a celebration of childrens books
Did you know that May is National Bike Month? I still remember the first time I tried to ride my pretty lavender bike without training wheels. My dad pushed me down the long driveway on the side of our house, and I lost control and scraped my elbow on the brick wall. Suffice it to say that it took a while to regain my confidence! Moral of the story: go to a wide, open space […] Read More
I’ve been watching highlights of the royal wedding all weekend and daydreaming about the gorgeous ceremony and fashion. My inner princess adores all of the pomp and splendor, not to mention the sweet glances Prince Harry gave to Meghan. What I love even more, though, is the departure from tradition that this royal wedding encompassed. From the gospel choir to the cake flavor to the guest list, the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a […] Read More
One of the very first crafts I learned how to do when I was little is origami. My Japanese grandfather always had a few squares of paper in his pocket for folding emergencies. The first origami I mastered was the samurai helmet, followed by flapping birds, flowers, and eventually, the classic crane. My friends and I even made giant newspaper hats at one of my birthday parties. It was a hit! While I haven’t […] Read More
One of the things I miss most about teaching elementary grades is the Scholastic Book Club. When students order books, teachers earn points for free books! It’s a win-win. Luckily, we live minutes away from a huge Scholastic warehouse, and they have sales a couple times each year. The last two sales have been BOGO sales, which, let’s face it, basically means I end up buying twice as many as I planned. What a shame! […] Read More
You’re never too young to help the Earth! My toddler son knows to throw his garbage in the trash can, and my five-year-old daughter has learned how to sort items for recycling. We also try to reuse items whenever possible, especially for craft projects. (Hello, toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and paper scraps! This book list has suggestions for reducing, reusing, recycling, and plain old Earth appreciation. Check out the last few for some fun ways […] Read More
Well, it finally happened: Eliana got majorly freaked out by a thunderstorm. I’m actually rather shocked that it didn’t happen sooner, but I’m crossing my fingers that I don’t have an extra bed partner tonight. The instant that first flash of lightning streaked across the sky, tears started streaming down her cheeks, accompanied by wild eyes and jagged breaths. I tried reasoning with her (“You never thought it was scary before!”), distracting her, and entertaining […] Read More
I vividly remember my first Martin Luther King Day assembly. I was in first grade, and our entire school body was squished together on the scuffed linoleum floor of the multi-purpose room. A teacher put the lyrics to “We Shall Overcome” on the overhead projector and led us in several verses, and then a fifth grader recited King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. A few months later, at a barbeque hosted by my dad’s […] Read More