Welcome to the December MCU! I’m your host, Amity, and of course it wouldn’t do to do this alone, so without further ado, I’m delighted to, for the first time, introduce you to my cohosts/AES:

/Why do we have to do this though…/

**come on, this is going to be fun! everyone, I’m June, she/they, and the anti–social one is Rowan, it/its. let’s get started!**

/Groan./

{Ahem. No, no, no. This is all wrong. June, we can’t start until everyone has introduced themselves! You should know that! And Rowan, suck it up, this is not going to be that long. I’m Everett, he/him, and I sincerely apologize for the incompetence of my co–hosts}

< be nice, ev! hi, I’m quinn, any pronouns. nice to meet everybody! >

/Is it over yet?/

**No.**

{Rowan, you and I need to have a long talk about professionalism.}

– *snickers* –

{What is it now, Cate?}

– just appreciating the irony here, which is clearly lost on you. hey, I’m cate(never caterina), she/her/hers. it’s best to just let everett finish his lecture and then move on with your life –

{EXCUSE ME–}

**Ev, you can yell at Cate later. We’re starting!**

First, a moment of silence to the creator of MCUs, Ella Starburst!

**Yay, Ella!**

And let’s start with important dates, courtesy of Thalorwin and Sinusoidal! < your names are so cool! >

Dec 1. Cyber Monday, World AIDS day, Rosa Parks Day, Portuguese Independence Day
Dec 2. Giving Tuesday, National Mutt day
Dec 3. Saba Day, International Day of People With Disabilities
Dec 4. National Cookie Day, National Dice Day!
Dec 5. Walt Disney Day
Dec 6. Saint Nickolas Day, Finland Independence Day, Founding of Quito Day, National Gazpacho Day {That’s too many days for one day.} – how eloquent, ev. – {I swear, Caterina–}
Dec 7. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day < don’t fight! cate, calm down >
Dec 8. Bodhi Day (Buddhist holiday)
Dec 10. Human Rights Day, Dewey Decimal System Day /…wait, dewey decimal system? adding it to the calendar/
**Yay, I knew you’d be won over!** /what do you mean, “won over?”/
Dec 12. National Poinsettia day!! (The CB should start celebrating this one or just @poinsettia)
Dec 14. Hanukkah begins and runs till the 22
Dec 15. Bill of Rights Day
Dec 17. Wright Brothers Day
Dec 21. Winter Solstice
Dec 24. Christmas Eve
Dec 25. Christmas Day
Dec 26. Boxing Day, first day of Kwanza
Dec 31. New Years Eve
**wow, that was a lot! now it’s time for the monthly playlist, made by Cloud Bunny!**

Space Song–Beach House
White Winter Hymnal–Fleet Foxes **Ooh! I was following the, I was following the, I was following the, I was following the, I–** – quit it, june. –
Let Down–Radiohead
Sweater Weather–The Neighbourhood

And here’s the Book of the Month, from Thalorwin!

Pegasus and the Flame of Olympus (book one in a series) by Kate O’Hearn

On a stormy night, Emily was home alone in her top floor New York apartment. Her dad wasn’t home, and her mom had died. Suddenly, she hears a bang on her roof. What could it be? Meanwhile, a teen aged boy fell from the sky. He’s at the hospital. He doesn’t seem to be human. Emily goes to the roof of the apartment building and what’s on her roof, isn’t what’s expected. It’s a winged horse, it’s Pegasus. Roman Mythology is coming to life, Olympians are in her world, but why? Follow Emily and a boy named Joel from Emily’s school while they try to figure this out, and getting caught up in Olympus on the way.

<sounds interesting. what do we have next again?>
{CB quotes, which you would know if you were paying attention to the instructions.}
< I was. >
{Uh-huh.}

Okay, CB quotes, courtesy of WildWolf!

