The Air Force One Experience on Display in Rhode Island for a Limited Time

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September 15, 2017

Ever wanted to hop aboard Air Force One and see what all the fuss is about? Well, for the next seven weeks you can do just that with The Air Force One Experience, an educational exhibit temporarily on display at Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown, RI.

The Air Force One Experience is the brainchild of the Children’s Democracy Project , which is a group aimed at teaching children about democracy. As of today, September 15th, Phase 1 of the project has been completed and 3,000 free tickets are being released to Rhode Island residents on a first come, first serve basis. An additional 6,000 complimentary tickets have been released to residents of Massachusetts and Connecticut, respectively. Through the end of October, this limited preview will be open from 10am to 6pm daily.

I took my kids down today to check it out, and it was pretty spectacular. Up close, the Boeing 747 is massive, and the inside is really tremendous. It was like we were in the set of a movie, and it felt both very familiar and unlike anything I’d ever seen. My kids are young and were as impressed with the helicopter they saw taking off as anything else, but for an older child with a bit more understanding of the history behind what they were seeing, it would be pretty cool. Meant to be an intimate sensory experience to excite children about presidential leadership, the Children’s Democracy Project worked with Air Force One Stewards from the Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, and W. Bush administrations to ensure that no detail has been missed to make this truly a one of a kind experience. On board, the Air Force One replica has a variety of presidential artifacts from past presidents like John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington.

Tickets are required to access the exhibit and can be booked by time slot and must be reserved in advance by visiting www.airforceoneexperience.com. This is the only time the Air Force One Experience will be in New England before it embarks on a national tour, so don’t miss your chance to see an interactive piece of history with your family!

Harvey and Irma: How My iPhone Helped Me Weather the Storms

By

Jackie Hennessey

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September 14, 2017

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I keep hearing people, including myself, tell me to put away my iPhone. To walk away from social media. To go on a Facebook diet. To stop depending on social media. I honestly was prepared to do just that this fall. I even wrote a blog post entitled, “Are You Addicted to Your iPhone?” that pokes fun of my own obsession with this silly gadget. Until two beasts called Harvey and Irma blasted through parts of the country that happen to be meaningful to me.

To be honest, I don’t know how I would have slept at night (albeit I don’t sleep much anyway, but that’s mommy insomnia fodder for another post) had I not had my iPhone to help me stay connected with the people I care about in Texas and Florida. You see, I was born in Houston and grew up in Clear Lake City, a wondrous community that calls Johnson Space Center home. A place where the flooding from Harvey’s aftermath hit hard. Although I moved away as a teenager, I hold that place and the people in it close to my heart. And my parents (who just celebrated their 50th anniversary during Irma) live in a town just outside of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

So, yes, I have had to hold my breath over the past few weeks.
I didn’t sleep much.
But I had my iPhone in my pocket.
Next to my bed.
In my car.
On the kitchen counter.
In my purse.
Next to my laptop.
Everywhere I went, I checked for updates.
For texts from loved ones.
Direct messages from family friends.

I was obsessed.
But it was a blessing.

You see, staying connected during these storms has actually been a good thing. As we learned in math back in junior high school, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my direct line of communication from little old Rhode Island to people I care about in Florida and Texas, was made even more direct and more meaningful thanks to my cell phone. Thanks to the very thing that can serve as an addiction. A gadget the size of my hand that I have a love-hate relationship with at times. Yes, my cell phone turned out to be my silver lining playbook during these two natural disasters.

Yes, thanks to technology, thanks to Apple and all the cell phone companies out there (who did not pay me a dime to write this, thank you very much) communicating with loved ones who weathered these disastrous storms was made a heck of a lot easier.

You see, I chose not to watch the news on television.

Despite the fact that I graduated with a degree in journalism, I chose not to take the 24-7 news route to stay updated.

I relied on my iPhone for weather and news articles along with messages from loved ones.

