Tanya loved Halloween, Thanksgiving and her birthday, but she loved Christmas the best of all.

Her house was all ready. The stockings were hung, and the tree was covered in strings of popcorn and colored beads. Come Christmas morning they could all exchange gifts.

Tanya sat at the table eating her bother Timmy's carrots.

"Stop that," Timmy yelled.

Tanya mushed the carrots between her teeth and stuck out her tongue.

"Mom, she's being gross again."

"Tanya," mother said.

"Yes." Tanya smiled.

"Eat your own food, and keep your mouth shut," Timmy said before his mother could answer.

Usually Tanya would have gotten mad at Timmy for yelling at her, but not today.

Tanya was so happy. She had gotten everyone the best Christmas gifts.

She had gotten Timmy a whole bag of tiny candy bars.

Tanya bought glow in the dark stickers and a plastic ring for her best friend Stacy, (which cost her two whole allowances!).

Tanya made her mom a mug at school.

Tanya bought Dad a toy frog that she got at a yard sale. She was happy with the gifts she was giving, but as for herself, she only wanted one.

"I only want one thing for Christmas," Tanya shouted gleefully.

"What is that?" Dad asked.

"The Amazing Ice Cream Machine," yelled Timmy before Tanya even had the time to answer.

"Shush, I have to ask them," Tanya whispered.

"We'll think about it," Mom said.

"But I can't wait!" Tayna wailed.

Mom frowned.

Tanya finished her supper then got ready for bed. She wanted that Amazing Ice Cream Machine so much.

She first saw it advertised in between her favorite TV shows. The tall man said, "The Amazing Ice Cream Machine, not only makes ice cream, but pie filling too. You'll be the most poplar kid on the block."

Tanya wanted to be liked, and she wanted that Amazing Ice Cream Machine.

She talked about it all the time, and drew large ice cream cones all over her note book.

It grew closer and closer to Christmas. On the last day of school she was so excited that she tripped getting to Stacy's seat on the bus.

"Are you okay?" Stacy asked.

Tanya nodded. "If I could have that Amazing Ice Cream Machine, I could have all the ice cream I ever wanted.", she said.

"You could give some to your best friends," Stacy added.

"I could sell it and be the richest kid on the block. No, I'll be the richest kid in the world!", Tanya said.

"You could even have your face on boxes of ice cream.", suggested Stacy.

"And on TV, I'll get my own show.", said Tanya, her eyes getting wider.

"I wouldn't go that far," Stacy said.

Tanya wasn't listening to her. She was only thinking of the mounds of ice cream she would be eating. Tanya's head was so full of ice cream she almost forgot to give Stacy her presents.

Stacy gave Tanya a yo-yo. Tanya thanked her as they as they went to school.

When Tanya came home she sang the Amazing Ice Cream Machine song. She even spelled out the words Ice Cream with her alphabet soup.

Time flew, and before she knew it, it was Christmas morning. Tanya couldn't wait to open her gifts.

Tanya ran down the stairs and happily began to pull the bright ribbons and colored paper off her gifts.

She got watches, dolls, socks, a baseball, and a toy frog that danced when you clapped.



No ice cream machine. Tanya was disappointed, but she wasn't rude.

And then... Tanya's Mom passed her a big box. She opened it. There it was.
"My Amazing Ice cream machine," she cried excitedly.

"Thank you Mom, thank you Dad." Tanya hugged them both.
  
Tanya even hugged Timmy.

Mom read the little instruction book that went with The Amazing Ice Cream Machine.

"Let's make ice cream NOW," Tanya shouted happily.

"It says you have to put in the freezer for two hours first," Mom said.

"Two hours??!!," Tanya said. "But I don't want to wait! I want do it right now!."

"If you want to do it right, you must wait," Dad said.

Tanya waited, and waited, and waited, until she simply could not wait anymore. She took out her Amazing Ice Cream Machine a little early.

"What harm could it do?" she asked herself.

Her family had all worked together. Mom cut up the fruit.

Timmy had poured the milk in.

Dad had plugged it in and put the top on.

Tanya's job was to push the ON button.

Now the machine flashed green and then red.

It started to spin and jump all over the table.

All of a sudden, the ice cream burst through the top and ran all over the table.

The ice cream ran all over the floor, on the walls, on their toes, on their faces, on their knees.

Dad unplugged the machine and shook his head. "I wonder what we did wrong?", he said.

The whole room was a cold sticky mess.

Timmy licked the ice cream off his hand. "This stuff tastes gross!", he said.

Tanya helped clean the up floor and the wall.

She then went up the stairs to clean up herself.

She washed her face, her toes, and her knees.

On the bedroom floor she spotted her new yo-yo and started to play with it.

"You know", she said to herself, as it began to spin, "This isn't that bad a gift after all".

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