Whowouldn’t want tointerviewSantaClaus?Barrett ReedGibbins, 7, son of

NorthPark publicistKristenGibbins,was veryexcited for theopportunityto talk to thebig guy forourBriefingKidsholiday issue.They talkedabout dogs,reindeer,NorthPolelife, traveling,

cookies andmore.

Barrett:How longdoes it take to getall around theworld?

Santa: Itmay be hard to believe, but Iget all around theworld in one night.Howdo you think I do that?GrandfatherElf, he’s the oldest of allthe elves, he knows lots ofmagic anduses it to get us all around theworld inone night.

Barrett:Doyouhave any huskies?

Santa:Wedohave huskies at theNorthPole. In fact, we have all kindsof animals at theNorthPole.Wehavehuskies andSt. Bernards— they areour bigwork dogs.Wehave smallerdogs, includingmy special dog,Widget. She is only about13 poundsand is a little shih tzu. She is the housedog forMrs. Claus and I.Do youhavea dog?

Barrett: I used to. Youmightremember her.

Santa:Whatwas her name?

Barrett:Amory.

Santa:Oh, yes. Shewas a gooddog,wasn’t she?

Barrett:Yeah.What is your favoritecookie?

Chocolatechip ismyabsolutefavorite. I likeOreos, too.”

SANTACLAUS, revealinghis favorite cookies.Thebigguyalso appreciates aglassofmilk.

“ SANTAGAVE this book to Barrettas an early Christmas present.

RON BASELICE/DMN

BARRETT GIBBINS, 7, interviews Santa Claus at NorthPark Center in Dallas. Among the revelations uncovered by the BriefingKids reporter: The NorthPole has gnomes and fairies, as well as elves, and the details of Santa’s flying sleigh are top-secret, althoughmagic dust is involved.

Santa:My favorite cookie. That’sreally hard to say.My favorite cookieis probably…what do you think?

Barrett:Gingerbreadmen?

Santa: It’s actually chocolate chip.Chocolate chip ismy absolutefavorite. I like Oreos, too. I like to takethem apart and eat the white stuff. So,chocolate chip—do you knowwhatgoes great with those?Milk!

Barrett:How is life in theNorth Pole?

Santa:Very cold! Yes, it’s very cold attheNorth Pole. But it’s also a wholelot of fun! It’s very exciting becausewe have great jobs, the elves and I. Doyou knowwhat our jobs are? Tomaketoys for all the boys and girls, and thatmakes us feel good because thatmakes them feel good.

Barrett:Howdo reindeer fly?

Santa:Very high, and very fast!HOHOHO. I’m just being silly with you.That’s one of those things I can’t tellyou exactly how it works.Grandfather Elf givesme this specialmagic dust. And just before we aregetting ready to take off, I just throwit up in the air, and then I yell, “Fly,boys, fly!” Then they start to runslowly at first and then faster andfaster and faster, and then they takeoff! Andwe zoom all the way aroundtheworld bringing presents to littleguys like you.

Barrett:Why are elves so little?

Santa:Well, you know, in reality, ifyou look around at people all aroundtheworld, you see little people, youseemedium-size people, and you see

great big people. There are all threesizes of elves, too, although they aregenerally smaller thanwe are. Inaddition to elves, we have fairies andwe have gnomes. Do you knowwhat agnome is?

Barrett:No…not really.

Santa: It’s kind of like an elf, but alittle bit smaller.We have all kinds ofmagical creatures to help with theworkwe have to do.

Barrett:Do you have hot chocolate attheNorth Pole?

Santa:Oh, we have hot chocolate attheNorth Pole!We love it. It’s goodstuff. It’s so cold at theNorth Pole thatwe get to have it all year round. Nowletme see here (reaching into sack). Iknow it’s a little early. …Now, youknow there are all kinds of storiesabout life at theNorth Pole and howwe came to be there. Do you know thestory,TheWizard of Oz?Well, the guythat wrote that story, L. Frank Baum,also wrote this one. It’s calledThe Lifeand Adventures of Santa Claus. And Iknow it’s a little early, but that’s foryou.

Barrett:Thank you.

Who’s talking reindeer andcookies?Must beSt.Nick

BRIEFINGKIDSEXCLUSIVE| TheSantaClaus interview

MeetSantaStory timewithSantaClaus:GatheraroundSanta’spicture-bookcottagetohearstoriesabouttheNorthPole.LevelOne inMacy’sCourt,ThroughDec.24.MondaythroughSaturdayat10:30a.m.Sundayatnoon.

VisitsandPortraitswithSantaClaus:TakephotoswithyourowncameraorpurchaseprofessionalportraitsbyMarcRobinsPhotography.ThroughDec.24.Ticketsareavailablestartingat9a.m.MondaythroughSaturday,and10a.m.onSunday.

NorthParkCenter,8687NCentralExpressway,Dallas.214-363-7441.northparkcenter.com.

Santahas lotsofotherhelpersaroundtown.Here’swhereyoucanmeetone:

CollinCreekMall:VisitSantaonthe lower levelnearJ.C.Penney.Checkcollincreekmall.comfordaily times.972-543-0369.collincreekmall.com.

