose of a test, but in their writing and speaking on a daily basis.  I want students to write in a way that expresses actual thought in a meaningful way, rather than the classic from one of my students, "I aghast you".  (This in response to write a meaningful sentence with this vocabulary word.  Yikes!)  This time of year, we really have to work diligently to push students toward growth and excellence.  Today, it was like giving birth to a rhinoceros trying to get students to focus on the task at hand.  But, undeterred, I pressed on so I could bring you my 13 words.

"Feliz Navidad"

Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad, prospero año y felicidadFeliz navidad
Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad, I don't know what this means

 

I wish you'd look at what you're writing
I wish you'd look at what you're writing
I I wish you'd look at what you're writing from the bottom of my heart

I want to wish you the use of adverbs
I want to wish you some adjectives too
I want to wish you some solid writing from the bottom of my heart

Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad, prospero año y felicidad
A-ha!

First published November 30, 2017