“Me bc i haven’t seen my partner in two weeks and we haven’t been able to be silly little creatures in love lately. (and by that I mean: we haven’t been able to go off into the forest alone and find each other cool rocks)” < aww this is sweet >
-Lonan

“I was today years old when I learned that mushroom leather is a thing” /Huh./
-Sol
“I was reading some letters by C.S. Lewis and discovered that writing “cellar door” as “Selladore” makes it into a splendid fantasy name. Fun~”
-Amethyst
“so apparently i’m a stock version of a cat now??” {Someone give me some context for this, please.}
-Rainbow
“It’s funny how your perception of a name can change when you meet a nice person who has that name.”
-Poinsettia

**(starts humming) I was following the, I was following the–**
– oh my god –
/June, you’re going to ruin that song for me./

Let’s take a look at inspirational quotes, brought to you by Moon Wolf!

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” – Aristotle (attributed) **Hear that, Ev? You have to stand in the cold sometimes.** {What are you implying there?} – they’re taking it literally – {Why are you always inserting yourself into these conversations, Caterina?} – okay, aristotle said it, so I’m definitely within my rights to just shove you into the snow. –
< I think you’re misunderstanding the quote, cate…>
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” — Seneca
“Courage doesn’t always roar.” — Mary Anne Radmacher

**Okay, so next is the LMWAY!**

< so last month we asked you, what’s the most memorable gift you’ve ever received? suggested by wildwolf >

Thalorwin says: “Most memorable gift, hmmmmm, maybe for my birthday a few months ago when I got this cute model bake shop. I love it!! I put it on my book shelf yesterday…”

Cloud Bunny: “The most memorable gift I have ever received is probably my loft bed. I had wanted one for a while, and lo and behold, it was the the only present I got from my parents that year (I think 2022?)”

Moon Wolf: “probably a book that I had really wanted to read. I always feel excited to read it, even though I always read it too quickly.”

Amethyst: A couple of notebooks I’ve received as gifts were really special. Really, though, it’s hard to choose – all presents are special, in their own way.”

< that’s pretty insightful, amethyst. moving on to the advice column, what habit do you want to develop for the coming new year? again from wildwolf >

Thalorwin: “not sure, maybe I’d want to make a habit of braiding my hair every day, not sure…”

Cloud Bunny: “To draw more, like maybe every day. I also want to be able to draw anatomy better, and while I am not horrible at it, there is DEFINITELY room to grow.”

Moon Wolf: “I want to start developing a habit of working out more, since it’s a healthy habit that would be nice to get into. I want to especially focus more on arms and abs.”

Amethyst: “To be more, idk, socially fluent? Also to be on the CB a bit more:D” **to be on the CB more is always a good idea! Everyone, what are your new years resolutions?**

/To sleep more and not let you and Ev drag me out of bed all the time./

{We don’t drag you. Mine is to be more organized.}

– ev, I’m pretty sure that’s impossible. for me…start playing chess. i’ve always wanted to –

< to cook more! >

**to introduce all of you to more music!**

– please scrap that resolution. –

**why are you such a music snob?**

– oh, so I’m a music snob now. i seem to remember three straight days of you shoving the life of a shellfish or whatever it is down our throats. but you can keep telling yourself that –

< okay let’s head to the joke column! >

Thalorwin: “I did this one last month, hope it doesn’t matter… Why did Santa go to music school? To improve his wrap-ping skills!” {of course that matters >:0 we can’t reuse jokes like some uncultured–} – all right, take a deep breath, ev. –

Cloud Bunny: “What do elves like to learn? The ELF-abet!” **ahahahaha, good one!**
{you call that a good one?} < why are we being so critical? I’m sorry, cbers >

Moon Wolf: “What do you call it when a snowman has a temper tantrum? A meltdown.”
**this one’s so funny, too!**

Amethyst: “I present you with a first-class Hex-ism (I believe? Anyhow, I first found it on the CB)~ Why are Santa’s elves grammatical? Because they’re subordinate Clauses.” {Oh, a grammar joke! This one I like.}

And the LotM! (Location of the Month)
What location screams December?