FirewheelTownCenter:VisitSantaat650TownSquareBlvd. inGarland.BreakfastwithSanta isfrom9:30to11a.m.onDec.7.ThroughDec.24.Visitsimon.com/mall/firewheel-town-centerorcall972-495-8085fortimes. firewheeltowncenter.com.

GalleriaDallas:ThroughDec.24,gotogalleriadallas.comfordailytimes.AprivatephotosessionwithSanta forchildrenwithspecialneedswillbe from9to11a.m.onDec.7.Level2,nearBelk.13350DallasParkway,Dallas.972-702-7100.galleriadallas.com.

GrapevineMills:VisitSantaatEntry2,withPetPhotoNight from7:30to8:30p.mDec.14andBreakfastwithSanta from8to10a.m.Dec.13and20.ThroughDec.24.AprivatephotosessionwithSanta forchildrenwithspecialneedsandtheir familieswillbefrom9:30to11a.m.Dec.7.

NeimanMarcus:VisitSantaat thedowntownDallasNeimanMarcusstore,1618MainSt.BreakfastwithSantawillbeDec.20,21and22.11:30a.m. to4p.m. throughDec.6;noonto4p.m.Sundays,11:30a.m.to4p.m.MondaythroughSaturday; specialhoursDec.20-24.214-573-8228.

ShopsatLegacy:VisitSanta inSanta’sVillagenext toLululemon.1to4p.m.Dec.6-7,Dec.13-14andDec.20-21.972-467-7212.shopsatlegacy.com.silverstarpicturessanta.com.

TheShopsatWillowBend:VisitSantaat the IcePalace in theGrandCourtbetweenNeimanMarcusandthefoodcourt.Duringmallhours throughDec.24,withbreaks from12:30to1p.m.and5:30to6p.m.MondaythroughSaturday;3 to3:30p.m.Sunday.shopwillowbend.com/hours.972-202-7110.

SouthlakeTownSquare:VisitSanta in thegazebooutsideTownHall.ThroughDec.24,checksouthlaketownsquare.comfordaily times.817-229-8774.

StonebriarCentre:VisitSanta inSearsCourt in theLowerLevelthroughDec.24.10a.m. to8p.m.MondaythroughSaturday,noonto6p.m.Sunday.972-668-4900,shopstonebriar.com.

TownEastMall:VisitSantadailyonthe lower levelnearDillard’s.11a.m.to8p.m.MondaythroughSaturday,noonto6p.m.Sunday.8a.m. to6p.m.Dec.24.972-270-4431, towneastmall.com.

TheVillageatFairview:VisitSantabetween IPicTheatersandSplitsville.Gotothebigguy.photostoregister foranappointment.Byappointmentonly, throughDec.24.thevillageshopping.com.972-678-4939.

VistaRidgeMall:VisitSantaat theBigVistaLodgeonthe lower levelnearDillard’s.BreakfastwithSantawillbe8:30to10a.m.Dec.13,andpetnightwithSantawillbe6:30p.m. to7:30p.m.Dec.7.ThroughDec.24.vistaridgemall.com.972-315-3641.

WattersCreek:VisitSantabetweenGo!Calendars&GamesandWickerParkHome.11a.m. to8p.m.,MondaythroughThursdayuntilDec.11,10a.m. to8p.m.MondaythroughThursdayuntilDec.24.10a.m. to8p.m.FridaysandSaturdays.11a.m. to6p.m.Sundays.972-747-8000.watterscreek.com.

RON BASELICE/DMN

The jollyelf sharessecrets fromhishomeatNorthParkCenter

BARRETTGIBBINSAGE7

FindingyourlocalSanta

SANTA is on hand to hear giftrequests at Galleria Dallas.

B1 12-04-2014 Set: 18:26:39Sent by: nhoy@dallasnews.com Frys CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

briefingKiDSTHEHOLIDAY ISSUE 12.4.2014

+

EMMAYURICH helped prepare sandwiches for Hunger Busters with her twin brother, Jack, and her father, Joe.

B2 12-04-2014 Set: 17:22:42Sent by: tpinson@dallasnews.com Frys CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

2 + THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News briefing

We asked our thoughtful and talented crewof kid reporters totell us something special about the holidays. They couldwrite about their favorite family traditions or a special gifttheywould love to give someone.Once again, their

responseswere honest, touching and sure tomake you smile.

One ofmy family’sholidaytraditions isgoing to the

Christmas parade indowntownDallas, now called

theDallasChildren’sHealthHolidayParade.

After theparade,weusually gobuy ourChristmastree,

decorate it at home and setup thePolar Express toy trainaround the bottomof thetree. Thenmymommakeshot chocolate andher bestchocolate chip cookies, andwewatch themovieThePolar Express.

The parade is very specialto us becausemy littlebrother,Micah,was a patientat Children’sMedical Centerwhenhewas17months old.Hehad a badbone infectionandhad to take seriousantibiotics for sixweeks thatwere even strong forgrown-ups.

My sisterMagnolia(Micah’s twin) and Iwereafraid andunhappy becausewewere scared for him. Thereasonwehave thePolarExpress train is becausewhenmybrotherwas in thehospital, we gave him thetrain as a get-well present.Hewas there duringThanksgiving and just beforeChristmas.

