It's here: The much anticipated Sonlight Blog Roll for the 2012-2013 school year!
This blog roll will give fellow "Sonlight-ers" a place to connect and
meet. Feel free to bookmark this page and refer to it anytime you need
some inspiration.
Are you a blogger using Sonlight for the 2012-3013 school year?
If so, we would love it if you would join the Sonlight Blog Roll.
Here's how to do it:
STEP 1) First grab the button code below and display it proudly on your blog. All entries must have a link to this blog roll. This is so we can get the word out about the Sonlight Blog Roll.
STEP 2) Next, use the Linky Tool at the bottom of this page to link up your
blog. There is absolutely no weekly posting requirement--just link up
and have fun.
NOTE: Please include your blog's name with the core(s) you are using in parenthesis. Example: The Attached Mama (Cores P3/4, B, and F)
STEP 3) Leave a comment on my blog letting me know you linked up.
Grab The Button Code Here:
Do you still have questions? Please feel free to contact me in the comment section below. I would be glad to help!
Thanks so much! Cathy aka The Attached Mama
My blog and the blogs linked to this page are not affiliated with the Sonlight Curriculum company in any way. We are just fans and users of the curriculum. :)
This week we started Sonlight's Kindergarten Language Arts program with both Marcus and Sophie. If you have ever checked out Sonlight's language arts programs in the past, you might want to check them out again. They have recently completely revised and updated their programs. The changes are major...and I personally think the changes are for the better.
Sonlight's Language Arts K with Readers Package
Even though both kids are at slightly different levels in reading and writing, their skill levels are close enough that I am able to combine them with only some slight modifications to the program. (Not to mention...Sophie tends to get very upset if she is not included in what Marcus is learning! So it is just easier on everyone to let them work together.)
Handwriting Without Tears Package
The reading portion of Sonlight's language arts package is right on target for Sophie. However, she still lacks the fine motor control to write "small enough" for the kindergarten level paper used in the Handwriting Without Tears package. She has also already completed the Handwriting Without Tears Pre-K work...so she is kind of in handwriting limbo at the moment. (Handwriting without tears has a "strange" name...but it is one of the best handwriting programs out there in my oppinion!) So-- an easy modification we made was to let her practice writing her lower case letters on the double-line slate instead of the workbook.
Marcus, on the other hand, is a bit ahead of this program when it comes to reading. However, I think that the extra practice in phonics will only help cement the ideas for him. It will also give him some confidence when it comes to reading. Every now and then, we are allowing him to practice reading some other beginner readers. He also enjoys playing Reading Eggs online. (I'm not much for screen based learning...but I find that this game provides invaluable, fun practice which is helping him build reading fluency. So he doesn't have to "sound out" every word that he sees on the page.)
The thing I really like about Sonlight the most is their "creative expression" assignments. The purpose of the creative expression assignments is "...to help your children learn to enjoy expressing their thoughts, as well as to get a good feel for the flow of a story." Basically the assignments give children a chance to practice verbally expressing their thoughts effectively. In most of these assignments, the parent acts as the scribe and the child tells the parent what to write. I think that learning to TELL a story is a very important step in learning to effectively WRITE a story. I think that many language arts programs tend to forget this. We can easily get so caught up in the mechanics of language: handwriting, reading, grammar, etc. etc---that we forget to spend time on the thought process that goes into communicating our thoughts in writing.
Today's "Creative Expression" assignment was a picture book narration. In this assignment, the children were to retell a favorite story while using one of their favorite pictures books as a guide. I allowed the kids to chose any book on our bookshelves to retell...and they BOTH picked the book Kat Kong by Dav Pilkey to narrate.
NOW---some of my readers might argue that Kat Kong is simply twaddle. :) HOWEVER-- the kids and I both enjoy reading this book. No, it isn't Beautix Potter...but it is a funny book that is rather well written. As you can probably guess, the book is a cleaver play on the old "King Kong" movies--this time staring a chubby feline who wreaks havoc on a group of mice. Marcus and Sophie both narrated this book to my while I typed in their work into the computer.