From my gadget, I witnessed communities coming together despite political, socio-economic, or otherwise contrasting backgrounds. I witnessed human beings being decent human beings to one another. I heard stories. I watched footage. I read messages. I clicked on links from friends and family.
I clicked to donate.
Clicked for an update.
Clicked to let everyone know that our loved ones were OK.
My addiction to my iPhone turned out to be a blessing these past few weeks.
A blessing that allowed me, in little Rhody, to connect with family friends, childhood friends, relatives, cousins, college friends and people who knew me since I was a newborn. To be inspired by their stories, their needs, their generosity. Of communities lending a hand to those in need and getting through the flooding together.

I kept checking in on loved ones in Houston via Facebook messenger to make sure they were OK. Yes, Facebook, an outlet that often serves as a time-sucking distraction, was my saving grace.

I grew up in a community hit hard by the floods. I saw a picture on Facebook the other day from a private group made up of hundreds of current and past residents. My old neighborhood looked like an island, surrounded by 50 feet of water. Houses were damaged, hearts are broken. Lives are forever changed.

Thankfully, many loved ones, from family friends to extended family, are OK. Thanks to Facebook, I have been able to connect with them, to share messages of hope, links with good news. To find out where donations are really needed. Despite damaged homes, the people I care about are OK. I continue to hear stories of hope. From people rowing a neighbor to safety. Dogs saved, elderly people rescued. Debris cleaned up by neighbors and their children. My friend from college has shared stories that have brought me to tears.

I worried that my parents were going to be hit hard by Irma. We texted. We called. We left voicemails and sent emails with advice about hurricane preparedness, and our past storm stories. One of my dearest childhood friends and I reminisced about playing cards and pretending to be in Little House and the Prairie times when the power went out during one hurricane. Oh, I will never forget the hurricanes, floods and tornadoes we weathered together. Nothing can compare to what Houston has experienced these past few weeks.

So when I received a photo of my parents grilling bacon and eggs on their covered patio in Titusville, Florida this morning, I exhaled. And I giggled a little, when I noticed they found a way to make coffee in the middle of a hurricane. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a power outage and coffee from the grill.

All that matters is they are safe. Irma is gone. And they are OK. Knowing this makes me so grateful. Maybe I can get some rest tonight.

All because of a text. On my iPhone. In Rhode Island.

The Pros and Cons of Autumn

By

Sara

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September 13, 2017

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I have lived in the Northeast for much of my life, and one of the things I love most is autumn. Even though it means shorter days and colder weather, I enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the season. The changing of leaves and the crackling sound they make when you step on them. Transitioning to hot coffee and biting into a freshly picked apple. Putting the air conditioner away and bundling under a comforter at night. However, for my kids the shift to autumn is more of a love/hate relationship. Here are the things they look forward to and the parts of autumn they would gladly do without.

Pros:

My kids love all things rural in the fall. Apple and pumpkin picking, (Dame Farm and Barden Orchards are our favorites), hayrides, and corn mazes. I am a fan of these things as well, with the exception of a corn maze. I have never understood the desire to get lost and wander aimlessly in a land where GPS will not help you.

Fall Foods

Apple cider and cider donuts are more valuable than gold in my house. We break out the hot chocolate as well. Pumpkin spice is a favorite…to a point. I enjoy a pumpkin spice coffee and the kids like it in butternut squash soup or applesauce, but the other day I saw pumpkin spice throat lozenges. The line has to be drawn somewhere. This is also the time of year when we switch over to comfort foods. My crockpot comes out of hiding and lots of stews and soups show up on the table.

Football Season – Enough Said

Halloween Prep

Aside from Chrismukkah, our December holiday mashup, Halloween is my kids’ favorite holiday. The ideas for costumes start flowing in September and we love our holiday tradition of trick-or-treating with friends. It is also the one time of year I can indulge in my love of candy corn.

Cons

Back to School

While I love a good trip to buy school supplies, my kids dread the school year starting. Getting out of summer mode is a challenge – earlier mornings, heavy backpacks, and actually needing to learn something. Once they get back in the routine they are fine. It just takes a couple of weeks of adjustment.