LikeMicah,my friendMaryGraceAltizer’s littlebrother, James, has a kind ofillness:Hehas an egg andpeanut allergy. James is 8,not a baby, but I stillunderstandhowMaryGracefeels.We talked about itrecently at a party for formerpatientswhohave beenchosen to ride on floats in the27th annual children’sparade,which is at10 a.m.Saturday in downtownDallas.

James, a second-grader atEpiscopal School of Dallas,will ride on the PizzaHutfloat andwill be dressed as achef.

“It smells like pizza!” hesaid about the float.

Hismom said he’sobsessed with pizza, and hisfavorite topping ispepperoni.

James was supposed toride on that float last year,but the parade was canceledbecause of an ice storm.

Another girl I talked to atthe patient party is DiamondEllis, a second-grader atAllen Elementary, a charterschool in Dallas. She was apatient because she was in aserious bicycle accident.

Diamondwill be riding ona cupcake float with her newfriend Ellie Fields, 13, whowas also a patient. Diamondgets to wear a green andwhite shirt with a pink vest.

Saket Ashar, 13, is ineighth grade at CoppellMiddle SchoolWest. He’sexcited because he gets toride in a convertible with asuperhero.

“Captain America is oneofmy favorite superheroesbecause he’s almost acommonman, and he reallydoesn’t have to hide hisidentity asmuch,” he said.“He’s more of a commonmanwith superhuman strength.”

People shouldn’t worrytoomuch about the paradegetting canceled this year,because the weather forecastdoesn’t show below-freezingweather.

I’m definitely going thisyear— nomatter what!

briefingKiDS

B3 12-04-2014 Set: 17:20:46Sent by: tpinson@dallasnews.com Frys CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

briefing The Dallas Morning News dallasnews.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 + 3

briefingKiDS

CasaMañana’sproductionofHereComes SantaClauswasnot

what Iwas expecting. It’s awonderful new twist on a

classicChristmasstory (AChristmasCarol),witha spoiledrichkidlearningabout thetruemeaningof

Christmas.SimonCrooges (playedby

SamuelMoran,14) is acharacterwhom, in thebeginning, you loved tohate!Heplayed theperfect brat.Hewas a very spoiled kidwho, inhismind,was better andmoreimportant thananyone else.Hebullied schoolmates andbragged about his riches.Christmaswas all about thepresents hewas going to getandbeing away fromschool,rather than spending timewith friends and family andbeing grateful.

Like Scrooge, Simonwasvisitedby three ghosts toteachhim themeaningofChristmas and showwhathismeanwayshaddone topeople andhow itwouldshapehim in the future.Simon thenhad todecidebetween living the life of amean, cruel personor being anice, grateful one.

Musicals aremore aboutthe songs than spoken lines,and this is a very goodmusical.

From the first song thatopened theplay—“WhatChristmasMeans” by the classof schoolchildren,whowereabout to leave school forChristmasbreak—Iknewthat the actors spent a lot oftime rehearsing them.

Creator anddirectorNoahPuttermanwrote several ofthe songs,whichwere

performedto themusic fromhit songs fromthepast. Itwasn’t frommytime,butmydadparticularly liked“ChristmasRhapsody,”performedbymostof thecastto themusic fromQueen’s“BohemianRhapsody.”

Themusicmadethisplayavery funandenjoyableexperience!AndthewaySamuelandtherestof thecastportrayedtheir characterswasimpressivebecause theywereverybelievable.Samuelespeciallyplayedhispartperfectly.Andhehasanamazingsingingvoice fora14-year-old.

TheGhostofChristmasPresent (GregDulcie)playedhispartwithsomuchdetail.TherewereothercharacterssuchasMrs.Pinklegrass(AlyssaRobbins),Howard(PaulT.Taylor)andSuzy(SarahYoungblood,Mrs.Pinklegrass’daughterandoneofSimon’s schoolmateswhomhepickedona lot)whoplayedtheirpartswithsomuchcharacterandbrought thoseroles to life.

MyfavoritecharacterwastheGhostofChristmasPresent.DulcieplayedanagingElvisPresley.Hewasjust flat-outhilariousandaverygoodactor.AnotherfavoritewasHoward,Simon’slatepetgoldfishwhowas firsttovisitSimonthatnightandtoldof the threeghostswhowouldbevisiting.

ThiswasanotheramazingCasaMañanachildren’sproductionthat Ihighlyrecommend.

Afuntwistonaholidayclassic

THEATER | CASAMAÑANA

‘HereComesSantaClaus’entertainswith funmusicandgreatacting

Photos by ROBERT W. HART/DMN

REPORTER HANNAHNOXON laughs during herpost-performance interviewwith actor Samuel Moran, 14,who stars in Casa Mañana’s Here Comes Santa Claus.

Tellmealittleaboutyourtheaterbackground. I started in late2011atachildren’s theater inLewisvilleandfromthereprogressed intootherplaces.Attheendof lastyear, Iwas inmyfirstprofessionalproductionatLyricStage inIrving,andthenearlyDecember, I gotapart inCasa’sSnowWhiteandthePrince.

Howdidyouget involvedwiththeater?Well,eversince Iwasakid, IwantedtobeonTVsomeday.AndIwenttoelementaryschoolwiththiskidwhowas intheaterat the[Lewisville]children’s theater,andhismomtoldmymom,andeventually Iwasput inthereandhadafuntime.