It was an interesting experiment having two separate kids narrate the same book to me. I did this individually so that each would have a chance to really recall the details they remembered from the story on their own. I was impressed with how much detail both kids remembered from the book. Marcus, in particular has a mind like a steel trap! You read him something once, and he just remembers it. He easily recalled large portions of the text almost verbatim as he "retold" the story. (I don't think he quite understands the concept of using his own words to tell a story.) I was also impressed with some of the vocabulary he used to tell the story. Both kids attempted to use dialog to retell the story. I was pleasantly surprised that both kids automatically knew to add words indicating WHO was saying the dialog during their narration without prompting from me. (Example from Sophie's narration: “There is no way Kat Kong can escape. I repeat back there is no way Kat Kong can escape, “ said
Vincent Varmint.) However, in some cases, Sophie separated the dialog by doing different voices for the characters. (It was pretty cute! I wish I would have thought to video tape it.) Both kids had some typical age appropriate grammatical errors...which were also pretty darling. (Example: Marcus still refers to a group of mice by calling them "mouses".) All in all, I was very pleased with the outcome of this assignment. I think at the very least, these assignments will make a VERY nice keep sake for me hold on.
SO---without further ado...here is each child's Kat Kong Picture narration with me acting as scribe.
---
Picture Book
Narration
By
Marcus Holmes
Age 5.5
Wednesday,
July 18, 2012
Kat Kong by
Dav Pilkey Naration
Dr. Varmint and Rosie Rodent and Captain Charles Limburger
approach a strange island. The
ship approaches the island and then some mouses make a weird chant. They say, “Here Kitty, Kitty, Here
Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!”
Suddenly, there is a CRASHING in the island: Kat Kong, the most terrifying creature
to mouse-kind! Suddenly the
terrifying creature trips over their tuna and then falls down.
“Lets take the creature back with us,” said Vincent
Varmint.
“Oh no, it would be bad to take him back from his natural
habitat.” said Rosie Rodent.
“Forget about science,” said Doctor Varmint. “Think of the money we could get.”
They tie him up in a bag and they be careful not to let him
out of the bag.
“This is Kat Kong the most terrifying creature to mouse-kind!”
The mouses hurled back being afraid.
“I repeat people this cat can not escape from these
chains. This cat can not escape
from these chains. OH! I guess I could be wrong.”
Suddenly, the terrifying Kat Kong jumps out and escapes from
the chains.
“Help! That
cat's got my train!”
“Help! That
cat's got my tongue!”
“Help! That
cat’s got me!”
Suddenly the terrifying Kat Kong climbs up with Rosie Rodent
following behind.
“I think I shouldn’t have got so near,” said Rosie
Rodent.
It feels like nothing could stop the terrifying Kat
Kong!
Suddenly a helicopter soars through the air. And then, “Hey cat, can you guess what’s in this package?”
The mouse flew over.
And the cat’s mind was thinking and thinking and thinking and growing
higher when at last he could not think any longer. And with a swift paw, he swiped for the package. And then he lost his balance and FELL
down. Everyone came to get a look
at the terrifying Kat Kong.
“Well, it looks like love killed the beast.” Said the police
officer buster.
“No,” said Dr. Varmint. “Curiosity killed the beast.”
THE END
--------
Picture Book
Narration
By
Sophie Holmes
Age 4
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Kat Kong by
Dav Pilkey
Three mice were in a boat. The mice went to that cave.
The mice found tuna.
Then Kat Kong came. The
mice ran.
Kat Kong slipped.
The mice took Kat Kong and put him in a sack.
The mouse took Kat Kong and put him in metal.
“There is no way Kat Kong can escape. I repeat back there is no way Kat Kong
can escape, “ said Vincent Varmint. And Kat Kong escaped and…
“AAAHHHH! Kat
Kong got my train!”
“AAAAHHHH! Kat
Kong got me!”
The mice got their airplanes and tried to defeat him. Vincent Varmint came.
“You won’t guess what’s in this box.”
Then Kat Kong swooped his paw and lost his balance.
Then he fell and rocks came out.
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
The End
A group of "native mice" offering up a can of sacrificial tuna to Kat Kong
Are you thinking of ordering from Sonlight? If so, new customers can save $5 on your order of $50 or more. Just enter my rewards number upon registering (CH20271164).