Cooler Weather and Heavier Clothing

Both of my children would wear shorts and T-shirts all year if they were allowed. My daughter insists that her school is warm and therefore she can wear a short sleeve shirt under her heavy coat. They want to go out in a light sweatshirt until December. I, on the other hand, relish the days when I can start to cover up again. Three months is more than enough time to expose my legs to the public.

Pre-Christmas Displays

While we all look forward to the holiday season we are baffled by stores that start displaying Christmas items in September. Let us get through Back to School before the onslaught of Rudolph and mistletoe.

Shorter Days

This is probably the hardest autumn adjustment. We love being able to come home in the summer and still have time to play outside or take a walk after dinner as the sun is setting. Getting home and having to go right in the house is a sad time for us and that is when we see winter right around the corner.

Autumn is a special time, and even with the few things we do not like, we would never want to live somewhere without it. Enjoy your apple picking and Pumpkin Spice Cheerios!

I Went to the Woods: A Day with the Boy Scouts

By

Tracy Slater

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September 12, 2017

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“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Henry David Thoreau

Recently, my boys and I went into the woods with the Boy Scouts. Tucked into the middle of Cranston is a 100 acre wooded oasis that felt more like the White Mountains of New Hampshire than a spot just minutes outside of Providence. Heavily wooded, with a small lake, streams, winding trails and log cabins, the Narragansett Council Boy Scouts Champlain Scout Reservation is stunning. I was lucky enough to be invited to bring my children along to attend an event showcasing the property and all that the Boy Scouts has to offer. And they gave me coffee. So I love them.

Boy Scouts Narragansett Council Providence Moms Blog after school activities — Muffins = happy children. Coffee = happy adults.

The crew that came along with me was young; the oldest child I brought enters first grade this year, the age at which Cub Scouts begin, but the other three are not yet old enough for Scouts and I worried that the day would bore them, or that they would be too rowdy and immature for the activities planned. But my worry quickly dissipated as I watched the counselors (all current or former Scouts themselves) interact with the kids. Kind, patient and warm, but with an unmistakable authority, my boys hung on their every word all morning long.

Boy Scouts providence Rhode Island after school activities — Admittedly, they might listen to me more often if I held a bow and arrow.

And I needn’t have been worried that the line up of activities would be boring; they made popsicle stick harmonicas, they hiked through the woods, they tried out an air cannon made out of a trash barrel (possibly the coolest STEM project I’ve ever seen) and, in what was obviously a fan favorite… they did archery! As the boys participated in the activities, played, and explored, I chatted with the staff and other parents about the camp (which is co-ed so that families can send all their kids to the same place) and drank my coffee in relative peace as the kids wandered up the path ahead of me.

Boy Scouts providence moms blog Rhode Island after school activities

I was excited about spending the day with the Boy Scouts because my oldest recently started kindergarten, and as I think about the types of activities I will want to enroll him in, I do so carefully. He will spend long hours in a classroom five days a week, and if I am going to ask him to do even more, I feel strongly that the activity should nourish his soul and be of real value. The Boy Scouts have long boasted of the “Scouting Advantage” and claimed that Scouting builds character. And indeed, a recent study conducted by Tufts University backs up that claim. Over the course of this three year study, children enrolled in Cub Scouts showed positive change in the areas of cheerfulness, helpfulness, obedience, kindness, trustworthiness and hopefulness.

providence moms blog narragansett council boy scouts rhode island kids after school activities

None of this comes as a shock to me, perhaps because my husband is an Eagle Scout. He is also pretty much the best person I know. He is the first person friends call when they need help moving or a hand fixing their house. When we first met (in middle school no less), it was his kindness that first struck me. When we went backpacking (back in our carefree pre-kids days) he built a tripod out of sticks to place over the fire so we could boil a pot water (I still haven’t gotten over being impressed by that). And it’s more than the things he can do; he is a person of integrity, he is hard working, he almost never complains, and he makes life better for everyone around him. I have no doubt that there are many factors that played into my husband’s character development, but I suspect his lifelong involvement with the Boy Scouts played a large role.