WhenHereComesSantaClausends,doyouhaveanyotherroleslinedup? I’m inAnnieGetYourGunatLyricStageafterHereComesSantaClaus isover.

Howdoyoubalanceyourwork intheaterwithschool? Idon’t[laughing]. It’shardtogetplacesontimeandbalanceall theworktoget itdoneontime. Imean, it’salldone,ofcourse!

What isyourdreamroleandwhy? I toldmyselfmaybeFlyero inWickedbecause Iwanttosay I’vekissedagreengirl, and it’s theonlyguyrole. Imean, thereareothers,butthatoneseemslikefun.

If yougoHereComesSantaClausruns throughDec. 23.Seewebsite forpricesand showtimes.CasaMañana, 3101W.LancasterAve., FortWorth. 817-332-2272.casamanana.org.

HANNAHNOXONAGE12

Photos by BEN TORRES/DMN

PATIENT DIAMOND ELLIS (right), 8, dances with SchuylerJackson, 16, and Charlotte Posey, 14, during the Children’sHospital Holiday Parade patient party.

If yougoThe27thannualDallasChildren’sHealthHolidayParade is at10a.m. Saturday. Theparade stepsoff atCommerceandMarketstreets indowntownDallas andends in frontofCityHall onMarillaStreet. Tickets are$22.50to$27.75.Downloadaparademapandbuytickets at dallaschildrensparade.com.

Funandfloatsforformerchildpatients

DALLASCHILDREN’SHEALTHHOLIDAYPARADE

Themes includesuperheroes,cupcakesandpizza

ALAKINAMERCEDESTRAHANAGE10

All about family andgivingOurkid reporterssharewhat

makestheholidaysspecial to them

EightdaysofgivingOur family traditionduringHanukkah is togiveback insteadof

givingeachothergifts. For theeightdaysofHanukkah,wedocommunity serviceprojects. Last year,wewent toa retirementhomeanddecoratedcookieswith theelderly,workedcrosswordpuzzleswith themandcreated funholidaycards.

Also,wemade850sandwiches forDallasstudents through theHungerBusters “Feed theNeed” afterschool program.Wedid thiswith lotsof friends and family!Wealsoplanned “birthdayparties in abag” for kidswhocannot affordabirthdayparty.Wepickeda theme for thebirthdayparty, likeHelloKittyorMickeyMouse.Wedonated thebags to the families atBrotherBill’s

HelpingHand.Myparentsdelivered food for theelderly throughMeals onWheelswhilemybrother Jackand Iwere at school.

This year,meandmybrother Jackget to readat theVogelAlcovetohomeless childrenunder theageof 5, for anhour. I’m really excitedbecause I love spending time readingandplayingwith little kids. IhaveALOTof experiencewith kids since I haveone sister and threebrothers.

Wearealsomakinggoodiebags for the families there.Wewillbedeliveringtheminpersonafterwereadthestories.Since Ihavethreesiblingsunderage5, I cantell youwhatkids thatagewill like inabag:colorful stickers, abigbouncyball andcookieswithsprinkles.

WeareexcitedtobegoingbacktoHungerBusterswithourSupperClub.Wewillbedecoratingboxeswithstickersandcoloringthemtoput the food inside.Therealwork ismakingall thesandwichesandthenputtingall the food items in thecontainers.Then,wedeliver the foodtothekidsatJamesBowieElementary inDallas, andtheir faces looksohappywhentheyseethemeal.Anotherproject thatwearedoing isstockingthepantryatVickeryMeadow.My littlebrothersandsisterwill likepickingall thecannedfood.

Also, thisyear formyreligiousschoolwewent tocleanWhiteRockLake.Whenwewere finished,mymomaskedme if IwantedtodothisagainduringHanukkah,andmeandmybrotherJacksaid“no, thankyou.” I toldmymomIwould lovetopaintahouse forwhoeverneedstheirhousetobepaintedor re-painted.She’sstill onamissionto findsomeone inneedof thatproject.

It’sanice family traditiontogivebacktopeoplewhoarenotasluckyasus.Westill celebrateHanukkahby lightingthecandleseverynight, andwith fivemenorahs,wedefinitely lightupourstreet.

It’sgoodtobeanangelMy family has a traditionofparticipating

in theSalvationArmy’sAngel Treeprogram.Wepick two to threeangels off of aChristmastree, and thoseare thechildrenwebuygifts for.Theangel cardgives youtheir names, ages, acoupleof items theyneedthat theycan’t afford (likecoats and shoes) andafew items theywant. Youcan spendasmuchor aslittlemoneyon themas

youwant.My family thinks this is agoodwayto showkindness toothers, especially as

thesemaybe theonlygifts theyget forChristmasorwhatever holiday theycelebrate.

Iwishwedidn’t need theAngel Treeprogram. If nooneneededclothesorothernecessary items, theworldwouldbeabetterplace. It is inhumane for anyone to suffer.Everybody shouldhaveenough foodandwater, aplace to live, andclothing.Noonereally listens topeoplewho live inpoverty.Everybodyhas anopinion that shouldbevaluedbecause theycouldhavean idea thatbenefits humanity, but if noone is listeningto them, howarewegoing toknowabout it?