Wanna know just one of the great things about not working in a cubical anymore? I can pretty much wear any bizarre thing I feel like. For some stay at home moms that translates to comfy yoga pants and t-shirts. For me, that freedom translates to strange things I sew using wild fabrics---and now---I present to you my latest creation...a view master skirt. Yes...you read that correctly....a view master skirt. And that is what I am wearing today.
Photography by 5 year old Marcus using the camera phone...hence the reason I don't have a head and I am running to scoop up my 4 year old daughter. :)
For those that don't know, in a former life before kids, I used to work as an engineer for a large corporation. My co-workers were mostly all male, so my work attire basically consisted mostly of boring chino pants and golf shirts. Yep--that what I wore most days. As the saying goes--- when in Rome, you do as the Romans do...right?
Photography by 4 year old Sophie using a camera phone
I have noticed that since leaving my job, my clothing has become increasingly more eccentric. I didn't set out to become eccentric...it just sort of happened. And I think that this skirt pretty much takes the cake as far as eccentricity goes. But what can I say? It makes me happy---so I love it!
Photography by 4 year old Sophie using...yep...the camera phone!
When I first saw this fabric in the store, I immediately flashed back to my happy days of playing with view master reels as a child. I can remember struggling to set the reel in straight so that I could look at happy little 3D smurfs smiling back at me...or rainbow bright riding a unicorn...or whatever I happened to be into at 3 years of age. So I contemplated....what can I do with view master fabric? Hmmm... A more sane, less eccentric person would have sewn a wallet or a bag or something like that. Me? Well, I think to myself, "I want a view master skirt!" And so I sewed one.
The fabric is from Kokka's fabric. (Aren't all cool fabrics from Japanese companies?) It is designed by Melody Miller and part of her line called Ruby Star Rising. The pattern is my own. Just a simple A-Line skirt with a waistband, side zipper, and button tab closure. You can also see my hidden "stealth" patch pocket in this picture for keeping rocks, sticks, Lego mini-figures, and other strange things my kids ask my to carry.
Self Portrait using my trusty camera phone
All of these pictures were taken using my VERY crummy camera phone. Most bloggers use fancy cameras and take photography classes and things like that. But they probably wouldn't wear view master skirts. So on this blog, you must look at blurry pictures taken mostly by children under the age of 5. I guess it forces you to kind of use your imagination. :)
I have grated the tiny bars of soap. I have mixed giant vats of liquid goop detergent. I have even used my pans on the stove to cook (yes cook) soap on my stove. In short readers, I have put in the time and trial and error to test some of the most popular homemade laundry detergent/soap recipes around. And I present to you what I consider to be the BEST...yes THE BEST homemade laundry soap recipe ever. I would love if you would try it out and let me know what you think.
But before I go into all of the details, you may be wondering WHY someone would go to all of the hassle of making their own laundry detergent.
There are many, many reasons...but here are just a few: 1) Making your own detergent is a very easy way to go green.
Most commercial laundry detergents contain phosphates and other ingredients which are harmful to both you and the environment. According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the average family does 416-520 loads of laundry per year! Think for just a second how much water and energy is used up in this country just through trying to clean our clothes. Seconldy, think about where all of that water is going after it cleans your clothes. Simply switching to a more natural detergent could have a huge impact on the environment....and trust me it is an easy change. (Even I can do it and I am lazy!)
Also, think about how many empty containers you are throwing away each time you run out of laundry detergent. Even if you recycle those containers, think about the energy that is used in that process.
2) Making your own laundry detergent and other cleaning supplies can save you a boat load of money.
We have a high efficiency washer and so every month or so we were spending a TON of money buying Tides HE detergent. (It really is expensive!) This recipe uses a lot of low foaming ingredients so it is perfect for HE machines. Also, you are not having to pay for all of the packaging and marketing that goes into a conventional detergent. And I promise you, the cleaning power of this detergent is fantastic. I have very young children. We get really dirty. (Seriously...look at my blog pictures) And this detergent has been able to clean just as well if not better than our standard Tide HE detergent.
And even if you don't have a HE washer machine, you have to admit that laundry detergent is not cheap. At least not compared to how cheap this recipe is. Using this recipe, you can make an entire years worth of laundry detergent for less than $5. (Prices vary depending on costs in your area...but I know it will be much cheaper than the pre-packaged stuff you are buying now.)