“I remember climbing on that rock when I was a Scout,” one of the counselors reminisced, as the four boys began to scale a rock. “Should I tell them to get down?” I asked. The counselor’s bemused reply was everything I could have hoped for; “If children can’t run and climb with the Scouts, where can they run and climb?” This is the crux of what I loved about our day and what I love about the Boy Scouts: the children were at once treated as boys AND as men. Quite the opposite of what they normally face. As a whole, our society tends to treat children as incompetent mini adults; they are given very little responsibility and even less respect, but are expected to have the capacity to sit still, control their emotions, and remember all the rules. The Boy Scouts, on the contrary, treated my boys like competent children. They expected and allowed the kids to run and jump, to play and yell. But they also put a bow and arrow in the hands of a six year old. And in doing so in a way that was safe and age appropriate, they began to instill in him an understanding of safety and conveyed to him that he could be trusted with real things. This is a vital message to send children if we want them to grow up to be trustworthy and independent. As a mother and a therapist, I am constantly thinking about how the things I say to and do with my children will shape them. I ask myself if the experiences and activities that I am exposing them to contribute to their development and their character. Will they aid in helping my children to become good people, happy human beings? For me, involvement in the Boy Scouts is a worthy investment of our time in pursuit of that goal.

To learn more about Scouting and find the program nearest you, visit www.BeAScout.org.

At Providence Moms Blog we love having the opportunity to check local places and activities for you. We are grateful to the Narragansett Council Boy Scouts for partnering with us on this sponsored post and assure you that these opinions are our own.

The Kissing Hand: When Your Baby Grows Up

By

Lindsey Galvao

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September 11, 2017

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When my oldest daughter was in preschool, we religiously read the book “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn. If you haven’t read it with your little one, it’s about a raccoon named Chester who is afraid to go to school and be away from his mother. To allay his fears, Chester’s mother talk to him about all the wonderful things he will do at school and then kisses Chester’s hand as a sign that she will always be with him no matter where he goes.

As a result, morning and evening kisses became our ritual. When I dropped her off at school in the morning, I would cover my daughter’s palms in kisses, and she would “stick” those kisses in her pockets to carry them with her throughout the day. And in fairness, she gave my hands kisses too so I could keep her with me as we parted ways before she ran into her classroom. We would exchange those same kisses at night before I tucked her into bed. Whenever she felt uncertain or afraid in a new situation, I gave her kisses in her palms to help her be brave. It was our check-in, our connection. It was a part of our mother/daughter bond.

When I dropped her off at kindergarten last week for the first time, I tried to prolong our final interaction in the car before she started her school day. After I managed to get a quick hug good-bye, I asked her if she needed kisses for her pockets. “No,” she said, self-assured, and she hopped out of the car without giving a second glance and scampered off into the building.

Like a burst floodgate, tears began to spill down my cheeks as I put the car in gear and pulled away. I guess it was Mommy who needed those kisses to keep in her pocket all day long.

My emotions were so raw and confusing. I had been preparing myself for this moment all summer; in fact, there were many lazy summer days when I cursed the fact that school hadn’t started yet. And as I began to reflect upon it on the short drive home, it’s been what I’ve been preparing my daughter to do for the past five years. I’ve been grooming her to be assertive, to find solutions to any problem she encounters, and to clean up after herself. I’ve taught her how to brush her teeth, feed the cats, tie her shoes, and make her bed. I’ve taught her to be proud of who she is, to look out for other people’s feelings, to try new things, and to be an active participant in her community. And now that my daughter is beginning to spread her wings, find her voice, and cope with a variety of situations without me to kiss her hand, I couldn’t be prouder and more heartbroken.

It’s the eternal paradox of parenting. We want our children to be independent. We want them to be brave and confident. As I deal with tantrums, wiping bums, major messes, and whining, I often think to myself that I am desperate for more time to myself. I wistfully envision the time when my children can manage to do more on their own. And while I am so, so honored to watch her and her sister grow up, I wasn’t prepared for the full ramification of what this meant. I wasn’t ready for the day when my kisses would be cast aside for the new adventures that await. I wasn’t prepared not to feel needed.