I think everyone should contribute tohelpingpeople inpovertywith their needs.

Beingtogether,givingbackWhenpeople thinkofThanksgiving

traditions, it’smostlyhelping in thekitchenorhavingacertaindish thatyour

grandmothermakeseveryyear thatyoupretend to love.Mytradition isbasicallygoing tomyaunt’shouse.

Everyyear since Iwas5,myauntmadeThanksgivingdinner,whichoddly is at 2p.m.,meaningsomething Ilike tocall “dinnunch.”

Another tradition is thatbeforeweeat,weall holdhands inacircle andpray.

Tome, it’s notabout the food, though,or the traditions. Tome, theholidaysmeanseeingeveryperson I holddear tome, andeven thoughsomeof thosepeoplemakemewant topopmyhead likeaballoon, Ilove themall. Isn’t thatwhat it’s reallyabout?

This year,wedecided togivebackonThanksgivingbygoing toa local churchand feeding refugeesachicken lunchhostedby theGatewayofGraceMinistry.Just seeingabout30 to40people fromIran, Iraq, Sudan,Colombiaandotherplaceswasamazing.

Thesepeoplewere sogenerousaboutwhatwegave them. I couldn’t understandmuchofwhat theywere saying,but Iunderstood their joyandappreciation. Ialsogot tovisitwitha familywhohadbeenhere for about fouryears. Someofthepeoplehaveonlybeen in theU.S. for amonthor so.

Seeing thesepeopleandhearingoftheirpast struggles showedtheirdevotiontohappiness. Thesepeopleare strong.Thesepeople showwhat truehope is.Thesepeopleare trueAmericans.

Thegiftof funforeveryoneOneday last year,my teacher cameup

tomewithagirl next toher. Shesaid,“JuJu, I’d likeyou tomeet someone. She isfromthespecial-needsclass, and Iwaswondering if youwouldbe friendswithher.”Of course I saidyes, andshe turnedout tobeagreatfriend.Ayear later, Istill look forward toplayingwithherevery

dayat recess.I recentlyheard thatmy friend’s class

is trying togo toMorgan’sWonderland,anamusementpark inSanAntonio thatwascreated forpeoplewhohavedisabilities.AtMorgan’sWonderland,anyone is able tohave fun.

Mydreamgiftwouldbe for theA.L.E.(AppliedLearningEnvironment) classatmyschool toget themoney togo to thisamazingwonderland. I knowmyfriendand the restofher classwill have lotsoffun there.Readmoreatmorganswonderland.com.

ThegiftofgoodhealthInSeptember,my friendDylangot

intoahorrible car accident.Hebrokehisskull sobadhehad tohavebrain surgery.Hehasbeen indifferenthospitals ever since,evenonhis16thbirthday!

A lotofpeoplehavebeenmakingfundraisers forhim, likecarwashes, bakesalesandagolf tournament,because themedicine

and thesurgeries cost somuchmoney,moremoney than I can imagine.

If I couldgiveaperfectgift tosomeone, IwouldgiveDylan’s familyenoughmoney for all thebills.Actually, Iwouldgiveall thepeoplewhoneedhelpenoughmoney togo to thehospital.caringbridge.org/visit/dylangodwin.

Time is thegreatestgiftSince thebeginningof the school year,

I’vebeendoingcommunity service tocomplete school requirements. But the

work that I’vedone sofar hasbeen somuchmore than justcompletingarequirement forschool. Givingback tothepeople aroundmeis a fantastic feeling,and that feeling isheightenedhereduring theholidayseason. Seeing the joy

that I’mable tobringbydevoting just afewhoursofmy time iswonderful.

Oneopportunity that really struckmewaswhen I helpedout at aSpecialOlympics volleyball tournament. SpecialOlympics is anorganization thatprovidesdisabledpeople theopportunity toparticipate in sports.Seeinghowsports canhelp thesepeopleandmake themhappywasamazing. It’ssomething so simple, yet suchavaluableuseof time.Volunteering is definitely oneof themostworthwhile things I’vedonewithmy timeoff of school.

We’resothankfulI loveThanksgiving! Sometimes Iget to

helpMommycook, and I likeeating turkeyandpiesandcornonthecob.Wego to twohouseseveryholiday,Paw-PawJackson’sandGrandma Irby’s, soweget toeat lotsofturkeyanddifferentdesserts likecakesandpies. Thanksgiving isthebestbecausethere’s lotsof food,relativescome in from

EastTexas toyell about football games,andwehavemorecousinsaround toplaywith. I’ll alwaysmissGranny,but I’mthankful forhavingabig family and lotsofpeoplewho loveme!

What I likeaboutThanksgiving is I get tosee lotsof relatives that come in fromout

of town:Daddyhasabunchofauntsanduncleswhospoil us. Ilook forward toseeingmygrandparents,hangingoutwithmycousinsandplayinggameswithGrandpaafterweeat. I likeeating turkey,potatoes,stuffing, thegreenbeancasserolemymother

makesand thebakedmacandcheese.Thepeoplewho loveand respectmearewhat I’m thankful for this year!

