"My favorite Thanksgiving food is cranberry sauce," Izzie said.
It was the day before Thanksgiving vacation.
Everyone was excited about the holiday.
"I like sweet potatoes," Ethan said.
"Where's Bobby?" Miss Shelly asked.
Ethan shrugged.
"His mom picked him up early today.
I think he had a doctor's appointment."
"Oh," Miss Shelly said.
"I didn't get to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving."
"Did someone say Thanksgiving?"
Bobby hurried into the gym.
He was carrying a plastic container and a basketball.
"Ethan said you left school early," Izzie said.
"I did," Bobby said.
"But I didn't want to miss Kids Central today.
It's the last one before Thanksgiving vacation."
Jason stared at him. "You look different."
Bobby grinned and started dribbling the basketball across the gym.
He jumped up.
Whoosh! The ball sailed through the hoop.
Nina laughed. "I know what's different!"
"Me too!" Izzie said.
"You got your cast off, Bobby!"
"Congratulations," Miss Shelly said.
"Thanks." Bobby picked up the plastic container.
"I made something to thank you guys."
"Huh?" Jason said. "What did we do?"
"You made having a broken leg more fun," Bobby said.
"We did?" Izzie asked.
Bobby nodded.
"Missing soccer season was terrible.
But you guys helped me and we had fun."
He opened the container.
"See? Thanksgiving cookies.
They're shaped like turkeys, but don't worry.
They taste like chocolate."
"They look delicious," Miss Shelly said.
"They'll go great with our activity today."
"What are we making?" Jason asked.
"Thankful pumpkin pies," Miss Shelly said.
"Don't you mean Thanksgiving pumpkin pies?" Izzie asked.
"Nope."
Miss Shelly had a stack of paper plates, paint, markers, and pots of glitter.
The kids gathered around the table.
"These pies aren't for eating," Miss Shelly explained.
"They're a fun way to share what you're thankful for."
"Oh, I get it." Nina read from the board.
"Step one: Paint the inside circle of a paper plate orange.
That's for the pie filling.
Then paint the outside edge tan for the piecrust."
"Step two: Stick three cotton balls to the paint."
Bobby laughed.
"Cool! That will look like whipped cream on top of the pumpkin filling."
"Step three: Sprinkle with glitter to look like spices and sugar," Ethan said.
Everyone painted their plates.
"Let's have Bobby's cookies while the paint dries," Miss Shelly said.
Soon Izzie ran to the pies. "The paint's dry!"
Nina looked at the board.
"Step five: use letter stickers to spell, 'I'm Thankful For . . .'
And then cut out a slice of pie with scissors."
"Step six," Jason read.
"Write five things you're thankful for."
"Easy," Ethan said. "I'm thankful for Bobby's cookies!"
After everyone wrote their five things, Nina read the next step.
"Put the painted plate on top of the white plate.
Connect them loosely with a brass paper fastener."
"Now spin!" Izzie said.
Everyone spun their plates.
"I want to show you guys what I'm thankful for," Bobby said.
Slowly he showed his five things . . . Izzie, Nina, Ethan, Jason, and Miss Shelly.
"Thank you, Bobby!" his friends said.