But as a mother, I firmly believe that it’s my role to teach her to one day become an adult who can function on her own. And this is just the beginning. She will continue to explore and push away from me. It is not the last time that the metaphorical kisses will be deemed unnecessary.

When I picked her up from school, she was glowing from excitement and chatted the whole ride home. I learned about circle time, new teachers, new activities, and new friends. I listened with enthusiasm, asked questions, and giggled with her. And that evening, we snuggled on the couch, her head buried against my chest, and read books to each other. It was glorious.

I will just find another way to keep her love in my pockets all day long.

In Gratitude to Our Parents on Grandparents Day

By

Tracy Slater

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September 8, 2017

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Grandparents are magical beings, part parent, part play mate, with a warmth hard to find elsewhere. Grandparents are a safe place to land.

Ten years ago, when my (then) boyfriend and I began to look for our first home, I sat down with a map and drew a circle around my parents house. The circle encompassed a 15 minute radius and I informed my boyfriend that radius was where I would consider buying a home. In our mid 20s at the time, children were just a twinkle in ~~our eyes~~ his eyes and my (now) husband pushed back a little. “Is there really a difference between being 15 minutes away or being a half an hour away?” he wondered. But I was unwavering. “I work with families,” I argued. “I talk to mothers every single day of my life and by and large, the ones who live close to their parents are happier and saner. You know what you’re getting into. I am a codependent extrovert with plans to pop out babies the second you give me the green light. I need my parents.”

I won that argument, and ten years and three children later, I am grateful for my stubbornness. I was right. I knew that they would help us. I knew that they would babysit our children. I knew that my father would feed us endless meals. I knew that being nearby would mean my children would have a close relationship with their grandparents. I knew that my mom would keep me company during long days at home with my young children. I knew how much I would need that. I even knew that my father would occasionally have to come save me from having locked myself out of my house (something that happens at least quarterly).

What I did not know was how much my parents would continue to parent me. And in doing so, it would allow me to be so much better of a parent to my own children.

When I was in college, I would come home and my mother would immediately try to feed me. She would start by asking if she could make me anything, and if I declined she would proceed to bustle about, detailing the contents of the refrigerator and the pantry for the next 15 minutes. It annoyed me to no end. “What does she think that I do when she’s not around?” my cocky young adult self bristled. “I’ve been living on my own for five years. I obviously know how to feed myself.”

These days, I enter my parents’ house and often have to immediately sit down and nurse a baby. My mother bustles about. She brings me a glass of water, offers to make me something to eat, and details the contents of her refrigerator and pantry. I am filled with gratitude. I allow her to make me an egg. I allow her to cook grilled cheese for the children. I allow her to put away the dishes and sweep up the mess the kids have made. Meanwhile, my father entertains the boys. I am filled with a measure of guilt over all of this, but then I finish nursing the baby and there is nothing left to be done. With nothing left to be done, I am free to sit on the floor and play Magna Tiles with my five-year-old. I am free to snuggle on the couch with my three-year-old and read him a book. I am free to lie on the ground, stare at the baby, and try desperately to teach her to say ‘mama’ before she says ‘dada.’ Without all of the tasks to do, I am free to enjoy my children.

My in-laws live farther away, but we visit often, and when we do, the same scenario plays out. I begin to mentally prepare myself to tackle one of the million things that need to be done to keep my children fed and clothed, when a baby cries, a diaper needs to be changed, or a boo boo kissed. As I tend to what needs to be tended to, my mother-in-law bustles about. And when I emerge from whatever mothering has had to be done, I find that the dishwasher has been unloaded, the meal has been started, and the toys picked up. Again, guilt washes over me, but even more so, appreciation. So often I feel utterly spent. Spent from the long days and long nights and long weeks of nurturing. It is uncomfortable for me to allow someone else to take on that role. It goes against my stubborn, prideful, independent spirit, but I think I owe it to my family and myself to take a breath every now and then.