Goingtogreat lengthsWhen Iwas4yearsold,myauntwas

diagnosedwithbreast cancer. Formostof theweek Iwasstayingat herbeachhouse, I hadno idea.Butoneday, Iwaslooking formyuncle,so Iwent intomyauntanduncle’s room.Shockedat the sight, Ifroze.Myauntwasthere; sowere somewigs. She saidhi tomeandputononeof the

wigs. I couldn’t believe that underneaththat full headof hairwas abaldhead.

I think shecould tell that Iwas a littlefrightenedbecause sheoffered forme totryononeof herwigs. I choseawig thathadabaseball capon topanda longbrownponytail hanging from it. It feltweird. I skippedaroundher roomwearingthewig.Wewere laughingandhavingagreat time.

Luckily,myaunt survivedbreastcancer anddidn’t needherwigsanymore. This experience inspiredme tomakeadifference for cancerpatients. Idecided togrowmyhair out, so I coulddonate it toPanteneBeautiful Lengths,anorganization thatmakes andgivesawaywigs to cancerpatients.

By the time Iwas six,myhairwasready for thebig cutof 8 inches. Thehairdresserwashedandbraidedmyhair,thencounted to threeandcutoff thebraid. Iwasproud. I amstill proud. I felt sogoodabout this that Iwanted todo itagain andagain.

Sure enough, in secondgrade, Imadeanother cut. But I needed todo it again. Ifmyhair keptgrowing, I’d keepcutting.

Imademy third cutduring springbreakofmy third-gradeyear.Now, at age11, I am ready formy fourthhair donation,which shouldbehappening toward theendof thiswinter. I plan tomake the fifthcut at thepartyofmybatmitzvah.

Imadeapromise tomyself that Iwoulddonatemyhair for as longas Icould. I’moverly excitedandencouragedformy futuredonations.

Since Iwas12, Ihavebeenvolunteeringandserving lunchat theAustinStreetCenter.AustinStreet isaDallasnonprofithomelessshelter thatdoesnotacceptanymoneyfromthegovernment,but

insteadsolely reliesonprivatedonations.IbegangoingtoAustinStreetwhenmy

synagoguewastakingatrip there toserve lunchtotheresidents.Honestly,my12-year-oldselfdidnot thinkmuchof thevolunteeropportunitywhen Iheardabout it. I thought thatwewerejustgoingtoserve lunchtosomepeople. Icannotexpresshowignorantandwrong Iwas—itwastrulya life-changingexperience.

Whenourcongregationbeganservingsandwiches,chipsanddesserts, the lit-up facesof400peoplesentchillsdownmyback.Everyonewhopassedthroughthe food

linewasgrateful.Theresidents toldmeandtherestofourcongregation, “Thankyou”and“Godblessyouall.” Itwasamazingtomethatevenwithnohomeand littlemoney, thesepeoplecouldstillbepositiveandgrateful foreverythingthat theyreceived.

Volunteeringat theshelterhas taughtmetovalueeventhe little things in life. If the residentscandisplaysuchanoptimisticattitude, then I shouldbeable toaswell. I shouldnever fightwithmysister,because Iamprivilegedenoughtohavetimetospendwithher.Thenext timesomeoneoffersupadinnersuggestion, I shouldgowith it,becauseat least Ihaveachoice.Butbehaving inamoreappreciativewaywasnotenough.This feelingofgratitudemademewant to further improvethelivesof theresidentsofAustinStreet.

Idecidedto focusmybarmitzvahprojectontheshelter, and I ledaone-daybasketball campwithallproceedsdirectlygoingtoAustinStreet.Additionally, Iorganizedagrouptoserve lunchwithme.Myfamily, alongwithsomeclose friends,adoptedthe firstMondayofeverymonthtoprovidelunches for theresidents, andstill continues todoso.

However, Iwantedtokeephelpingtheshelterand its residents,evenaftermybarmitzvah.Alongwithoneofmyfriendswhohelpedmeserve formybarmitzvahproject, I createdtheAustinStreetTeenAdvisoryBoard.Thisboardmeetsmonthly todiscuss theneedsof theshelter, andwhatwecandoto improvethestateof theshelterandthe livesof theresidents.

Thoughthisboard is fairlynew,wehavealreadystartedonour firstproject: acoatdrive.Wehavegrowntoberepresentedbyfiveschools,broadeningthepotential amountofdonors.Mygoal is togiveAustinStreet thesenecessitiesandkeepmakingtheshelterabetterplace for its residents.

It’s timetothinkofothersThis year, I amasking for ananimal throughHeifer International thatwill begiven to

someone in another country.Theanimalwill help a family andwill provide for its needs. For example,

youcanbuyagoat,whicha family coulduse formilk todrink and to sell tootherpeople in thecommunity. If thegoat has ababy, that family couldgive thatbaby toanother family.

Youcangiveawaterbuffalo, apig, a llama, honeybees, a flockofgeese,andmuch,muchmore.

Twoyears ago,myGirl Scout troop raisedenoughmoney tobuya flockof chicks and three rabbits togive to familieswhoneeded them.

I think it’s important tohelppeoplewhodon’t havewhatwehave. Ialreadyhaveeverything I needanda lot ofwhat Iwant.Otherpeopledon’t

evenhavewhat theyneed, and I think that’smuchmore important thanmywants.Christmasmeansgetting togetherwith family andcelebrating thebirthof Jesus. By

asking for ananimal for someoneelse, I’m trying to share the loveofGod.

