A Few Good Books

Today I am sharing a few of my favorite books for kids. This is nowhere close to my complete list, but a few is better than none. I love, love, love books which is probably why I decided to become a teacher and share that love with kids.

 I have included books that are good for a range of ages and reading abilities. I have also tried to include some newer titles with some old favorites.

For the Youngest
Baby Faces
Babies love to look at other babies. This book has it!



Little Puppy: Finger Puppet Book 
Anything with a puppet and a book? Sold! The boys liked it even better when the puppy barked, sniffed, and interacted with them.



Maisy books
My boys loved Maisy! I'm not sure why but when they hit two years old Maisy was the go to book. This one was their favorite. They loved to lift the flaps.




Sandra Boynton Books
I have to admit, I really get into these ones. When you read them, you can't help but sing...and maybe rock out just a little. Our favorites are the Belly Button Book and Barnyard Dance.




Early Readers
Elephant and Piggie Books by Mo Willems
We have just discovered these. My 6 year old loves, loves, loves to read them and hearing him read them with excitement is his voice warms my heart. I actually love all of Mo Willems' books which also include Knuffle Bunny and the Pigeon books.




Buzz Boy and Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Another of my 6 year old's favorite books. These two friends are unconventional, but still have some good times.




Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Any time you can get a kid hooked into a series you are golden. If they love it they will read each and every book in the series and cherish them. This one is great because it has history mixed in.

 

Elementary Readers (1st - 6th)
DK Publishers Eyewitness Books
These books are all nonfiction, and fascinating. One of my favorites is the Titanic, but they have a ton of information about a ton of topics. With great illustrations, photographs, and information!


Warriors by Erin Hunter
This is another series that kids fall in love with. This one is about a cat clans who talk. (Think Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nim) You will get sick of hearing about the different clans and who belongs with who, but the kids REALLY get into it.







Rick Riordan Books
Rick Riordan has a knack for incorporating mythology from Rome, Greece, and Egypt into real world settings. His Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, and Kane Chronicles series are all instant hits. Kids line up to get the newest editions on the day they come out.


 Older Kids (Middle School - High School)
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
This book is about listening to yourself and not worrying about fitting in with the crowd. It teaches kids that everyone has something special and interesting about them. You just need to give them a
chance.





Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
The main character, Melody, in this book is unable to speak due to Cerebral palsy. Although her body has failed her, her mind has not. The girl is a genius, only no one knows it. The entire book is from her point of view. A great read for
 

Wonder by RJ Palacio
A boy with a birth defect (a facial deformity) is sent to school for the first time in his life. To make it worse, it is middle school. This is the story of Auggie's journey into the public world. Palacio tells the story from not only Auggie's point of view, but also from the point of view of those around him. Another great read for kids and adults alike.


Cinder by Marisa Meyer
This book blends a futuristic world where cyborgs and humans intermingle with the classic tale of Cinderella. And, somehow, it works! This book is also part of a series.


Divergent by Veronica Roth
Want to read the next Hunger Games? This is it! This series will become just as popular and be made into movies, guaranteed. The science fiction is set in a world where people are separated into factions that tell them how to dress, act, and govern how they are treated in their society. Teenagers have one chance in their lives to switch factions. Read this book to see what happens when one does.
 

The Angel Expirement (Maximum Ride Series) by James Patterson
Did you know that James Patterson writes books for young adults? Well, he does. This book is about a group of teenagers who have been born with special powers/genetic deformities (it all depends on your perspective) and their struggle to stay free.

Weekend Run Down

We were finally, FINALLY able to get some outside exploring done at home this weekend! The polar vortex decided to take a break and the entire family ventured out on BOTH days. It was amazing!!

Day One: Winslow Park

Winslow Park is a town owned park on Casco bay. During the summer it is packed with people camping on the sunny shores of the bay, but in the winter it is quiet. They have a great playground, a small beach area, nice trails where dogs can run free during the winter months... it is a great place to hang out.

Ben's favorite part is the giant pirate ship. There is also a traditional playground and swings.