I don’t know how any of them do it. They are 30 years older than me, and yet when they are with my children they seem to have boundless energy, patience, and love. It’s astounding and humbling. I am taking notes; I am continuing to learn from them. And in my dark moments of mothering when I question my abilities, when worry that I am not enough, I console myself with the knowledge that I do not need to be enough. My children have not two, but six parents. And four of them are undoubtedly grand.

Grandparents Day is Sunday, September 9th. Make sure to say ‘thanks’ to the grandparents in your life.

Letter to My Tween Daughter

By

Sara

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September 7, 2017

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Dear Miss J,

You may have noticed that I give you a lot of advice. I feel it is my job to share my life experiences with you and help you make good and informed decisions. As a realist, I also know that like generations of teens and tweens before you, you will likely ignore much of this advice and make the same mistakes I made. On the off-chance that you are listening (even to just a small percentage of what I say), here are a few things I would like you to know:

Don’t worry about 5 pounds, bad hair days, or whether you have a pimple. You are most likely the only one who will notice and while it might bother you, it is pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
Invest in comfortable shoes and sunscreen. Both will serve you well in the long run.
Don’t change for anyone. One time you asked me what kind of girl do boys like, and I explained that the right boy will like you for who you are. There is no need to pretend to be someone you are not. They figure out the lie eventually.
You may see kids acting stupid because they think people will not like them if they seem smart. Never dumb it down. If you are in trouble and you need help, you want Sheryl Sandberg or Ruth Bader Ginsberg in your corner – not the person who thinks that “boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.”
Failure is OK. Try lots of different things to discover what you love. This is the age when you can fail all you want with minimal repercussions.
Your heart will be broken at least once. I assure you that no matter who he is, he is not worth it.
Don’t worry about having dozens of friends. A few tried and true ones are what really matter. If you have 3 or 4 people you can call with a crisis at 2 in the morning, you are doing all right.
Understand that friendships ebb and flow depending on where you are in your life and that is OK.
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. You are at the age where you have great skin and hair with natural highlights. Leave them alone. And PLEASE do not wash your face with hand soap.
Cherish your family even when they drive you nuts. It is just because we love you.
Don’t worry about growing up too quickly. You will have responsibilities soon enough.

If you pay attention to all of this advice, the next 10-15 years will go very smoothly. If you don’t and you make lots of mistakes, I will be a shoulder to cry on, a voice of reason and, if you are lucky, I will not say that I told you so.

Love, Mommy

I Am Disillusioned With Time. It’s The Worst.

By

Kim Votruba-Matook

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September 6, 2017

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My son is turning four this month. I am freaking out a little. Where did the time go?

Why can’t I remember all the long days of my little man as a newborn? God knows I took enough photos! They now seem to have flown by. On the flip side, why does time feel like it stands still when he acts his age and has a tantrum? Or goes in slo-mo when I can see my kids’ roughhousing climaxing into an injury? Why can’t we fast forward through that?!

Let me interrupt and qualify my inquiry [read: rant] by stating that I am married to an engineer and I saw the movie Interstellar, so clearly I am an expert on the concept of time. And I think it’s stupid. It is relative, yet confining. And it causes me angst.

Time is a measure of something that I don’t often want measured. It very easily correlates with guilt. During the TIME I am at my full-time job or working as a vendor at a weekend art show for my side business, I feel guilty about not being with my kids. For the TIME I am with my kids, I look around my house and see unfinished projects and dirty…everything. I very easily retreat into a “scarcity mindset” and fall to the comfort of the cliche “there’s just not enough hours in the day!” Stupid day, get some more hours so I can feel productive and NOT guilty about how I choose to spend my time. Honestly.

Then there are days when I finally sit down at night, think back, and wonder how I spent my time. On a typical work day, I see/spend time with my kids for 2-2.5 hours. I see coworkers for 8.5. That is frustratingly ill-proportioned. Then I feel guilty that I am wasting my time sitting down and I get up to do something “productive.”

Then something happens that forces me to assess my perspective on time. A life event, say, or more poignantly, a death. It brings to light that I don’t know what TIME I really have. And provides the not-so-fun opportunity to ask myself how I am spending this unknown amount of TIME. And how I may be taking what I have for granted. Hence, time is the worst.