LoveisallweneedTraditionsaregreat. So isgiving. So I

decided todoboth.I havea favorite tradition.No, actually, I

have two.My first favorite ismyThanksgiving tradition.OnThanksgiving,weinviteour familyover.Weeat, play,watchTVandchat.Beforedinnerwegather inacircleandsaywhatwearethankful for andpray.

My favoriteChristmas tradition:EveryChristmasEve,wego toChannel 85,

we listen toChristmas songs,watchChristmasmoviesandother funstuff.That’sbeenour tradition.Howaboutyou?

As far asgiving, Iwould like togivesomething really special tomy family.That’s allmy loveandheart. Theyhavegivenmesomuch, and I really love them.

I hopeyou loveyour families, too.

HALLIE STERNBLITZ donates herhair to cancer patients.

MeettheactorI satdownwith14-year-oldSamuelMoranofFlowerMoundaftertheplayandtalkedabouthisbuddingcareer:

ALAKINA TRAHAN, 10, right, interviews patient James Altizer(center) and his family — sister Mary Grace, mother Amy andfather Jay.

EMMAYURICHAGE9

HALLIESTERNBLITZ

AGE11

IANHOOK-ADAMS

AGE11

KATIE DAMMAGE 9

LAYLAJACKSON

AGE 8

NIAJACKSON

AGE 5

WILLFORBESAGE 14

RYLANMATHEAGE 16

NAILAHJAPPAHVAUGHNAGE 7

Family time isbesttradition

I likegoing tomyGrandma’sandPapa’s houseafter ourChristmasEvechurch service.Grandmahasahome-cooked

meal for us thatis alwaysamazing.Afterdinner,my sisterand I changeintoourHannaAnderssonChristmaspajamas. Theyare almostalways

matchingandhave funprints.Weopen stockings as a family

withourUncle Jim,whowedon’tseeasoftenaswe’d like.Wesitaround thecoffee table in theliving room, andwe take turnslooking throughour stockingsand findinguseful treasuresinside, things likehiking socks,breathmints, Tobleronechocolatebars, coins andtoothbrushes.

We listen toChristmasmusicandwe tell stories.Mymomdrivesmeandmysister home, andwealways fall asleep in thecar.Wegoto straight tobed, andwewakeupthenextmorning to findgifts laidout in frontof the fireplace.

JORDANSTERNBLITZ

AGE 14

Homelessshelteropenedmyeyesandheart

COOPERDAMMAGE 13

CHARLIEHOUSTON

AGE 7

JULIANNAHOUSTONAGE 10

JORDAN STERNBLITZ(right) and friend GrantKessler (left), with a formerresident, helped set up theTeen Advisory Board.

B4 12-04-2014 Set: 16:02:52Sent by: ebooke@dallasnews.com Frys CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

4 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News briefing

Recently, our family took a trip to thePerotMuseumofNature andScience, one of our favorite places inDallas to learn andhave fun at the same time.

On this tripwe spent twohours at the“2theXtreme:MathAlive!” exhibit. In this space, you candothings like climba small rockwall, pretend to snowboard, create avirtual skateboard anddesign a super tall structure alongwithsafety precautions.

Bothof us had some favorite activities.

Cooper’sTop3

1Pedal tothePeak:Therearetwostationarypedalbikes

andone that’swheelchairaccessible thatyoucanusewith

yourhands.Thescreen infrontof youshowsagraphwheretheX-axis isthe timeandY-axis is thespeedof thebike.Thegoal is tokeep

yourslope thehighestcompared to theother twobikers.

2OnTarget:Youare incontrolofaNASA

modulardockingsystem.Yourgoal is touse thedockingequipment toconnectwiththreecapsuleswithina timelimit.Youuse theX-,Y-andZ-axis. It’s a funsimulatorwhereyoucantest yourmathskills. It’s also slightlyaddicting.

3GameDeveloper:This isaroomwith threedifferent

videogames.MyfavoritewasagamewhereyouprotectEarthfrombeingdestroyedbyasteroidsandmeteors,whichcomeatyou fromalldirections.There’s aprojectorontheceiling thatprojects imageson

the floor.Youplaybystandingontheprojected image.Earthhasacenterofgravity that isdepictedwitharedhue.Whereveryoustand, there isacenterofgravity.Yourgoal is toget themeteorsandasteroids togo towardyourcenterofgravityandgooffEarth’s course.As thegamecontinues, it getsprogressivelyharder,withmoreandbigger threats.

Katie’sTop3

1StyleRevolution:Youstandinaringwhile20cameras

arepointedall aroundyou.There’s acountdown,andatzeroyoustrikeapose, andall20

cameras takeaphotoatone time.Thenyougoto thecomputernearby tocheckoutyour image.Thecool

thing is youseeyourpose fromall angles.

2Supertall:Youuseacomputer tobuildasuper

tall tower.Youdecidewhatkindof tower (farm, roller coasterorsports).Youdecidewhatkindofland(beach, valleyormountains).Youdecidewhichsafety features touse.You

decidehowstrong thestructureshouldbe.Thenyoutest thestructurewithwind,anearthquakeandweight.