3) When you make your own supplies, you don't have to keep running to the store to pick up more detergent (or windex or "scrubbing bubbles" or any of that stuff!) ---And that is kind of freeing and cool.
See the thing that hangs most people up about making your own cleaning products is the discipline it takes. No matter how easy the recipe is, making something from scratch does take more time than simply opening up a container of commercial product. So the thing that would always throw me off track would be I would a) run out of detergent and then b) be having "one of those days" where the last thing I wanted to do was MAKE laundry detergent. So I would always end up running to the store to pick up a commercial product. However, with this recipe, you only have to spend a couple of minutes one afternoon making it, and then you have a WHOLE years worth of detergent. (If you have an HE machine, you will actually have much, much more than a whole years worth!) This is also a powdered detergent. So, unlike the other homemade liquid forms of laundry detergent (which can sometimes get moldy)--this one will last indefinitely.
4) Using recipes like this is an easy way to give your cleaning supplies a makeover--Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!
Do you open up your cleaning supply cabinet to see a ton of different bottles and boxes? Do you have a bottle for glass cleaner? Another bottle of stuff for cleaning the toilet? Another for the counter tops? Another for the stove? In fact, do you have an entire cabinet full of boxes and bottles claiming to be the 'next best thing' when it comes to cleaning. Chances are that your grandmother (or maybe great grandmother depending on your generation) didn't need to have 50 million bottles and boxes of stuff to get her house clean. She probably relied on a few basic essentials such as vinegar and baking soda to get her whole house clean. So if women have been keeping their house clean and tidy for years with those things....why of why do we spend hundreds of dollars buying all of those boxes and bottles of cleaning supplies? The answer is marketing. We all fall victim to it. (At least I do!) But the truth of the matter is that these simple ingredients used in previous generations still work just as well for cleaning and cost a fraction of the price. Most of them are also better for the environment.
5) Making your own cleaning supplies allows you to customize your scents and blends.
One of the unexpected benefits to making my own cleaning supplies is that I have enjoyed experimenting with essential oils. I can choose exactly what "smells" I want my own special blend of cleaning supplies to have. And to be honest, it makes cleaning a whole lot more enjoyable! Instead of breathing in those toxic fumes like I was before, I am now smelling a faint and lovely "lemon verbena" smell as I wipe down my counter tops. Or--perhaps I might have "lavender vanilla" sheets to sleep on at night. I can even change my scents with the seasons. Last autumn, I made a lovely general purpose cleaner and scented it with Sweet Orange, Cinnamon, Clover, and Ginger essential oils. It made deep cleaning in the fall an almost enjoyable experience. Almost. :) At least it was better than the noxious, over powering smell most commercial cleaners have!
So those are just a FEW of the reasons you may want to consider making your own laundry soap and cleansers.
Making your own Laundry Detergent:
Now, when you start experimenting with making your own laundry soap, you will basically have two different choices: liquid or powder form soap. I typically bought commercial liquid detergent when I went to the store...so the first recipe I tried was for a homemade liquid detergent. The liquid detergent cleaned just fine...but it sort of had a strange consistency which kind of freaked me out. (Its difficult to describe in words, but if you have ever made it yourself, you will know what I am talking about.) I have also read reviews online of mold even growing on liquid detergent if it was stored for long periods of time. That wasn't going to work for me. I wanted a recipe that was easy to make and store...one that would last indefinitely so I didn't have to keep making it over and over again. So I ruled the liquid version out.
The next several versions I tried were for powdered laundry soap. All of the powdered laundry soap recipes out there basically involve some ratio of the following ingredients:
1) Borax
2) Soap Flakes or Grated Soap
3) Baking Soda
4) Washing Soada
5) Oxi Clean
I test several of these recipes out. But the BEST recipe by far was in the book Clean Naturally by Sandy Maine. Ms. Mains book is a great read. She is an authority in soap making, so it didn't surprise me that her cleaning supplies worked so well. However, the thing I enjoyed most about her book is her overall philosophy about cleaning and life in general.
This recipe seems to work fantastically in both hard and soft water. This recipe also doesn't have any of the more expensive or hard to find ingredients (such as washing soda and oxi clean). It smells great. It is low foaming. It is gentle enough for our clothes, yet tough on stains. So the recipe that I use today is a sort of modified version of Ms. Sandy Maine's.
