EllRay Jakes Rocks the Holidays! by Sally Warner Page B

if we were lucky with the weather,” Dad says.
    “You and I should mess things up ahead of time. On purpose, Dad,” I say, putting my new theory into action. “Just a little. You know, forget a ground cloth, or lose the marshmallows for the s’mores.Nothing huge,” I say. “Just enough so that it takes the pressure off us trying to have a perfect trip.”
    “EllRay, you’re too much,” Dad says, reaching over in the dark to knuckle-rub my head, which, like I said before, is his version of a hug. “Do you realize how proud of you your mom and I are? And how much we love you?”
    Oh, great, I think, ducking my head away from him and scowling at the wall next to my bed. That dumb
assembly
again. “But I keep telling you guys,” I say. “It was just an accident that I was the emcee. It wasn’t because I was like a special representative of the community, or anything. That would be too much for me.” I add, almost in a whisper.
    It
would
be too much. For any kid.
    “Well, you did a fine job, son,” Dad says. “But I wasn’t talking about the assembly
or
the community.”
    “What else are you proud of me for?” I ask, turning partway back to him.
    “Oh, a dozen things,” Dad says, laughing.
    “Like what? Name three,” I say, whispering those last words.
    “I’ll name five,” Dad says, accepting the challenge.“Number one, I’m proud of what a good big brother you are to Alfie, even when she makes it difficult.”
    “Which she does, sometimes,” I say.
    “Number two, I’m proud of what a good son you are to Mom and me. You’re easy to be around, and you do your chores without too much complaining. And you don’t make excuses or blame other people when you do mess up.”
    “Huh,” I say, pleased. And I’m thinking—Dad makes lists, just like I do? I guess it runs in the family!
    “Number three, I’m proud of what a good friend you are,” Dad continues. “And you pay attention to your friendships, too. You take care of them.”
    “I don’t have
that
many friends,” I tell Dad—just in case he’s thinking I’m super-popular or something.
    And, of course, I have to subtract Kevin. For now, at least.
    That will change, though. Fingers crossed.
    “But you have
good
friends,” he says. “Number four, you work hard at school,” Dad says. “Even when the going gets tough.”
    “And it can get pretty tough,” I admit.
    “And number five, I’m proud of the way you think, son. You have an original way of working things out for yourself that I really admire. Like tonight’s ‘Mess Up the Small Stuff’ solution.”
    And that’s not even half of it, I think, remembering how I decided not to shout out a swear at the assembly last Friday.
    But there’s such a thing as self-respect, isn’t there? And not letting someone else try to get you in trouble?
    I
get to decide the GOOFY stuff I’m going to do!
    Or not do.
    I’ll decide when I’m going to blend in, and when I’m going to stand out.
    “Are you asleep, buddy?” Dad asks in a barely-there voice.
    “Almost,” I tell him. “I think so, anyway.”
    “Then I’ll say Merry Christmas, and good night,” Dad says, getting to his feet and pulling the covers up over my shoulders. “See you in the not-so-perfect morning.”
    “Yeah. See you,” I say, smiling as I roll over to go to sleep.
    It’s going to be a
very
Merry Christmas, no matter what, I think, wriggling down under my quilt.
    A winter wonderland Christmas.
    And if it isn’t, well—there’s always next year!

MORE ELLRAY THIS WAY

EllRay Jakes may be the smallest kid in Ms. Sanchez’s third grade class, but he has a BIG personality! And he’s not going to let Jared, the biggest kid in class, call him a CHICKEN or get in the way of a trip to Disneyland. All EllRay has to do is stay out of trouble for one week—and keep away from Jared. The question is, can he do it?

EllRay wishes he had something cool to brag about. Everyone else in his third grade class does.