3Boardercross:Therearethree snowboards in front

ofabig screen that showsavideogame.Twosnowboardsare for standing.Theother iscontrolledwitha joystick.Thegoalof thegame is toget fromthestart to the finish.Thewaytodo that is topassobstaclesandtomove theboardat the

exactangle that thevideogameshows. It’s verydifficult andtakesa lotofpractice,but it’svery funandexciting.

Weboth lovedCrack the(Binary)Code.Thereare fivesetsofnumbers inBase2.There isa randomBase10numberposted foreachgame.Youhave toaddtheBase2numbers together toget to theBase10number. It’smorechallenging than it sounds.Katie likes itbecauseyou

have tosolveadifficultproblem.

It’s a funandchallengingway togetyourbrainready formoremath.Cooper likes itbecauseit’s abrainteaser that changeseach timeyoutry it.Wealwaysenjoy the

experiencewehaveat thePerotMuseum,and“MathAlive!”wasoneofour favorites so far.Wecan’twait to seewhatnewexhibits theyhave instore.

MATHMADNESS

MUSEUMS

ThePerotMuseummakes learningfunat the ‘2theXtreme:MathAlive!’ exhibit

Photos by PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE

IN STYLE REVOLUTION, the 360-degree photo shoot, you can have your image captured in 360 degrees, using the samefreeze-motion techniquemade famous inmodern actionmovies.

Life is good for theFailurefamily. Theymoved into thetallest apartment building in

the city.Timmy’smomgot anew job as alegalsecretary.The schoolthatoriginallysuspended

Timmy is takinghimback.He’seven riding onhismother’sRoombaas a vehicle.

Plus, Timmy’s back in thedetective game!

Timmy is thehero ofTimmyFailure:WeMeetAgain, the third book inStephanPastis’ TimmyFailuresaga.He’s an elementary schoolstudent, a detective, and theowner of a1,500-poundpolarbear namedTotal,who also ishis business partner.

As thenewbookbegins,Timmy’smotherwants him toplay a sport, so nowhe’s playingbaseball. CoachDrillashick—thebaseball coachTimmycallsCoachDrill-A-KidbecausehesmackedTimmy in theheadwith abaseball— is datinghismother.

Also, Timmy’s not-so-secret

admirer,MollyMoskins, isgoing toPeru fora fewmonths,andguesswhohas to takecareofhercat,SeñorBurrito,whileshe’sgone?I’ll giveyouahint:StartswithaTandendswithanimmyFailure.

Andwhat’smore,Timmyisdoinganatureprojectwithhisleast favoritepartner,SheWhoseNameMustNotBeUttered.Thekidsare sent toCampMonkeychucktocollectrocks, leavesandother thingsfor thenature report.That’swhere themystery starts.

AkidnamedAngel stoleanA+++++nature reportwrittenbyanotherkidnamedTracyMiracle.ThensomeoneelsestoleTheMiracleReport fromAngel. It’sup toTimmyandtheTotalFailure Inc.detectiveagency tosolve thecase.

PastisalwaysmakesmelaughwithhisPearlsBeforeSwinecomics, andthisbook isjustas funnybecauseTimmyalways jumps to thewrongconclusion.

I laughedwhenIreadthepartaboutTimmy’sinterrogation form,whichsays“DidyoutakeTheMiracleReport?”andhas twosimpleboxes:YesandNo.

“Iamsoonsecond-guessedbyamateurs. ‘Couldn’tpeoplejust lie?’ asksonecamper. ‘Ofcourse theycould lie,’ Ianswer.‘Which iswhyI followitupwithasecondquestionnaire.’ ”

Thesecondquestionnaireasks:Areyou lying?Ithas twoboxesaswell:YesandNo.

WillTimmyfindthe thief?WillTimmy’smombreakupwithCoachDrill-A-Kid?WillMollyMoskinsevercomegethercat?There’s a lotgoingon inthisawesome, funnybook.

Thanks,StephanPastis. Ican’twait for the fourthone!

Timmyisuptomoresleuthinginthirdbook

BOOKREVIEW

Kiddetective takesonthecaseof thestolenMiracleReport

CONORPRYAGE10

TimmyFailure:WeMeetAgainByStephanPastis (272pages,grade level: 3-7)

entertainment

out&about

briefingKiDS

COOPERDAMMAGE13

KATIEDAMMAGE9

If yougo“2theXtreme:MathAlive!” runs throughJan. 4.Museumgeneraladmission ticketprices are$15 for adults, $12 for ages12-17 andseniors, $10 for ages2-11, and free for childrenunder 2.Generalexhibit hall admission is always free formembers.Non-memberspaya surchargealongwithpurchaseofgeneral exhibits admissionfor a total admissioncost of $21for adults, $17 for youths andseniors, and$15 for children.All childrenunder 2 are free.Get 20percentoff in the “MathAlive!” gift shop throughJan. 4. PerotMuseumofNature andScience, 2201N. FieldSt., Dallas.214-428-5555. perotmuseum.org.

EXPLORE the relationship between rhythm andmath inMix It Up: Giant Musical Instrument. You can add or subtractmusical elements on a giant super-instrument.

Not homefor the holidays?

Don’t forget to put your Briefing subscription on holdwhile you’re gone. Call us at (214) 977-8333

or go online to dallasnews.com/briefingand select the option to “Pause Delivery.”

And have a safe and happy holiday!