We spent an hour or two just getting some energy out. I imagine this would be a pretty spectacular place to hang out in during the summer months as well. As locals, we are a little bit spoiled by the lack of people in the winter, so haven't actually ventured there during the busy season.

Day Two: Our little corner of the world...in the woods

On the second day we all strapped on our snowshoes (minus the baby) and ventured into our woods for a little snowshoeing. We have some need little trails and old logging roads out in our woods, once we trek through the uncleared sections on our land.

While we ventured the Hubs and I came up with some big plans for cleaning up some of the dead underbrush and creating a few trails so that the kids can link to the other trails a little easier. We even have a few ideas for a tree house nestled out a little ways in the woods.

Ben is really enjoying snowshoeing these days, and Max got his first pair this Christmas, so I am looking forward to more treks out into the wilderness.

So, that is a quick run down of our outside adventures this weekend. Were you able to get outside this weekend. I have to say, it was so nice to be able to get outside without nine layers of clothing and kids screaming because they are freezing! Has anyone else noticed the lighter afternoons? Spring is coming!

The Magnet Board finds a Home

Back in December I shared how I made this magnet board for my two year old's Christmas present.

In that post, I promised to share a prettier picture when it was all hung up in Max's room. Well, that just happened this weekend, almost a month later. Yes, this is my typical time frame.

But, I did have some trouble figuring out how to hang it. The board that I used isn't one that if easy to nail or screw into. I tried to use hangers, but couldn't get the screw in. (That sounds dirty.) Then I tried using the small screw hooks in the frame, but the wood was too soft and too thin.

Then I tried using Super Glue to glue hangers onto the back. Super Glue does NOT hold everything. Finally, I tried using liquid nail to attach a hanger to the back. That didn't work either.

By then, as you can imagine, I was feeling pretty frustrated. So I used the drill and drilled holes through the composite board. Then I used dry wall hangers to hang the board on the wall. Good news, it worked!

He loves it!

If you want to read more about this project, it is here.

Does it take anyone else this long to actually get that final step completed?

A Piece of Advice to Teenage Girls Everywhere

Although you may view me as old, it wasn't that long ago that I was a high school student. I remember the everyday struggle to fit in. To be part of THE group of the moment. I remember the insecurity in not knowing who was really my friend and who was talking behind my back. I remember the hurt when I found out what my "best" friend had said about me, or done. Or, when one of my closest friends failed to support me within said group.

I remember the struggle to figure out my own identity (a struggle I still find myself in at my "old" age). I remember how important the boyfriend was. Almost like the pass to stay in the group. A way to ensure that I would be invited to the right parties, hang out with the "right" friends, and keep my position in the group. The gossip, the drama, the emotional roller coaster of never feeling confidence in yourself or your relationships. I remember it all.

A month or so ago I ran into a girl who was a freshman, when I was a senior. I felt guilty that I didn't remember her., then she hit me with, "I remember you, you dated (fill in the blank)." I was immediately taken aback by this comment. The realization that I was THAT girl. The one who was remembered only as the girlfriend of a distant ex. Was dating some boy the only thing that I had done that was memorable in my four years of high school? How sad.

Please, don't let this happen to you. High school is a time to try out things, figure out who you are. Yes, the boys and being part of a group can be important too. (Although for most of you, those same boys and "friends" will not even be a blip on your radar in ten years...no matter how convinced you are right now that they are the most important thing.) But don't let them be the only thing.

Be friends with the people who support you, and will support you no matter what. Whose loyalty doesn't waiver depending on the whims of the group, or who you are dating at the time. Make sure you find at least one good friend. A life-long friend who will be there for you. . Don't be afraid to be who YOU are.

Imagine how much nicer it will be for you to be remembered as a nice person, a good friend, a great athlete or actor or leader in your school. Anything, really. Or, even better, all of these things. Try it all! Find what you love. But, please, don't let yourself be remembered solely as the girlfriend of that boy. You are more than the boy. If you are not careful, it will hurt when you are faced by this truth ten years later. Trust me.

Grandma Wins the Best Gift (so far) Award: Peanuts Club House

Have you seen these?

