"CLEANING IT ALL OUT")

SUBJECT: Resolutions, New Years, January 1

CHARACTERS: Mother, Daughter, teen or pre-teen, Son, six

to eight years old 

PROPS: A box of odds and ends, including some shiny,

worthless stuff 

SETTING: Not particular 

Mother: "How did we collect this much junk in one

year?  We''re human beings, not pack rats!  (Holding up something shiny and

worthless) We''re like those birds that snatch up anything that''s shiny to

feather our nests." 

Daughter: "Is Mama Bird talking to herself

again?" 

Mother: "Oh, hi, honey.  I''m just marveling over our

ability to get attached to so much junk.  I want to get everything ready for

the New Year''s party.  This next year we''re going to clean out all the mess in

our house and organize ourselves better." 

Daughter: ". . . clean out all the mess in…