I blog because I've loved to write for decades. I was writing stories with my friends as a young child. Creative writing assignments were my favorite in school. And that is why whenever I can I stop by Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday community on Fridays. She shares a single word, and a ton of us write what comes to mind for five minutes. That's it. And it is fun!
In my house we try to read for fun as much as we can. And that means that I tend not to pay attention to the awards that books are given... I go off of what looks fun at the library, or recommendations from friends, family and teachers. And let's be honest, some of the books that receive Children's literary awards just do not draw you in with the covers (most of the time, there are exceptions...).
I was pleasantly surprised while on a recent visit to the library to find a Caldecott medal honoree that grabbed at my attention, simply by the cover picture. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon boasts a calming cover with two kids on a well worn path looking at a gorgeous blue sky. The book just screamed summer to me, and after this never-ending winter, I grabbed at the book.
I was pleasantly surprised while on a recent visit to the library to find a Caldecott medal honoree that grabbed at my attention, simply by the cover picture. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon boasts a calming cover with two kids on a well worn path looking at a gorgeous blue sky. The book just screamed summer to me, and after this never-ending winter, I grabbed at the book.
I always wanted to be a mom, and when I found out I was pregnant the first time, I prayed for a boy. That might sound odd, especially since I am a girly-girl, but I always found boys to be a little easier. I mean playing catch with a ball is much easier for me than coming up with a huge story line for Barbie and her friends. And I imagined the freedom that boys would leave me while they explored outside getting dirty and such.
It didn't take long to realize that even though I loved my boys, they were not the cakewalk I had envisioned while begging for a boy! And that desire to find an outlet that would understand the work of a boy mama led me to an amazing resource, Warrior Prayers by Brooke McGlothlin and her site, The MOB Society.
For the last year and a half, I've worked on the skill of praying scripture for my boys and seeking the support (particularly emotional) of other boy mamas in this group. It's been amazing.
It didn't take long to realize that even though I loved my boys, they were not the cakewalk I had envisioned while begging for a boy! And that desire to find an outlet that would understand the work of a boy mama led me to an amazing resource, Warrior Prayers by Brooke McGlothlin and her site, The MOB Society.
For the last year and a half, I've worked on the skill of praying scripture for my boys and seeking the support (particularly emotional) of other boy mamas in this group. It's been amazing.
The whole process of growing your family can be hard on kids. As parents are focused on preparing the house for new baby and mommy can be overwhelmed with growing new baby (if she is pregnant) or waiting for baby to arrive (adoption has it's own set of waiting...) kids can pick up on the change and not know how to respond. This is when keeping the routine of reading with your kids can be most beneficial.
There are so many great books out there that will tell stories of what happens when new babies bless families. Plus there are a ton of books that can allow your kids to prepare specifically for your new baby - books where they can journal about waiting for baby, or even keep track of events of baby's first year from the vantage point of brother/sister. The possibilities are endless.
There are so many great books out there that will tell stories of what happens when new babies bless families. Plus there are a ton of books that can allow your kids to prepare specifically for your new baby - books where they can journal about waiting for baby, or even keep track of events of baby's first year from the vantage point of brother/sister. The possibilities are endless.
As winter drags on even our daily activities have lost their draw. My boys simply want to play outside, but the cold air is preventing it. As a result, we've read so many books, I've lost track. Granted many of the books we read are from the local library, which helps keeps stories fresh, but still it's getting a little old.
The main issue, for me, is reading the same stories, over and over. My adult brain just isn't into reading the same kid books more than fifteen times in a week! So I have had to get a little creative in getting different stories into our reading times. And luckily, the school my oldest attends just added a little project that is helping me tremendously!
The main issue, for me, is reading the same stories, over and over. My adult brain just isn't into reading the same kid books more than fifteen times in a week! So I have had to get a little creative in getting different stories into our reading times. And luckily, the school my oldest attends just added a little project that is helping me tremendously!