Grandma showed up apologizing profusely for this gift. I have to admit, I considered getting it for the boys myself because they LOVE forts. But, the size of it made me decide against it. 

Now that it is set up in my living room, it is huge, but the boys are loving it. And, the best part (are you listening Moms?) they have been coloring it for - no joke - four hours. They keep going back to it! Keep in mind, if I give them normal coloring pages, or paper, they last maybe ten minutes... If I am lucky. 

This house is made out of cardboard, so it is recyclable ( for when I have had enough and want to get it out of my living room) and, according to Grandma relatively inexpensive. As an alternative, I suppose if you have old cardboard boxes in your basement you could let the kids create their own cardboard buildings and cities for free! 

Anyway, if you are looking for a snow day activity that will keep everyone engaged for a significant amount of time, I highly recommend these houses!

Update: The boys have now dragged blankets and pillows into the house and are playing quietly. The Hubs and I have even had a chance to have an actual conversation without one interruption! It's almost like we have an extra room in the first floor. Thank you, Grandma!!

Advent Adventures: Make a Gift for Someone Else

I want my kids to understand that Christmas is not all about getting presents and Santa. It is also about giving, and family, and love, and hope, and all those other wonderful things. So, today's adventure is to make a gift for someone else. Knowing how much my kids like dough, I decided to go with salt dough ornaments. I have fond memories of doing this craft as a kid and thought the kids would really enjoy it. 

The recipe:

I mixed and kneaded the dough, then rolled it out and let the kids go to town.

Then we baked them for 2 hours at 250 degrees

Some of them did puff up just a little bit. I simply deflated the air bubbles when they first came out and they stayed down. There is also some cracking on some of the ornaments, but it adds to the charm of the handmade gifts I think.

When they were done, and cooled, we started painting. I had the kids use poster paints because I knew they would clean easily but be a little thicker than water colors.

When the paint was dry I sprayed both sides of the ornaments with clear spray paint to seal them. Then we strung ribbon through the holes so they could be hung on Christmas trees. 

Now we just have to wrap them up for Nana and Papa, Grandpa and Nana Jojo, Grandma, the dog and her friends, and everyone else who will be lucky enough to have these handmade gifts grace their tree.

To read more about advent adventures, go here. 

Let the countdown to Christmas begin!

I know this one is a little early, but I figured if anyone wanted to try this idea for filling their advent calenders they would need a few days to get everything together. Plus, the Christmas tree lighting in town is tonight so ready or not, here come the holidays!

I love our advent "calendar." It is from L.L. Bean. I actually dreamed about owning it for a few years but couldn't justify the price tag. One day The Hubs' mom showed up at our door with it. Love her!
 

Every year I try to come up with something interesting to hide in it for the boys. The first year I bought a  bucket of little green army men which fit okay in the little boxes on the lighthouse. Certain men fit better than others and it took a little bit to figure out which ones we could use, but it wasn't candy which was my whole goal so I felt like I was winning.

The next year I caved and bought Hershey Kisses to put in the boxes. It was easier since I had two boys who I needed to make happy and more than one kiss fit in some of the boxes. The year after that I resorted to the chocolate again because I was tired and running out of ideas that would work for both boys.

Last year we had little Lego kits that we stole from a Lego advent calendar that Grandma got us. That was a hit for a few days, but I ended up putting most of them together in the end.

Then, one day, I was wasting some time scrolling through Pinterest when I can across this:

 What??? Give "experiences" rather than little trinkets or chocolate? Sounds good to me! And, this idea comes with bonuses (even better)!

The bonuses:
#1 We try to squeeze in a ton of events every holiday season. These events can easily become cards  for the lighthouse and since I get to load up the advent "calendar," I can make sure that the events are pulled on the correct day.
#2 There is an "unwrap a book" card. I have always loved the idea of unwrapping a book as a kind of countdown to Christmas, but I didn't really want to have 25 new books (holy expensive)  and have to find homes for them in addition to the new gifts.
#3 Some of the cards that I have seen/came up with have to do with the kids doing something nice for someone else, i.e. buy a gift to donate, wrap and bring a gift to the neighbors, etc... This way the boys can see that the holidays are also about doing nice things for others and not just about getting presents.

