SOLVED: Children's Christmas themed short story, or chapter from a larger work. Boy puts up the family Christmas tree with help from his sister and her rabbit. Read before 1996.

[Theresa]

This story or excerpt, I'm unclear which it is, was read to my class by the teacher when I was in grade school, so somewhere between 1987 and 1995. Needless to say, after all this time only a few specifics from the story stand out in my mind. For some reason, the family in the story was avoiding putting up the Christmas decorations and engaging in other holiday festivities that they typically did every year. So a boy in the family took matters into his own hands and decided to set up the family Christmas tree himself. (I'm assuming it was an artificial tree, but I don't actually remember.) The boy was helped by a younger girl, I believe she was his sister, who had a rabbit. I can't remember whether it was a live, pet rabbit or a plush toy. The other thing I remember clearly from this story was that someone kept rearranging the alphabet blocks that spelled out Noel on the mantle so that they spelled Leon instead. A one point someone, it may have been a babysitter or a relative, says, "Leon? Who's Leon? Which one of you kids is Leon?"
I also remember seeing this story or excerpt published in an issue of the children's literary magazine Cricket around the same time, maybe a little later. However, I've been unable to find an archive with back issues from this magazine. Can anyone make any suggestions? Thank you.

[Rainbowheart]

The Music Box Christmas

[Theresa]

Rainbowheart wrote: "The Music Box Christmas"

I'll have to track down a copy of the book to know for sure, but I've read through the plot synopsis on both Goodreads and Amazon and this sounds like it, right down to the babysitter. Thanks.

[Rainbowheart]

Glad to help out!

I found it by searching archive.org and found the snippet about Leon.

“Who’s Leon? Which one of you kids is Leon?” “Christa, you quit it!” I said.

https://archive.org/details/musicboxc...