Honorable mention:

Moon Wolf, for catching snowflakes underneath the cold moon. It’s such a beautiful image, well done! < I love snow. > {Quinn, winter is awful.} **you monster.**

Third place:

Thalowin, for being up in the North with family, snow crunching underfoot, seeing twinkling lights in windows, and hearing a soft jingle bell. I especially like “snow crunching underfoot” and “twinkling lights in windows,” the imagery is great!

Second place:

Cloud Bunny, for making angels in a blanket of snow, because we’ve all either done it or wanted to do it, and you describe it really well.

First place:

Amethyst, for skating amid swirling sparkles of snowflakes. I love the alliteration XD and “swirling sparkles of snowflakes” is so evocative. Congratulations!

< okay, now we have threads to check! >

https://www.cricketmagkids.com/topic/christmas-thanksgiving-si/ Christmas/Thanksgiving SI
For holiday guessing fun!
https://www.cricketmagkids.com/topic/underrated-books/ Underrated Books
Everyone’s favorite books that don’t get enough attention, which might become your new favorites, too.
https://www.cricketmagkids.com/topic/poetry-contest-part-2/ Poetry Contest, part 2
Read amazing poetry by your fellow CBers! This is also one of our oldest threads.
https://www.cricketmagkids.com/topic/523839/ Religion Thread
For reading CBers’ thoughts about theology. /That’s pretty interesting./
https://www.cricketmagkids.com/topic/writing-tips/ Writing Tips
A thread potentially useful to all aspiring writers.
https://www.cricketmagkids.com/topic/crossquill-library-rp/ Crossquill Library RP
A new, low-stakes RP that could help anyone wishing to join Kyngdom but unsure of how to do it.

And book quotes, from Amethyst!

“It seems to me now I heard a buzzing sound, too, but Dicky says I couldn’t have. And James says that is argumentum post facto, which is Latin, and a common phenomenon, which is just James showing off.” ~The Well-Wishers, Edward Eager

“This was bad grammar of course, but that is how beavers talk when they are excited; I mean, in Narnia – in our world they usually don’t talk at all.” ~The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis **Beavers are super cute! I want to talk to a beaver** {Well, I’m sorry to say you never will.} < don’t crush their dream > {But it was never a realistic one in the first place.}

“”‘And now’ – here he suddenly looked less grave – ‘here is something for the moment for you all!’ and he brought out (I suppose from the big bag at his back, but nobody quite saw him do it) a large tray containing five cups and saucers, a bowl of lump sugar, a jug of cream, and a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot. Then he cried out ‘A Merry Christmas! Long live the true King!’ and cracked his whip and he and the reindeer and the sledge and all were out of sight before anyone realised that they had started.” ~The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis

“Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; golden sunlight; heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!” ~A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

“Softly he blew at first – then, thrilled with a sense of triumph, he felt in his heart a joy that was almost ecstatic. He seemed to see in a vision that though he might now die alone and for naught save what perhaps some scoffing ones might call a foolish honor, still that bravery was to descend as a heritage to the people to whom he belonged, and was to become a part of their spirit, their courage, their power of everlasting – all this that moment brought.” ~The Trumpeter of Krakow, Eric P. Kelly
< okay, so what do we have now? >

**nothing, actually.**

/Wait, so we’re done?/

**Yes, Rowan.**

{Hey! You can’t just run off without signing off! That’s not MCU protocol!}

– we all knew that was coming. cate, signing off. –

{Rowan, get back here!}

< have a nice day, everyone. quinn, signing off >

{Rowan, if you don’t come and do your signoff, I will steal your favorite trivia game–}

/Rowan, signing off. Curse you, Ev./

{That’s better. Everett, signing off.}

**June, signing off.**

And Amity, signing off.