----------------------------
So---Now...without further ado.....here is my FAVORITE laundry soap recipe. (Perfect for regular or High Efficiency Machines).
Simple Washing Powder Recipe
16 cups of baking soda
12 cups of borax*
8 cupts of grated soap**
3 tbsp of your favorite essential oils (optional)
* BORAX Note: You will typically find borax in the laundry detergent aisle of most any grocery store of home goods store. (I know that Meijer's, Walmart, Kroger's, and Giant Eagle all carry it. If you are from another part of the country, please feel free to use the store locator on their website to find it.)
**SOAP Note:
--IF you are making your own laundry soap for environmental reasons, it is best to use a grated castile or glycerine soap. You can buy these soaps at locally at a health food store or online.
--IF you are making your own laundry soap as a means of saving money, I have found that a regular bar of grated soap works just as fine. HOWEVER (and this is important) you want to buy the most plain and simple bar of soap that you can find. Anything that looks like it would be good for your skin will be bad or your laundry. You want to avoid anything with added moisturizers or aloe as they often leave a film on your clothes or laundry machine. I have found that the brands Ivory and Feliz Napa works best.
Directions:
1) Grind or grate your soap. Yes...you can grate the soap using a cheese grater. But I have found that Ivory soap grates VERY will in a food processor. Cut the soap up into small 1" cubes. (Ivory soap is very soft and easy to cut.) Then place it in your food processor one bar at a time and grind it up. Wash your food processor well after doing this. ;)
2) Mix the grated soap, baking soda, and borax into a large air tight container. (A wire whisk makes mixing very easy.)
3) Add the Essential Oils if desired. (If you are making this for purely budget reasons, you may want to skip the essential oils. It smells great without them. They are just a fun bonus.)
4) To make more of less of this soap, just mix ingredients sticking to the same general ratio of 4 parts baking soda, 3 parts borax, 2 parts grated soap. This recipe yields enough to do aprox 144 loads in an HE machine and 35 loads in a regular machine. I suggest that you make a small batch at first to try it. THEN, later, when you see how much you love it, make enough to last a year.
To use:
Use 1/2 cup for Regular Machines for regular soiled loads. For heavy soiled loads, you can up this to 1 cup.
Use 1 Tbsp for HE Machines for regular soiled loads. For heavy soiled loads, you can up this to 1/4 cup.
For a printable version of these ingredients and directions, click here.
This year one of our main themes has been an introduction to the great world we live in. My goal was to gently introduce to the kids to some other cultures while at the same time teaching them some very basic world geography. I have been using a combination of Sonlight and FIAR to teach this as well as a sprinkling of some of other great books.
This year we have been going through the Sonlight P4/5 program which gives preschoolers a great introduction to our world through the use of literature. We are loving the program, and I highly recommend it. We are also big fans of the Five in a Row (FIAR) books, so we have incorporated those into our day too.
The existing P4/5 schedule is great as is. However, I have modified it slightly for our use, and I wanted to share how we are using the program. What I have done is to pull out all of the wonderful world culture stories in the Sonlight P4/5 program and grouped them by geographic region. This gives us time to fully immerse ourselves in the various cultures we are studying. So instead of skipping all around the globe, we get to spend a few weeks completely devoted to one culture/region. This gives us time to do all sorts of fun things together as a family. We might prepare and taste some traditional foods from the part of the world we are studying. Sometimes we might do a craft project together using inspiration from artists who live in that part of the world. Or, at other times, we might take a few days to learn some phrases from the language spoken in that part of the world. Basically---it gives us the time to really let all of those cultures sync in as we "read around the globe". I have also found that organizing the stories this way allows my very young children to really grasp the differences in cultures and people groups that can be found around the world. When we were jumping all around the globe, this didn't sync in as much.
In case anyone else is interested in reading around the world, I wanted to share our list of stories. You will notice that we have included a lot of other books besides those included in the Sonlight P4/5 program. Many of them are used in the Five in a Row program (another favorite of mine)...others are just good books that you can check out from your library.
How to use this study:
1. Read through the stories at your own pace. Use the sheet provided as a checklist to track your progress.
2. As you are reading, feel free to weave in some craft projects, music, language activities, recipes, or hands-on projects into your study. Do this as you have the time or your children are interested.