So now as I notice my son’s chubby baby cheeks thinning out, his vocabulary increasing, and his inquiries maturing, I wonder how quickly our lives are going to fly by. My son somehow picks up on this. One night as I was tucking him in and commenting how late it was, he asked, “Mama, why doesn’t time stop?”

At first I was caught off guard by the profundity of his question. Then I realized he was stalling before bed (again, stupid time!) I recovered with an answer about the earth rotating around the sun and the moon rotating around the earth and how that dictates our days and nights. “Oh,” he said, “OK. That makes sense. Thanks, Mama. Good night.”

As I closed the door to his room, I again reflected on how quickly my baby became a clever time-stealing little boy. Despite the intention of the question, it is still deep. It is one for the ages. It leaves me feeling vulnerable. But I’ll think about it later…I have to go do the dishes.

Great Bedtime Books For Young Readers

By

Melody

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September 5, 2017

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Every family has their own routine, and most likely your evening routine has some reading involved in it. In our home, when nighttime is near, my children become wild animals. They all of a sudden act loud, want to play with loud toys, beg to watch TV, and are nowhere near being ready to fall asleep. It used to be a struggle to get my kids to want to read at night, especially for my 2 year old son. But when I discovered Usborne Books and purchased a variety, my children have become engaged in reading time and look forward to picking out their books before bed! While a majority of our favorite books are Usborne Books, there are also a few that have become our favorites from different authors. If you have young readers, check these out!

1. Count To 100

My two and four year old children are really into counting things lately. Since I have been homeschooling them for preschool, I have been doing a lot of research on books that are worth purchasing. Usborne’s “Count To 100” is a great way to engage your reader and encourage them to count to 100! This book contains beautiful illustrations with lots of colors and even metallic shine on some pages!
“Count To 100“:

2. Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Book

Usborne also has a great variety of sensory books or touchy feely books with tons of different textures in them. These are AH-mazing. Not only does my 6 month old love these, but my toddler and preschooler love them too. “Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Book” and the “That’s Not My” series are great options if you are looking to encourage your young readers. In the “That’s Not My” series, each page has a hidden mouse (fun for toddlers to find while reading), thick black lines which make it easy for young readers to identify objects, and of course, the fun textures!
“Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Book“:
“That’s Not My Fox“:
“That’s Not My Mermaid“:

3. Look Inside Your Body

When my daughter turned three, she started asking a lot of questions about her body. And my two year old son has recently become interested in poop (thanks potty training)! The “Look Inside Your Body Book” is SO incredibly fascinating to them both. It is interactive because of all of the flaps inside the book they can lift open. It is also great because they can choose whether to lift a flap about a certain body part or function if they want to learn more, or they can skip it and move onto the next page. Every time we read this book, my kiddos repeat the facts they learn for weeks. Recently my daughter walked around saying, “you are a grown up and you are bigger than me, but I have more bones in my body than you do!” How fascinating is it that my four year old is learning about bones, and thinks it’s FUN!?
“Look Inside Your Body“:

4. ABC Yoga

This book is one of our regulars. Is there a better way to calm down and relax a child than yoga and reading? How about a book that combines the two? “ABC Yoga” is such a fun read, especially because it is multi-purpose. We love how this book has a yoga pose for every letter in the alphabet and encourages our children to memorize their letters, practice beginning sounds, and copy the poses. I’m not going to lie, you can often find me doing these poses with the kiddos as well, because they are just too much fun to pass up. This is a great book to have for the whole family, and makes for some funny memories.
“ABC Yoga“:

5. The Circus Ship

My kids and I absolutely ADORE this book. And I knew it was a winner when my husband asked for it by name one night when he was reading to our littles. The illustrations are bright, adorable, and entertaining. The small paragraphs on each page rhyme and keep the story flowing so nicely! We love how this story teaches kindness and how in the end, the mean circus boss doesn’t get what he wants. When he comes looking for the animals to return to his circus, he can’t find them. The spread where all of the animals blend in and hide from Mr. Payne is so much fun! Can you and your children find all of the hidden animals?
“The Circus Ship“:

