Local children share meaning, memories of Christmas

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  • Rylan Martin holds a gumball machine ornament and a mouse candy cane ornament he helped make in Sandy Holmes kindergarten classroom at Ira ISD.
    Rylan Martin holds a gumball machine ornament and a mouse candy cane ornament he helped make in Sandy Holmes kindergarten classroom at Ira ISD.
  • Jeslynn Shatswell, a kindergarten student at Hermleigh ISD, wrote a letter to Santa Claus in Amy Botts’ classroom last week.
    Jeslynn Shatswell, a kindergarten student at Hermleigh ISD, wrote a letter to Santa Claus in Amy Botts’ classroom last week.
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Scurry County students have been enjoying holiday activities and are anticipating Christmas celebrations with family.

They also have views on what the season means and what they would like for Christmas.
Rylan Martin, a kindergarten student at Ira ISD, said he believes Christmas is about Jesus being born as a baby so He can die on the cross.
He said his favorite thing to do on Christmas is to open presents and he hopes to get football cleats, a jersey and helmet. Martin is also hoping it will snow on Christmas Day so he can make snowballs.
He said he remembers making a snowman last year at his grandmother’s house in Lubbock and going back to see how much it had melted.
“It kept going down. It was kind of funny,” Martin said. “It was like it was shrinking like a little mouse.”
Martin said he likes making different kind of snowmen — from an alien to a fireman. He is hoping enough snow falls to build a snowman that looks like a pilgrim eating turkey.
Jeslynn Shatswell, a kindergarten student at Hermleigh ISD, said Christmas is her favorite time of the year because it’s about love and sharing laughter.
“Christmas is about joy, laughter, family all around you singing Christmas songs around the tree and it’s about being so happy and being loved and that’s why I like Christmas,” Shatswell said.
She said she enjoys getting presents and going outside to play.
“I go outside and I meet all my friends there and we play nicely,” she said. “We play in the snow and we make snowmen and we play with snow balls.”
She said her family always gets together for Christmas dinner, writes love notes to each other and celebrates Jesus’ first birthday.
She is hoping to receive an Elsa doll for Christmas, making snow angels and playing in the snow. But she has a plan if it does not snow this year — she will make paper snow.
Paisley Anderson, a kindergartn student at Hermleigh ISD, said she likes opening presents with her family.
“I just love to gather around like a family — grandmas and grandpas and great-grandmas and great-grandpas and our mommies and daddies. We just gather around to pray for the ones that have passed away,” Anderson said. “I just love Christmas.”
She also enjoys playing with her friends and cousins on Christmas and wishes every day wasChristmas.
“But you can always have love and joy from God and Santa Claus,” she said.
She said she hopes to get a Baby Alive and Star Lilly Unicorn.
Yulianna Vasquez, a pre-kindergarten student at Snyder Primary School, said she is looking forward to getting a play kitchen from Santa Claus and getting together with family.
Leonardo Medina, a kindergarten student at Snyder Primary School, said he will celebrate Christmas with friends and family.
He said one family tradition he remembers is celebrating the birth of Jesus, praying and turning off the television. He said he also remembers going to visit his grandmother in Mexico.
He said Christmas is also about celebrating Santa and Los Reyes Magos, the three kings.
“Santa delivers the presents and the Reyes Magos make the presents,” Medina said.
He said he is looking forward to Christmas break and making a snowman and snow castles. He has asked Santa to bring him Legos for Christmas.
Jochelyn Rios, a pre-kindergarten student at Snyder Primary School, said Christmas is about playing with her cousins, pine trees, making gingerbread cookies and eating food, and caramel candies at her aunts house.  She said she wants a pony for Christmas.
Ryan Westerman, a kindergartn student at Snyder Christian School, said he believes Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday and being good to get presents.
He said he is looking forward to getting new Legos and helping his family decorate the Christmas  tree and wrap presents.
Talynn Conner, a pre-kindergarten student at Snyder Christian School, said she enjoys receiving and giving presents at Christmas and that it is about Jesus’ birthday.
“He died on the cross for our sins and that means he’s not dead anymore,” Conner said. “He’s in heaven, so is God. God lives with us.”
She said she hopes it snows because she is looking forward to playing with her cousins, her parents and brother.