Weekend Reading

I just love when I get the chance to snuggle up with my boys with some good books. We were behind this week in our library book reading so we did a little extra catching up. There were some hidden gems that must join my reading collection. I thought that I would share a few.

Hide and Squeak
by Heather Vogel Frederick
Illustrated by C.J. Payne

To start, the illustrations in this book are phenomenal. Such a talented artist. The story is adorable as well. Mom and Dad try to wrangle their little mouse for bedtime. It has a wonderful rhyme that I ended up singing while reading. A great bedtime story for little ones.

Calvin Can't Fly: A Story of a Bookworm Birdie

By Jennifer Berne

Illustrated by Keith Bendis

A wonderful story about a bird who gets caught up in the joys of reading. He misses out on learning to fly but saves his family because of the time spent in the library.

I can see using this at the beginning of the year to start my reading block. Teaching kids that reading is more then making your teacher happy. It's getting caught up in the story and being taken away to another place. A must have!

Tuck Me In!
By Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt

The perfect bedtime story for your little ones. It is also the perfect book for your emergent reader because of the predictable, repetitive language throughout the book. My boys enjoyed using the flip pages to tuck in all of the animals. This would be a great book to expand upon. What animal would you like to tuck into bed?

The Desperate Dog Writes Again
By Eileen Christelow

A hilarious book that is a must for all beginning writing teachers. I'll be adding this one to my writer's book box. Emma, the dog narrator, tries to save her owner from getting "kidnapped" by another human. Emma writes an advice columnist named Queenie to get suggestions on what to do. An adventure ensues that has every reader giggling.

Little Tornadoes

I have a confession...I'm a bit of a neat freak. It has it's perks and negative qualities. My house is usually neat and tidy but I tend to get panic attacks when it gets cluttered. Having two young boys doesn't help the situation any.

Yesterday I decided that I would sift through the messy playroom and kids room. It really is a quick and easy process since we have TONS of bins and cubbies to put things in. I tried to set it up easily so the boys could take care of it on their own. No such luck. They put things away for a short amount of time and then decide that it's too much of a hassle...super mom will fly in to the rescue eventually. 

I made a last sweep through the rooms before climbing into bed last night. There was the occasional Lego that stabbed my toe like an army soldier, and the lone Little Person who someone managed to escape her tub. It's like a scene from Toy Story. I was woken this morning by little feet padding down the stairs to devour a morsel of breakfast. I made a quick trip to the boys room to gather their clothes for the new day and discovered a disaster of epic proportion...a tornado MUST have blown through their room while I was sleeping. The covers, pillows, and toys were tossed around the room, books look like they had been pulled from their shelves and tossed like a javelin. I guess it's another day of cleaning. Thankful our time together is well worth it...maybe we'll reenact the cleaning scene from Mary Poppins today.

2-year old facials

I love candles. I love the way they can transport you to a special memory. I tend to enjoy fruity smells the best...Macintosh apple, concord grape, cranberry orange...and my ultimate favorite: Napa Valley Orange.

I've learned over the years that you don't always have to burn the candle to get the fragrant smell in your home. I keep a small jar of Napa Valley Orange by my bedside and it takes me to another place when I rest my eyes.

My two year old was extremely playful when I put him down for his afternoon rest yesterday. I got tired of going into the room to tell him to go back to bed, so I scooped him up into my arms and put him into my bed. I figured that a room sans toys would more appealing to sleep. I left and began taking care of things around the house. When I returned to check on him...I froze at the door.

My fair skinned boy was covered in an orange slime that looked like the inside of a pumpkin. It was matted on to his face, eye lashes, hair, and clothes. As I got closer, I got a strong whiff of Napa Valley Orange. Then he gingerly raised the jar and said, "YUM!" I looked at the incredible mess and couldn't help but laugh. I motioned for him to come into my arms and then held him out like he was a biohazard disaster. I started the bath and began to work the orange mess off of his body.

Who would have thought that two year old boys like fruity facials.

P.S. If you ever need to get candle wax out of fabric, you just scrap off the dried wax and then wash it in warm soapy water. I managed to salvage my sheets and his clothes using this method. (big sigh of relief)

'Nuggles

I love listening to my little one contort words to fit his own language. I know that I should be correcting him but I can't help myself...some of them are so catchy and unique. My oldest would say mun instead of moon. So sweet! My grandmother still talks about how adorable he sounded when we read "Goodnight Moon." Well my little man has his word now too.

J is a busy 2 year old who fits the description of little boy. He jumps before thinking, climbs (A LOT), throws, crashes cars, makes believe, rough houses, and shatters the windows when he's angry. He has another side though. He is a cuddler and uses it to feel comforted and to manipulate. Both of these happened in a short span of 40 minutes.