A NOTE ON PACING: Included in this list are 166 readings. That may seem like a huge amount, but I have found that this is a good number to fill up a typical school year of 180 days. I personally make it a goal to read about a story per day. With holidays and other interruptions, this usually works out pretty well. Some days we read more, some days less. I always suggest reading as your children are interested and going at their own pace.
General World Geography Books to Use for Reference: Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World by MaryAnn Kohl-
This is a great book to own, but most libraries will also have a copy of this that you can check out. There are lot of great projects that you can use at your discretion as you study the various cultures and countries. The projects are all rated by degree of skill...and I have found that many of the lowest rated projects are very appropriate for four and five year old children.
A Child's Introduction to the World Geography, Cultures, and People - From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China by Heather Alexander
I am a big fan of the "Child's Introduction" series of books. So when a fellow sonligher recommended this book I was anxious to check it out. Our library didn't have a copy of it, so I had to bite the bullet and purchase it. I am glad I did. This is a great reference book with tons of ideas to incorporate into your study of the world. This book will really grow with the child and you will probably find you are using it for years to come.
Also, try to get your hands on a nicely illustrated multi-cultural cookbook made just for kids. I would suggest hitting your local library and searching for a book there. There are many, many great versions of these types of books out there. If that is not possible, here are some to consider: Kids Around the World Cook!: The Best Foods and Recipes from Many Lands by Arlette N. Braman Around the World Cookbook by Abigail Johnson Dodge
Another good resource to check out is some traditional music from the culture you are reading about. This is another resource that I would utilize the library for if at all possible. I highly recommend the Putumayo Presents Series of world music CDs. Another great resource is the Wee Sing Around the World CD.
Another resource is the continent song. We started off our study by learning the 7 continents on the globe. At first the kids just memorized the words to this song, however, eventually, they learned to start locating the continents on the globe. After you get the continents down, make it a goal to learn the various oceans.
Christmas time is a wonderful time to snuggle together and enjoy a good book. Why not add a few of these titles to your library this Christmas and create a wonderful memory with a book? Giving children books for Christmas and birthdays teaches them that books are something to be treasured and valued. A book is also going to be more meaningful than many of the fad toys around today.
These books have become integral parts to our families Christmas celebration. We read them together each year. They have become just as important as the stockings or the tree to my children! Make them a part of your Christmas tradition and you will be glad you did! Its easy...grab a cup of warm cocoa and a blanket and read!
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski--Mr. Toomey is well known as the best woodcarver around. However, he is so solemn the village children have nicknamed him Mr. Gloomy. A widow and her son call on him and ask his help in carving a creche in time for Christmas. Little does he know it, but this job is one that will change his life. This story has quickly become a classic since it was first published in 1995. Children and adults love to read this heartwarming story.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg--A little boy is swept away on a train late at night to the North Pole. Another modern day classic read aloud this time of year.
The Christmas Cat by Efner Tudor Holmes--A cat is left out on his own in the cold of winter after his family moves away and abandons him. A kind bearded man finds the kitty and brings him to a new home. Beautifully illustrated by the renowned Tasha Tudor, this is a very nice story to read together this Christmas.
Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas by Julia Rawlinson-- We have always loved the Fletcher books ever since a friend introduced them to me. (There is one for every season...so check out the whole series!) In this story, the Rabbits have moved to a new burrow. Fletcher the fox has to help Santa find their new home.
Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story by Cynthia Rylant--This story was inspired by the "Christmas Train" which rolls through the Appalachian Mountains each Christmas season. From this train, tons of toys are tossed to children who wait patiently by the tracks. Cynthia Rylant is one of my favorite children's offers. This is a very special book that helps remind us that Christmas time is not about receiving, but about giving.
The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown--The author of this book (most famous for her story Good Night Moon) tells an inspiring tale of a little fir tree growing by the edge of a forest. Every year a man comes and digs the fir tree up and brings him to his son's room for Christmas. The little boy is lame and can not get out of bed. Then every spring the fir tree is returned to the ground. Each year the fir tree grows bigger and stronger as does the little boy.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman -- These "Little Golden Books" are included here for nostalgic reasons. Many of my readers probably grew up reading Little Golden Books. They are still just as good today as they were when we were children. These two tales tell the classic tales of two famous Christmas characters. If you can find these classic books, GRAB them! The originals are definitely better than the newer golden books in my opinion. You can often buy them used on eBay and Amazon. My copies are from my childhood which makes them all the more valuable to me.
Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd--Late one winter day in Italy, St. Francis the patron saint of animals, encounters an unhappy donkey. St. Francis tells him the story of his origins and the story of the "Christmas Donkey"-- The donkey who carried Mary over tough terrain to the city of Bethlehem.
The Story of Holly & Ivy by Rumer Godden-- Ivy, who lives in an orphanage, wants a home for Christmas more than anything else. Ivy makes a wish. Holly is a doll left all alone in a toyshop window on Christmas Eve. More than anything, she wants a child's hands to bring her to life and play with her. Holly makes a wish. A childless couple have a beautiful Christmas tree and holiday feast, but long for a child to share it with also make a wish. This is a touching tale about the miracles that can sometimes happen around Christmas time.
Grumpy Badger's Christmas by Pal Bright-- The 'animal' version of the Christmas Carol: Grumpy Badger is trying to hibernate this winter but keeps getting woken up by the other animals preparations for Christmas. This book led to lots of great discussions on hibernation and what various animals will do to cope with the cold and short days of winter.
The Christmas Candle by Jacob Collins--This modern day fable is a story of how a Christmas Candle teaches a man the values of charity and goodwill. Beautifully illustrated!
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston -- OK...I have to admit that after reading this aloud to my children, I was tearing up. But in a good way if that makes sense! This is SUCH a good book. It is a very sentimental
My Treasure of Christmas Stories, illustrated by Caroline Pedler- This anthology contains such classics as:
The story of the first Christmas (retold from Luke 2:1-20),
A Christmas Carol (retold from the story by Charles Dickens)
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
The Nutcracker (retold from a story by E.T.A. Hoffman)
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Little Fir-Tree (retold from a story by Hans Christian Anderson)
The Snow Queen (retold from a story by Hans Christian Anderson)
I usually don't like stories that are re-told. However, I find this edition to be very nice. All of the stories are told in verse which the children loved. I also find that the versions of these stories still remain very true to the original tales and provide very young children a good introduction to these classics. If you can't find this particular anthology...OR if you have older children with longer attention spans, I highly recommend that you check them out. They are great classics for Christmas time.
Well Everyone...that is what is in my Christmas Book Basket this year. Have fun enjoying these books and others. Remember that you still can get free shipping on many of these items and before Christmas evestill receive them by Christmas Eve.
October* was National Fire Safety Prevention Month. So to celebrate the month we took a tour of a local fire department with some of our friends. The kids had a great time and I think they learned a lot.
*I know, I know...it is currently mid November. Sometimes I am a little late to download photos off of my camera.
The kids and parents watching a film on fire prevention and safety.
Taking a tour of the fire department. We got to see where the firefighters sleep and eat and how calls are answered.
The kids learned about some of the tools the firefighters use to fight fires and perform medical rescues.
The kids hanging out on the truck.
The kids caught an inside look of the fire truck.
Marcus jumping out
Just being silly
This is the outfit Sophie picked out and demanded to wear. She is wearing her favorite black fur coat with her spiderman ball cap. She found this black fur coat at the thrift store and LOVES it. She says it is her "bear coat".
Sophie in her bear coat walking around.
After we saw the inside of the truck, the kids were invited inside to see the firefighter in his full gear.
The firefighter wanted the kids to see what he looked and sounded like in his gear. He explaided that often times kids are frightened when they see a fire fighter coming into their room and will run and hide from them. He wanted them to know that he was just a "regular guy" under all of this equipment, and they didn't need to be afraid of him. Marcus pointed out that he sounded a lot like Darth Vader with the mask on.
Sophie gave the firefighter a hug.
Marcus giving the firefighter a hug.
They all tried to lift up some of the equipment. It was HEAVY!
This year Latin was a new subject for us. (See article: Why studyLatin? ) We’ve completed the Song School Latin 1 program, and let ...
Become Attached
Hi! I'm Cathy...aka The Attached Mama. Thanks for stopping by today. Like most mamas, I wear many hats in life. I am a wife to Doug and mother to three beautiful children. Please join us in our adventures learning and living.