It took me a little while to come up with a variety of things and, I will admit, some have to do with candy, but overall I think there is a nice variety in the adventures that we will be experiencing this December. Thanks to Kim and her awesome blog post I had a great starting point. Many of the experiences below are borrowed from her.

1. Go to the Sparkle Parade 
2. Cut down our tree (more on that tradition here)
3. Put up some holiday lights/ decorate your bedrooms
4. Walk around town and look at the lights
5. Buy and donate a gift to a needy child
6. Make hot chocolate
7. Unwrap a book (this one will probably be used more than once)
8. Family movie night
9. Go out to eat as a family (the boys LOVE restaurants and we hardly ever go.)
10. Decorate Cookies
11. Go for a walk in the woods and collect branches for a wreath
12. Wrap a gift for the neighbors
13. Go on a light drive (LOVE this! We do it every year and have been since before we had kids)
14. Eat a candy cane
15. Go to a holiday movie at the movie theater (one of the local movie theaters has a free movie morning for kids)
16. Visit Santa
17. Go ice skating
18. Make a gift for someone else
19. Bake a treat
20. Go snowshoeing/skiing (depending on the snow)
21. Go to a holiday party
22. Get Chinese Food and have a picnic by the tree (the Chinese food request has been happening weekly and we have yet to get it.)
23. Decorate a tree. (This one has many possibilities. There are lots of "trees" that you could decorate.)
24. Open our Christmas Eve box (More on this little tradition later...)

Other ideas:
Make a gingerbread house
Take a winter walk on the beach
Go to a holiday party/ Have a holiday party
Bring a dinner to someone else
Donate food for a needy family (we actually do this one before Thanksgiving)

That is what I have so far. I plan to blog about some of these experiences as we go. Do you have any other ideas that I could add?  How do you countdown to Christmas? What is your advent calendar tradition?

Happy Halloween - Main Street Treating

After hanging out at LL Bean last weekend for the annual Pumpkin Fest we decided to return to go trick or treating! That's right, many of the stores open their doors to trick or treaters every Halloween afternoon!

Honestly, the place was a zoo and the rain didn't help much. It was all I could do to keep my two year old by my side, and keep the 6 year old within eyesight as he ran ahead with his buddies. Add to that the 7 week old strapped to my chest in the Baby Bjorn who (thankfully) slept through the whole thing, the huge astronaut helmet that the 6 year old insisted on wearing, only to decide less than one hundred feet away from the car that he didn't want it anymore, the two year old's trick or treating bag and raincoat, and the umbrella... let's just say it was fun stuff. Despite my best intentions, there was no way I could take pictures of the event. So, just close your eyes, picture a quaint Main Street, full of shops with employees standing guard dressed up in Halloween costumes. Add hoards of children, parents, and rain, and you have one fun afternoon. Luckily I was there with some great friends who helped me hold things and herd my children.

If you go, go early. The event runs from 4 - 6 and many of the stores had run out of candy by just after 5:00. Still, the kids LOVED it and Halloween really is all about them, isn't it?

Fall Outings - Pumpkin Festival

This past weekend we took the boys to the pumpkin festival at LL Bean. This is an annual fundraiser for Camp Sunshine which is a camp in Casco, Maine for kids with life threatening illnesses and their families.

Ben's class carves pumpkins for this festival every year. It is amazing to see all of the pumpkins created by students in area schools, and employees from neighboring businesses displayed on the LL Bean campus. They line the streets of downtown Freeport,

are stacked into pumpkin towers,

create a pumpkin maze, and line the walkways and streets of the campus.

] 

During the festival you can purchase a pumpkin to carve and add to the collection. In fact, people were still carving even when volunteers had begun lighting the pumpkins. 

There are events for kids and adults, live bands, snacks, and of course the pumpkin lighting. Unfortunately we had to get home to feed the baby before the lighting, but it was a fun way to spend the afternoon. 

http://www.campsunshine.org/pumpkinfestival/portland_home.html

Next year, hopefully we can all carve pumpkins for this great cause!