Nap time happens at the same time everyday. My son has his internal clock set to half an hour before this time. This is designated as 'nuggle time. The time that we curl up in the big oversize chair with a cozy blanket, his silk, and Bink. He fits perfectly in my curled up lap like an oversize comma. His head lays on my heart and we watch our designated cartoon together. I treasure this moment and look forward to it everyday. It's the moment that I can freeze time and keep my son young. His heart beat slows and I think "maybe he'll fall asleep and I'll have an excuse to stay here holding him in my arms." He squeezes my fingers with his little sausage links and then begins to pat mine. What a prefect moment. The cartoon comes to a close and I announce that it is nap time. The big grey, green eyes stare up at me and soften. "More 'Nuggles Pulease!" The golden moment is over and the manipulation begins. It's not all bad though...maybe just a few minutes longer.

Sleep...What's that?

As a parent, you know that your kids will wake you up...it's just part of the job description. As they get older, you hope to get more sleep. Then they become teenagers and you start the process all over again. I was prepared for all of these landmarks and welcomed them because it meant I was a mom. Little did I know that pets came with the same instruction manual.

You have read about my guilty dog but have yet to learn about my cat. I will start by stating that I have a Siamese cat...they come with their own set of rules. He is quiet for his breed and has developed his own set of characteristics. Mojo never leaves my side and slinks around behind me continuously like Peter Pan's shadow. There is no hiding from this furry child.

It had been a long day of rough housing with the kids and catching up on some much needed reading when I decided to turn in for the night. The nightly routine was performed and I snuggled in under my heated blanket. Aaah! My eyes had barely grazed when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.  My secret agent signal to lift the covers so Mojo could take his place under the warm comforter. I did my duty and snuggled back in. Not 5 minutes later, he decided that it was not rest time, but time to saunter off and get a midnight snack. In no time, the signal was given again. I was determined to not give into his request of under cover warmth. I ignored my signal and went into a deeper sleep. Not to be outdone, I felt claws comb through my hair. He was starting to cross the line but I would not give in. Then it happened...he lifted the comforter with his teeth and paws and entered the hideout. Of course by this point, I was awake and had to start the sleeping process all over. He's lucky I enjoy him as my warm, furry lap buddy.



Why Won't My Dog Eat?

My dog is elderly in the eyes of the vet but is still a baby to me. She is an 8 1/2 year old husky who has become a bit fickle in her "old age." I have noticed that she isn't eating much of her food at breakfast or dinner. We have changed her kibble and wet food with no luck. I quickly jumped to the worst possible conclusion and was fearful that she was getting sick or had some rare disease. I tend to over react sometimes but today may have calmed my worries a bit.

My 5 year old moves a little slowly in the mornings even with a set routine and plenty of scaffolding. He has learned to get his own breakfast so Mommy can try to squeeze in a shower in the morning. We picked up the new Yoplait Splitz yogurt (I know, nothing like a sugar fix in the morning) and my boys couldn't wait to try them. As I was getting ready this morning, my 5 year old ran past the bathroom still in his pj's. The clock screamed 7:50...only 15 minutes before we needed to be in the car and on our way. My blood pressure began to rise as I got into panic mom mode. I quickly got the children dressed and rushed everyone into the car. On my way out the door, I saw multiple yogurt containers on the dining room table but decided that it could wait until I got home. Yet another horrible confession but I'm getting to the point of the story.

When I opened the garage door after arriving at home, I was astounded to find little clear plastic cups all over my floor. Where in the world did those come from? Then I discovered the answer. On her bed, lay my dog with her big baby blues staring at me with a guilty look. A plastic cup was trapped under her paw like a struggling mouse. No wonder she isn't eating her dog food...she is waiting for my children to leave their scraps behind for her to devour. I guess that I'll be paying closer attention to the dining room table and floor in the near future.


Birthday Surprises

Birthdays with children always seem to be extra special. My husband works late so the children were forced to wait until after a late dinner to watch mommy open her birthday presents. My amazing husband trucked my 5 and 2 year old out to the stores so they could choose their presents. Each of my boys wanted to help me open their presents so I knew who picked what. I was eager to see what my little wonders thought I might like.

My two year old is a cheese and chip kind of kid. So it was no surprise when he helped me open a crinkly package. "It's chips, it's chips...can I have some?" I couldn't help but smile from one ear to the next. My answer, "Let's wait until tomorrow since you had SO much cake."

My five year old, who is incredibly sensitive and thoughtful, surprised me. I was expecting the typical piece of clothing or stuffed animal. Not for me. With each gift came a thoughtful explanation. I got yummy smelling lotion since I'm "always itching", a thistle bird feeder since I "love to watch Grandma's hummingbirds", and a blue cover for my iPad since "I'm always on it."

My heart swelled with all the thought that was put into each gift. Little did they know that the best gift was the day they were born. Birthday surprises may come once a year, but with kids (whether they are yours or the ones in your classroom) they come every day.