6. Very First Book Of Things To Spot Out And About

Another Usborne favorite is the “Things To Spot” series. My two year old is a big fan of this book because it doesn’t feel like reading. I read the short questions to him and he points out the answer in the book, and then beams with pride! Questions include things like “can you spot the balloon with stripes?” and “who is wearing green boots?” This is a fantastic book for recognizing patterns, shapes, colors, measurements, animals, and numbers!
“Very First Book of Things to Spot Out and About“:

7. American Girl’s Wellie Wishers Series and Usborne’s Billie’s Adventure Series

These beginner chapter books are great for 4-6 year olds who are curious about learning how to read! My four year old loves the bright illustrations in both of these series and enjoys how friendship and adventure are the main focus in each of the books. The “Wellie Wishers” series has five girl characters who are always exploring together. The beginning of the book introduces the reader to each character and is a great key to refer back to when your child asks “who is Willa? Who is Ashlyn?” Usborne’s “Billie B. Brown Adventure” series is also amazing! There are a few different excursions that Billie B. Brown takes on, including a baking a giant cupcake, traveling in space, and exploring the jungle. They are all great for encouraging young imaginations!
“Billie B. Brown Adventure Series“:
“American Girl Wellie Wishers Series“:

So Long Sweet Summer: A Teacher’s Reflection at the Start of the Year

By

Darlene Follett

-

September 4, 2017

0

Summer has ended. Right now, some moms are happily ready to send their children back to the routine of the school year. Other moms are sadly walking their children to the bus stop, unexcited to see their little companions go. Some moms will be sending their babies off to kindergarten, while others will be sending their babies off to their senior year. Both are wondering how time has passed so quickly. For a few, this is just simply a change of the seasons with new activities to start and adventures to explore.

This mom, however, is the one leaving her babies behind and heading back to school. My eight week stint as a stay at home mom has ended. This week, I become a full time working mom again. I am headed back to my classroom to get ready for a new group of students. To say I am devastated is an understatement. I am sure in later years, when we are all headed back to school, the transition will be easier. However, right now, this idea gives me no solace.

Going back to work means no more lazy morning snuggles with the baby. I will not leisurely start the day with giggles, stories, and songs. That one-on-one time I worked so hard to schedule with each girl this summer is no more. Zoo adventures, the playground, swimming, play dates — they are all reserved for the weekends. I am going to miss watching my preschooler play pretend and my toddler discover more of the world around her. Do not worry — I am aware that I will have a few brief hours after work to enjoy this each night, but I am currently wallowing. Let me wallow.

I know that within a couple of weeks we will be back in the swing of things. Our morning routine will begin to run smoothly. I will be less bitter about waking up early (that’s a lie, I am always bitter about having to wake sleeping children). We will rediscover how to make the best of evenings together. My working will become the norm again.

It won’t be all bad, either. There are some bonuses to working, too. For instance, I will get to interact with other adults and have conversations that have nothing to do with bodily functions. I will get to eat something and not have to share it. Additionally, I will get to drink an entire cup of coffee while it is still hot!

The most comforting thought in all of this is that I love my job. Yes, I hate leaving my children behind, but I love teaching yours. I love watching them grow and learn throughout the year. I love the community that we build together in our classroom. Yes, there are going to be challenging days. There are going to be days where we all learn from our mistakes. In the end, though, I love what each child teaches me throughout the year.

Being a mom has made me a better teacher. I now understand what each one of you sacrifices. So as you send those little pieces of your heart to school this year, know that I am going to do my best to inspire them. I am going to set high expectations and show them that they can succeed. Our days will not be perfect, but I will try my best to be compassionate and understanding. I will do my best because I have little pieces of my heart somewhere else too.

Pros:

Anything Related to a Farm

Fall Foods

Football Season – Enough Said

Halloween Prep

Cons

Back to School

Cooler Weather and Heavier Clothing

Pre-Christmas Displays

Shorter Days

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